Denny's has renewed its title sponsorship of the Orange Blossom Classic, the annual HBCU football and cultural event scheduled for Sunday, September 6, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The 2026 game, billed as the Denny's Orange Blossom Classic presented by Able Business Services, features the South Carolina State University Bulldogs against the Florida A&M University Rattlers, with kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
What the Deal Delivers
As title sponsor, Denny's gains prominent brand visibility across OBC Weekend — a multi-day series of events built around leadership, education, business, culture, and community engagement that draws thousands of fans, students, and alumni to South Florida each Labor Day Weekend. The partnership extends Denny's existing Hungry for Education scholarship program and aligns the family-dining brand with an event that has generated more than $100 million in economic impact for Miami-Dade County since its revival in 2021, while distributing over $500,000 in scholarship dollars.
Chris Bode, CEO and President of Denny's, framed the renewed deal as a continuation of the chain's long-standing education platform. "For decades, Denny's has invested in programs and partnerships that help create opportunities through education, and the Orange Blossom Classic is a powerful example of that commitment," Bode said. "Through the support of our franchisees, our guests and communities across the country, we've been able to provide significant support for initiatives like Hungry for Education while celebrating the excellence, leadership and lasting impact of HBCUs."
Why Operators Should Pay Attention
For the restaurant industry, high-profile event sponsorships tied to cultural moments have become an increasingly effective tool for family-dining and casual-dining brands looking to build relevance with younger consumers and underserved communities. Denny's approach — pairing title-sponsorship visibility with a scholarship program backed by franchisee participation — offers a replicable model for operators seeking community-investment strategies that extend beyond one-time donations.
Kendra Bulluck, executive director of the Orange Blossom Classic, said the renewed partnership reflects a shared mission. "Together, we're continuing to build an event that honors our history, strengthens our future, and showcases the lasting impact of HBCUs on a national stage," she said.
Founded in 1933 and revived in 2021, the OBC is now in its sixth year. The event's growth trajectory — from a regional tradition to a nationally televised, Labor Day Weekend destination — mirrors broader beverage and food industry trends in which brands align with cultural institutions to deepen consumer trust and loyalty. For Denny's, which operates more than 70 years into its history and has expanded into virtual restaurant concepts alongside its brick-and-mortar footprint, the sponsorship reinforces a community-investment narrative that the Spartanburg, S.C.-based company has built through programs including its Mobile Relief Diner, a No Kid Hungry fundraising partnership, and a newer collaboration supporting Cookies for Kids' Cancer research.
Coverage of the partnership has also appeared in Food & Beverage Magazine, which tracks brand-community investment across the foodservice sector.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
