ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Hundreds of people came out for the first ever Frederick Douglass Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Football Classic on Saturday.

The vibes? They were energetic, as Central State and Albany State faced off at the Rochester Community Sports Complex, with Albany State taking home the win.

Before the game there was a tailgate party, with dozens of vendors selling a variety of food and refreshments — and a battle of the bands, hosted by News10NBC’s own Lynette Adams, with each marching band from both universities lined up to bring its unique flavor of music.

Many who were at the game say it was an amazing time.

“I think it’s awesome, it’s phenomenal, and it’s supposed to be a three-year event so we’ll be at all three years,” Deborah Washington said.

“Yeah, make this an annual event so we will keep coming back,” Robert Washington added.

“Yeah, and it was phenomenal to see all of the people coming out supporting their HBCU and just seeing the pride in their colleges,” Deborah said.

The event is aimed at strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the community.