School is now officially in session as BET Networks and some of its key marketing partners hit the road this fall in a 14-stop tour of historically black colleges and universities. The 2010 BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR, the largest and only tour of its kind, returns for the eighth consecutive year to bring campuses across the country a dizzying day of entertainment, games, contests, product samples and consumer information. The tour makes its first stop on Wednesday, September 1st at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley , Georgia.

“The BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR highlights the Networks’ continued effort to support and engage our HBCUs in an entertaining and enlightened environment,” said Michelle Garner, Vice President of Consumer Engagement for BET Networks. “The tour is an exciting opportunity for BET and our marketing partners to interact with more than 75,000 college students each year.”

This year’s BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR includes various contests, basketball competitions, games, music performances, product sampling and career and health information. Similar to previous years, the BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR has a bevy of sponsored activities, which also includes the Coca-Cola Zero 3-point basketball shoot-out; U.S. Air Force 2-on-2 basketball competition; Toyota “Drop the Beat” music trivia contest; EA Sports Video Skillz Challenge; free concerts that will feature popular and up-and-coming Interscope Record artists; and style maven/author Fonzworth Bentley on limited dates. Additionally, BET’s award-winning Rap It Up initiative will be on hand with local health officials to offer free HIV/AIDS testing to students.

The following are dates and schools scheduled for the 2010 BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR. For tour updates, exclusive footage and photos from each campus, please visit our website, http://www.bet.com/blackcollegetour.

2010 BET BLACK COLLEGE TOUR Schedule

Wednesday, September 1
Fort Valley State
Fort Valley , GA

Friday, September 10
Delaware State
Dover , DE

Friday, September 17
Norfolk State
Norfolk , VA

Friday, September 24
North Carolina Central
Durham, NC

Wednesday, September 29
Clark Atlanta
Atlanta , GA

Friday, October 1
Alabama A&M
Normal , AL

Friday, October 8
Alcorn State
Lorman , MS

Friday, October 15
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff , AR

Wednesday, October 20
Miles College
Fairfield , AL

Friday, October 22
Alabama State
Montgomery , AL

Wednesday, October 27
Florida A&M
Tallahassee , FL

Friday, October 29
Albany State
Albany , GA

Friday, November 5
Southern
Baton Rouge, LA

Friday, November 12
Prairie View A&M
Prairie View, TX