BIRMINGHAM — The Magic City Classic is not until late October, but the rival football program's head coaches already are competing on the playing surface — or, at least the golf course.

The early results:

Alabama A&M 1. Alabama State 0.

First-year Alabama A&M football coach Connell Maynor picked up his first win in the rivalry on Wednesday, topping Alabama State coach Donald Hill-Eley at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-am at Greystone Country Club in Birmingham.

As the winner between the two rival programs' coaches, Maynor won $2,500 in scholarship money for Alabama A&M students.

"It was a lot of fun," Maynor said. "That's a great golf course. It's a great event."

Maynor and Hill-Eley were part of a group of Division I football coaches from across the Southeast who were invited to participate in the event, along with entertainment celebrities and former political leaders, such as Condoleezza Rice.

The Magic City Classic is a fierce football rivalry. What occurred at Greystone was a bit more relaxed, but the coaches still maintained a competitive spirit.

Following the pro-am, the two SWAC football coaches posed for a photo, with Maynor holding up a large cardboard check and a scorecard showing that he won by eight strokes.

"Oh yeah, we were competing," said Maynor, who is an avid golfer. "We both wanted to win for our universities. But at the end of the day, it was for the kids."

Now that the charity golf version of the Classic is in the books, the next chapter is on the gridiron. Alabama A&M and Alabama State face in Oct. 27 in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field.