A concept that has been thrown around for many years, especially among those in the HBCU community, has now become a reality.
Today the Celebration Bowl was announced, a game which will feature the champions from the MEAC and SWAC on December 19th in Atlanta in the Georgia Dome.
Per Yahoo Sports:
The game, which will be televised on one of ESPN’s networks, is a property of ESPN events. According to a release “The Celebration Bowl is committed to providing the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and their alumni, fans and sponsors a first-class bowl experience while continuing to celebrate the legacy, values and traditions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The MEAC and SWAC are at the FCS level in college football. Bethune-Cookman was the MEAC’s 2014 champion while Alcorn State beat Southern in the SWAC Championship Game.
As part of the conferences continued efforts in branding and increasing its exposure on a national platform, I am elated that champions from the MEAC and the SWAC will compete in a bowl game, during the most exciting time of the year for collegiate football,” MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said in a statement. “Our continued partnership with ESPN will give our coaches, student-athletes and fans an opportunity to participate in an exciting bowl game, on a national stage, which will showcase their institutions and talented football programs. Adding a national television opportunity for our champion, during this time of year, only furthers our branding and marketability.”
The Celebration Bowl is the second ESPN-created MEAC-SWAC game. Teams from the conference have played in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge on ESPN for the past 10 years. The 2015 MEAC-SWAC Challenge features Arkansas Pine-Bluff and South Carolina State.
