The Celebration Bowl, in its fifth year, will be televised live on ABC for the fifth consecutive year, kicking off at noon ET, on Saturday, Dec. 21, from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Celebration Bowl, which showcases the heritage, legacy, pageantry and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), features the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The MEAC leads the series 3-1 with all three wins coming from North Carolina A&T, who held off Alcorn State to win the 2018 Celebration Bowl 24-22. The Aggies also captured their last minute 21-14 win over Grambling State in 2017 capping the first unbeaten season in MEAC history. Grambling won the SWAC’s first title in 2016 with a thrilling 10-9 victory over North Carolina Central.
Tickets for the game, a full ancillary event schedule and discounted rates at downtown Atlanta hotels will be available this summer. To stay up to date on Celebration Bowl announcements, sign up for updates on www.TheCelebrationBowl.com and follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, also manages the season-opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Labor Day weekend, another game that showcases these two conferences. The 2019 Challenge will be played in Atlanta, featuring Bethune Cookman from the MEAC and Jackson State from the SWAC. The game is set for Sunday, Sept. 1, at Georgia State Stadium, at 3 p.m.
The Celebration Bowl is one of this year’s 14 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events,
a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 34
collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor
Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 15
college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball
event, an esports event and two college award shows, which accounts for
approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64
million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With
satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and Tampa, ESPN
Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local
communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.