The Celebration Bowl is a postseason college football game featuring the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The event’s mission is to provide the schools, alumni, fans, and sponsors with a first-class bowl experience while continuing to celebrate the heritage, legacy, pageantry and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
It is managed by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, which owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide, including 13 postseason bowl games. ESPN partners with The 100 Black Men of Atlanta to manage the game’s ancillary events, which include a Youth Symposium, Robotics Showcase, Gospel Night and Fan Experience. John Grant serves as the Celebration Bowl’s Executive Director.
The Celebration Bowl was announced at the College Football Hall of Fame in March of 2015. The event got off to a rousing start in its inaugural year as North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in front of over 35,000 fans at the Georgia Dome. An additional 14.8 million people (2.56 million average) watched around the country on ABC..