ATLANTA – The second invitation to the fifth annual Celebration Bowl – to be played on Saturday, Dec. 21, at noon ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and aired live on ABC – has been extended to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) college football champion, Alcorn State University. The Alcorn Braves defeated the Southern Jaguars 39-24. Executive Director of the Celebration Bowl, John Grant, was on-site at the SWAC Championship at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi on Saturday, Dec. 7, and presented Alcorn State University Coach Fred McNair with the official invitation.
“Congratulations to SWAC champion Alcorn State Braves for punching their ticket to the Celebration Bowl,” said Grant. “We are excited for the Braves to join us in this championship rematch against the MEAC champion, North Carolina A&T Aggies. It will be thrilling for our fans to see which champion will rise this year!”
Entering its fifth year, the Celebration Bowl has established itself as a premier bowl game and celebrates the heritage, legacy, pageantry, and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It is a championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC champions and will be televised on ABC. ESPN Events collaborates with 100 Black Men of Atlanta to organize the game’s ancillary events which include a youth symposium, robotics showcase, gospel night, fan experience and more. North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in the inaugural game in 2015. In 2016, Grambling State defeated North Carolina Central 10-9. In 2017, North Carolina A&T defeated Grambling State 21-14. Last year, North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 24-22.
Fans can purchase tickets to the Celebration Bowl online at thecelebrationbowl.com or ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Prices range from $15 to $165 excluding taxes and fees. A full list of events surrounding the game are available on the event’s website.
For MEAC fans, a special rate of $115/night is being offered at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, and is available for December 20-21. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
For SWAC fans, a special rate of $97/night is being offered at the Hilton Atlanta, and is available for December 20-21. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
Additional hotel rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Atlanta Downtown for $105/night. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 16 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball 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.
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