HBCU Insider: Why the Celebration Bowl had to change dates (2024)

I still vividly remember the first-ever Celebration Bowl.I was in California at a women’s basketball tournament at the University of Southern California with the FAMU women’s basketball team.With the three-hour difference, the newly minted HBCU National Championship Game came on at 9:00 AM and we watched it over breakfast.

In my mind, I still see Tarik Cohen running crazy in the game.It was an offensive back-and-forth ending in a 41-34 victory for the North Carolina A&T Aggies under the leadership of Rod Broadway.Cohen ran for 295 yards including the game-winning 73-yard touchdown.There were no other bowl games and it was special, resulting in high viewership ratings.The whole premise of selling the Celebration Bowl to the conferences included the assurance that it would be the first of the bowl season.

Gradually, things changed around the Celebration Bowl.Other games moved on the same day and last year it faced its biggest rival.The NFL moved some of its games to the same date as the Celebration Bowl because of its expanded season.This pulled audience numbers because Joe Burrows, Russell Wilson, and Jared Goff were all playing on the same date.It is a battle the Celebration Bowl will not win with the casual fan.

This year, the NCAA Playoffs expanded, causing them to start the series earlier.Access to Mercedes Benz is guaranteed for the FBS Playoffs, so scheduling conflicts were bound to arise.In addition, the Georgia High School football championships are also hosted in Mercedes Benz Stadium which further limits the ultimate football venue.

In addition to the college football competition, the day was so huge last season that there are some blockbuster NFL games on Dec. 21.The world champion Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes takes on C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans at 1:00 PM and 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers with Russel Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback at 4:30 PM.There is an all-out fight for viewership on this date.

For the Celebration Bowl to continue to thrive, it needed to move a week earlier.John Grant, Executive Director of the Celebration Bowl has been responsive to the climate around the HBCU National Championship game and how it is perceived.

He is dedicated to providing the best game atmosphere for the schools as possible.It is indeed the best possible scenario for determining the HBCU champion ever.

“The expansion of the College Football Playoffs has a ripple effect across the bowl ecosystem.Our goal was simply to position the Celebration Bowl in the best position for growth and success.It was important to consider venue availability, fan experience, and certainly the student-athlete which is paramount.We talked to coaches for both conferences, particularly those who had been participants in the Celebration Bowl.Without question on both sides, they indicated the second weekend would not be detrimental for them to compete,” Grant said.

Dan Le Batard Show co-host Dan “Stugotz” Weiner, a sports analyst, blasted the move of the Celebration Bowl saying that it infringes on the Army-Navy game.He went on to say that the teams in the Celebration Bowl were not generally known.It was a slight of epic proportions and a slap in the face of the whole premise of the Celebration Bowl.

Well, what about our HBCUs?They have been forced to do uncommon things as well.With a second round of expansion of the CFP in the works, the Army-Navy game will no doubt get even more company on their date.

Unfortunately, the HBCU national championship was degraded in this manner.It was a sign of zero respect for the institutions, conferences, and all the fans that attended the game. Unfortunately, he is not the first to put down HBCUs and he won’t be the last… he could care less because he didn’t see the harm in his words.

The Celebration Bowl is OUR game.I’ve been to the NCAA playoff games several times and two Celebration Bowls…there is no contest.The Celebration Bowl is an uplifting of our culture, while my last experience in 2022 in the NCAA playoffs in Louisiana was one of my worst-ever experiences at a sporting event, that was coupled with racist attacks.I wouldn’t want any fan to experience what we faced in trying to play a football game.I would never visit that city again under any circ*mstance.

The two Celebration Bowls I have attended were electric. The overtime win of NCCU over “Coach Prime’s” Jackson State Tigers in 2022 was a blockbuster.It was one of the most exciting college games I’ve ever seen.Plus, the city of Atlanta willingly opened its doors to us to enjoy the weekend.

The 2023 Celebration Bowl with two teams that had never been in the game went down to the wire as well.FAMU would win the game 30-26 over the resurgent Howard Bison.It went virtually down to the last drive of the game as well.

The culture of the game is what makes it outstanding.HBCUs from all over don their school’s colors and engage in a weekend of activities catered to our audience.There is no adjusting to a culture we are not familiar with or comfortable in…it’s made for us.ESPN has backed the HBCU National Championship Game and sponsors have come along with it and shell out over $1 million to the conferences for the game.

Grant also explored other options and decided it was best to maintain the Saturday date as opposed to moving to a weekday.“The other factor that was important is it moved us a little farther from Christmas and ensured Saturday as opposed to a weekday.When it started there were three bowl games which followed ours, last season there were seven bowl games on the day of the Celebration Bowl and we weren’t the first game of the day,” Grant said.

Related

HBCU Insider: Why the Celebration Bowl had to change dates

Click to comment