ATLANTA – The second invitation to the ninth annual Cricket Celebration Bowl – to be played on Saturday, Dec. 14, at noon ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and aired live on ABC – has been extended to Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) college football champion Jackson State University. The Tigers defeated the Southern University Jaguars 41 – 13. Executive Director of the Cricket Celebration Bowl, John Grant, was on-site at the SWAC Championship in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday to present Jackson State University Head Coach TC Taylor with the official invitation.
“Congratulations to SWAC champion Jackson State University for earning their third trip to the Cricket Celebration Bowl,” said Grant. “Jackson State, led by Coach TC Taylor, had an incredible season. We are excited for the Tigers to join us in this championship matchup against the MEAC champion South Carolina State University Bulldogs
Entering its ninth year, the Cricket Celebration Bowl has established itself as a premier bowl game, celebrating the heritage, legacy, pageantry, and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC champions is televised on ABC. ESPN Events collaborates with its sponsors, the Divine Nine Greek organizations, and the Atlanta HBCU Alumni Alliance to schedule the game’s ancillary events, which includes a fan experience, community service projects, and more.
Since its debut in 2015, the Celebration Bowl is the only Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision bowl game. It serves as the annual HBCU national championship game between the MEAC and SWAC conferences.
Celebration Bowl Games (2015-present):
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T def. Alcorn State, 41-34 |
| 2016 | Grambling State def. North Carolina Central, 10-9 |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T def. Grambling State, 21-14 |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T def. Alcorn State, 24-22 |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T def. Alcorn State, 64-44 |
| 2020 | Not played due to pandemic |
| 2021 | South Carolina State def. Jackson State, 31-10 |
| 2022 | North Carolina Central def. Jackson State, 41 – 34 |
| 2023 | Florida A&M def. Howard, 30-26 |
Fans can purchase tickets to the Cricket Celebration Bowl online at thecelebrationbowl.com or ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. A full list of events surrounding the game are available on the event’s website.
For MEAC fans, a special rate is being offered at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta and is available for December 13-14. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
For SWAC fans, a special rate is being offered at the Hilton Atlanta and is available for December 13-14. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
Additional hotel rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Atlanta Downtown and Spring Hill Suites. Please visit the Celebration Bowl website for more details.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
