MEAC/SWAC Challenge

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is an annual historically black college college football game showcasing a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and a team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).[6] The series began in 2005[7] and initially paired the defending conference champions,[8] although the selection process was broadened to include non-champions as well, in 2007. Through the 2018 season the MEAC leads the series with nine wins to the SWAC's four (along with a "no contest" game in 2016[9]). The Challenge is televised nationally on ESPN and is owned by ESPN Events. It is associated with the Labor Day weekend.[2][7]

MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Ford MEAC/SWAC Challenge (2005–2006)[1]
MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (2008[2]–2015[3])
StadiumGeorgia State Stadium
Location Atlanta, Georgia
Previous stadiumsLegion Field (2005–2007)
Camping World Stadium (2008–2013, 2015)
Spectrum Stadium (2014)
Municipal Stadium (2016)
A. W. Mumford Stadium (2017)
Previous locations Birmingham, Alabama (2005–2007)
Orlando, Florida (2008–2015)
Daytona Beach, Florida (2016)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2017)
Operated2005–present
Conference tie-insMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Sponsors
ESPN (2005[4]–present[5])
Ford (2005–2006)[1]
Walt Disney World Resort (2008[2]–2015[3])

History

South Carolina State beat Alabama State in the first Challenge in 2005, and for its first three years the event was held in Birmingham, Alabama (home of the SWAC's offices[10]), at Legion Field. In 2007, the event attracted its largest crowd—over 30,000—as Southern beat Florida A&M and earned the SWAC's first victory in the series. In 2008, the Challenge moved to Orlando, Florida after a new sponsorship was announced;[2] Walt Disney World Resort would sponsor the event for eight years until 2015.[3] From 2008–13, as well as in 2015, it was held in Orlando at the Florida Citrus Bowl, now called Camping World Stadium. In 2014, the game was played at Spectrum Stadium as Camping World Stadium underwent renovations.

In April 2016, it was announced that the game would move to campus sites for 2016 and 2017 (on September 4, 2016, Bethune–Cookman attempted to host Alcorn State in Daytona Beach, Florida, but the game was halted before halftime due to lightning associated with feeder bands from Hurricane Hermine;[5] on September 3, 2017, Southern hosted South Carolina State in Baton Rouge, Louisiana). The event moved to a non-HBCU campus venue in 2018—this time at Georgia State Stadium.[11]

Nine future NFL draft picks have played in the Challenge. They are Phillip Adams (South Carolina State), Michael Coe (Alabama State), Johnny Culbreath (South Carolina State), Justin Durant (Hampton), Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State), Temarrick Hemingway (South Carolina State), Curtis Holcomb (Florida A&M), Tarvaris Jackson (Alabama State), and Kendall Langford (Hampton).[12]

The 2020 game, as well as the Celebration Bowl, were both cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic (in particular, due to a decision by the MEAC to cancel all fall sports for the 2020 season).[13]

Game notes
YearMEAC representativeScoreSWAC representativeAttendanceLocation
2005South Carolina State27–14Alabama State18,452Legion Field (Birmingham, Alabama)
2006Hampton27–26 OT[14]Grambling State19,175Legion Field (Birmingham, Alabama)
2007Florida A&M27–33Southern30,106Legion Field (Birmingham, Alabama)
2008Hampton17–13Jackson State10,723Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2009South Carolina State34–31Grambling State21,367Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2010Delaware State27–37Southern16,327Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2011Bethune–Cookman63–14Prairie View A&M17,337Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2012Bethune–Cookman38–28Alabama State17,410Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2013Florida A&M27–10[15]Mississippi Valley State24,376[16]Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2014North Carolina A&T47–13Alabama A&M8,210[17]Spectrum Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2015South Carolina State35–7Arkansas–Pine Bluff7,257Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
2016Bethune–Cookman7–13 unofficial #Alcorn State6,000[5]Municipal Stadium (Daytona Beach, Florida)
2017South Carolina State8–14Southern10,006[18]A. W. Mumford Stadium (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
2018North Carolina Central24–40Prairie View A&M10,274Georgia State Stadium (Atlanta)
2019Bethune–Cookman36–15Jackson State23,333Georgia State Stadium (Atlanta)[19]
2020^South Carolina State(Cancelled)Grambling State(Cancelled)Georgia State Stadium (Atlanta)[20]

Notes: #—Score is unofficial; game called no contest with 7:14 remaining in the 2nd Quarter (22:46 point of game), as game had not reached official status prior to lightning ending the event[5] ^—The 2020 game was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]

See also

References
  1. "ESPN Announces 2006 MEAC / SWAC Challenge Game". onnidan.com. February 27, 2006. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  2. "Tickets for the 2008 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney Go on Sale June 1". meacsports.com. 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  3. "Matchups Announced for 2015 MEAC/SWAC Challenge". swac.org. March 16, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  4. "MEAC/SWAC Challenge set". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. D, p. 3). October 1, 2004.
  5. Andreas Butler (September 8, 2016). "Not one for the record books: The unfinished MEAC/SWAC Challenge will have no negative financial implications for the universities, conferences or ESPN". daytonatimes.com. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  6. MEAC/SWAC Challenge – ESPN Events. ESPN.
  7. "MEAC/SWAC Challenge: About". meacswacchallenge.com. 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  8. "State Capsules: Hampton vs. Grambling". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. C, p. 16). September 2, 2006.
  9. A'Leaka Brown (September 5, 2016). "MEAC/SWAC Challenge Ruled a 'No Contest'". thecampuschronicleasu.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  10. Stu McCann (June 3, 2016). "City of Houston wants to be new home of SWAC headquarters". abc3340.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  11. /humans.txt. "2016 & 2017 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Matchups Announced - MEAC / SWAC | ESPN Events". espnevents.com. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  12. /humans.txt. "2 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Alumni Selected in 2016 NFL Draft - MEAC / SWAC | ESPN Events". espnevents.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  13. "MEAC-SWAC 2020 football matchups in Atlanta canceled". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  14. "MEAC/SWAC Challenge: History". .meacswacchallenge.com. 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  15. http://espnevents.com/meac-swac/faq/
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-meac-swac-challenge-0901-20140831-story.html
  18. http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400952251
  19. Kevin Kelley (December 17, 2018). "Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman to play in 2019 MEAC/SWAC Challenge". fbschedules.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  20. https://hbcugameday.com/2019/07/29/2020-meac-swac-challenge-sc-state-vs-grambling-state/
  21. https://hbcugameday.com/2020/07/16/2020-meac-swac-and-celebration-bowl-canceled/
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