Saturday, December 13, 2025, is the date of the 2025 Celebration Bowl. It will include the SWAC and MEAC conference champions. At 12 p.m. ET, ABC will broadcast the championship game.
Where is the Celebration Bowl in 2025?
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, will host the 2025 Celebration Bowl. The Celebration Bowl will be played in Atlanta for the tenth time and in Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the eighth.
Who will compete in the Celebration Bowl in 2025?
In the Celebration Bowl, the winner of the 2025 SWAC Football Championship Game will play the 2025 MEAC regular season champion.
What is the selection process for Celebration Bowl teams?
The MEAC regular-season champion receives one bid to the Celebration Bowl, while the winner of the SWAC championship game receives the other. The team having the best conference record at the end of the regular season is the MEAC champion. The SWAC East and SWAC West division winners will compete in the SWAC Championship.
What are the current HBCU football standings?
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | 6-0 |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 6-0 |
| 3 | Tarleton State | 7-0 |
| 4 | Montana State | 5-2 |
| 5 | Montana | 6-0 |
| 6 | UC Davis | 5-1 |
| 7 | Lehigh | 7-0 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 4-2 |
| 9 | Monmouth | 5-1 |
| 10 | Tennessee Tech | 6-0 |
When is the National Championship for Band of the Year?
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, will host the third annual Band of the Year National Championship on Friday, December 12, the day before the Celebration Bowl. The top two Division I and Division II HBCU bands will compete for the title of Band of the Year. Before the Celebration Bowl, a Division I champion and a Division II champion will be crowned.
Miles’ Purple Marching Machine and Florida A&M’s Marching 100 took home the honors the previous year. Florida Memorial’s The Roar and North Carolina A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine were named Band of the Year in the first year.
History of the Celebration Bowl
The Celebration Bowl champions of all time are listed here. In the all-time series, the MEAC is ahead of the SWAC 6-3. With four Celebration Bowl wins, North Carolina A&T holds the record.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jackson State (SWAC) | 28-7 | South Carolina State (MEAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2023 | Florida A&M (SWAC) | 30-26 | Howard (MEAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2022 | North Carolina Central (MEAC) | 41-34 (OT) | Jackson State (SWAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2021 | South Carolina State (MEAC) | 31-10 | Jackson State (SWAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T (MEAC) | 64-44 | Alcorn State (SWAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T (MEAC) | 24-22 | Alcorn State (SWAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T (MEAC) | 21-14 | Grambling State (SWAC) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta GA |
| 2016 | Grambling State (SWAC) | 10-9 | North Carolina Central (MEAC) | Georgia Dome, Atlanta GA |
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T (MEAC) | 41-34 | Alcorn State (SWAC) | Georgia Dome, Atlanta GA |
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