The 2025 Celebration Bowl is on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. It will feature the conference champion from the MEAC and the SWAC. The title game will air at 12 p.m. ET on ABC.
Where is the 2025 Celebration Bowl?
The 2025 Celebration Bowl will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be the eighth time the Celebration Bowl has been played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the 10th time in Atlanta.
Who is playing in the 2025 Celebration Bowl?
The South Carolina State — 2025 MEAC regular season champion — will face the winner of the 2025 SWAC Football Championship Game in the Celebration Bowl.
How are Celebration Bowl teams selected?
The winner of the SWAC championship Game gets one bid to the Celebration Bowl and the MEAC regular-season champion gets the other. The MEAC regular season champion is the team that finishes with the best conference record. The SWAC Championship participants will be the winner of the SWAC East and SWAC West divisions.
What are the current HBCU football standings?
Click or tap here to view the latest HBCU football standings, which will be updated throughout the season.
When is the Band of the Year National Championship?
The third annual Band of the Year National Championship will be held one day before the Celebration Bowl on Friday, Dec. 12 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Bands from the top two Division I HBCUs and the top two Division II HBCUs will compete for the Band of the Year title. One Division I champ and one Division II champ will be crowned ahead of the Celebration Bowl.
Last year, Florida A&M's Marching 100 and Miles' Purple Marching Machine won the titles. In the inaugural year, North Carolina A&T's Blue and Gold Marching Machine and Florida Memorial's The Roar won Band of the Year titles.
Celebration Bowl history
Here's the list of all-time Celebration Bowl champions. The MEAC leads the SWAC in the all-time series 6-3. North Carolina A&T has the most Celebration Bowl victories with four.
🏆: HBCU football championship history
| 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 |
🏈: Recapping the 2024 HBCU football season
📲 B/R:
📚 Football History: Top MEAC/SWAC Challenge moments | Individual stars | | Recapping 2022 | Recapping 2021
Championships: Jackson State wins 2024 Celebration Bowl | Tennessee State, NC Central win tennis title | Football title history | Track champions
🏟 Classics: Every HBCU Football Classic's history | Florida Classic | Bayou Classic | Can't miss atmospheres
🏀 HBCU hoops: Pac-12/SWAC series |1980s Alcorn State | NBA draft picks | Hall of Famers
👀 March Madness: Men's history | Women's history | Two HBCU wins in 2021 | HBCU vs. HBCU | Tournament upsets
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
