MEAC/SWAC Challenge

MEAC/SWAC Challenge
MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Stadium Florida Citrus Bowl (2008–2013, 2015–)
Location Florida Daytona Beach, Florida
Previous stadiums Legion Field (2005–2007)
Camping World Stadium (2008-2013, 2015)
Bright House Networks Stadium (2014)
Previous locations

Alabama Birmingham, Alabama

Florida Orlando, Florida
Operated 2005–present
Conference tie-ins Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is an annual Historically Black College Football game showcasing a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).[1] The series began in 2005, and for its first three years it was held in Birmingham, Alabama at Legion Field. From 2008-2013, as well as 2015, it was held in Orlando, Florida at the Florida Citrus Bowl, now called Camping World Stadium. In 2014, the game was played at Bright House Networks Stadium as the Citrus Bowl 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 will host Alcorn State in Daytona Beach, Florida. On September 3, 2017, Southern will host South Carolina State in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[2] Currently the MEAC leads the series with nine wins to the SWAC's two. The game is televised nationally on ESPN and is owned by ESPN Events.

History

South Carolina State beat Alabama State in the first MEAC/SWAC Challenge in 2005. In 2007, the event attracted its largest crowd, over 30,000, as Southern beat Florida A&M, earning the SWAC's first victory in the series. In 2008 the event moved to Orlando after a partnership with Walt Disney World was announced. Disney would sponsor the event for eight years until 2015. In 2016, the game will be played on a campus site for the first time as Alcorn State visits Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, FL.

Nine future NFL draft picks have played in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. They are Tarvaris Jackson (Alabama State), Justin Durant (Hampton), Michael Coe (Alabama State), Kendall Langford (Hampton), Phillip Adams (South Carolina State), Johnny Culbreath (South Carolina State), Curtis Holcomb (Florida A&M), Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State) and Temarrick Hemingway (South Carolina State).[3]

Game notes

Year MEAC Team Score SWAC Team Attendance Location
2005 South Carolina State 27–14 Alabama State 18,452 Birmingham
2006 Hampton 27–26 Grambling State 19,175 Birmingham
2007 Florida A&M 27–33 Southern 30,106 Birmingham
2008 Hampton 17–13 Jackson State 10,723 Orlando
2009 South Carolina State 34–31 Grambling State 21,367 Orlando
2010 Delaware State 27–37 Southern 16,327 Orlando
2011 Bethune-Cookman 63–14 Prairie View A&M 17,337 Orlando
2012 Bethune-Cookman 38–28 Alabama State 17,410 Orlando
2013 Florida A&M 27–10[4] Mississippi Valley 24,376[5] Orlando
2014 North Carolina A&T 47–13 Alabama A&M 8,210[6] Orlando
2015 South Carolina State 35–7 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 7,257 Orlando
2016 Bethune-Cookman Canceled Alcorn State Daytona Beach
2017 South Carolina State Southern Baton Rouge

See also

References

  1. ↑ MEAC/SWAC Challenge – ESPN Events. ESPN.
  2. ↑ /humans.txt. "2016 & 2017 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Matchups Announced - MEAC / SWAC | ESPN Events". espnevents.com. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  3. ↑ /humans.txt. "2 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Alumni Selected in 2016 NFL Draft - MEAC / SWAC | ESPN Events". espnevents.com. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  4. ↑ http://espnevents.com/meac-swac/faq/
  5. ↑ http://www.hbcugameday.com/2013/09/hbcu-attendance-numbers-meacswac-paces.html
  6. ↑ http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-meac-swac-challenge-0901-20140831-story.html

External links

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