ESPN Events Announces MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff Matchups Through 2029
ATLANTA — Six prominent HBCU football programs will meet in future editions of the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff presented by Toyota, ESPN Events announced Thursday in unveiling matchups for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 games.
Morgan State will face Alabama State in 2027, Jackson State will meet Norfolk State in 2028, and South Carolina State will take on Alcorn State in 2029. Dates, kickoff times, locations and television information will be announced later.
John T. Grant, executive director of the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Cricket Celebration Bowl, said the matchups reflect what makes the event distinctive. He described the pairings as representing outstanding competition, passionate fan bases and traditions that make HBCU football special, adding that each game carries its own storyline, whether a program is returning to the event, debuting or facing a new opponent for the first time. Grant said the event has become a season-opening tradition unique in college football and that the six programs will kick off their seasons on a national stage over the next three years.
2027: Morgan State vs. Alabama State
Alabama State will make its fourth Challenge appearance, while Morgan State will make its debut. The Hornets are 1-2 in the event, falling to South Carolina State in the 2005 inaugural game and to Bethune-Cookman in 2012 after building a 21-0 lead. Alabama State earned its first Challenge win in 2022, beating Howard 23-13 in a game called early because of lightning delays. Morgan State's appearance will mark the MEAC program's Challenge debut and its first meeting with Alabama State in the event.
2028: Jackson State vs. Norfolk State
Jackson State, 1-2 in Challenge history, will make its fourth appearance against Norfolk State, which returns for the second time. The Tigers lost their 2008 debut to Hampton and a 2019 game to Bethune-Cookman before breaking through in 2023 with a 37-7 win over South Carolina State in front of 24,238 fans, the largest crowd since the event moved to Atlanta. Quarterback Jason Brown was named MVP of that game after throwing for 364 yards. Norfolk State debuted in 2024, falling 24-23 to defending HBCU national champion Florida A&M. The 2028 game will be the first Challenge meeting between the two programs.
2029: South Carolina State vs. Alcorn State
Alcorn State has one completed Challenge game and one no-contest, having led Bethune-Cookman in 2016 before the game was called due to lightning, and having lost to North Carolina Central in 2021. South Carolina State, 3-2 in the event and set to make its sixth appearance, won the inaugural 2005 game over Alabama State and later beat Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with losses to Southern in 2017 and Jackson State in 2023. The two programs have not previously met in the Challenge.
Challenge, Celebration Bowl Extended Through 2032
The announcement follows ESPN Events' extension of its agreements with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference to continue the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff and Cricket Celebration Bowl, both presented by Toyota, through 2032. The Challenge serves as an early-season showcase, while the Celebration Bowl pits the MEAC and SWAC champions against each other in the season-ending HBCU national championship game.
First played in 2005, the Challenge has been held at Atlanta's Center Parc Stadium since 2018. The SWAC holds a 4-3 edge in Atlanta, while the MEAC leads the overall series 12-7 through the 2025 edition.
