Which HBCU teams still have a path to the Celebration Bowl?
The Celebration Bowl is approaching on Dec. 12 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and features the champions of the HBCU’s MEAC and SWAC conferences.
There’s still more to figure out before knowing which teams will play, but the races are heating up with just a few weeks remaining.
Here’s a look at which teams are still in contention and their pathways to a trip to Atlanta:
SWAC East
Jackson State and Alabama A&M share the lead in the SWAC East at 4–2, but the Tigers control their own destiny in the division because they beat the Bulldogs. If Jackson State wins at Alabama State on Saturday and Alcorn State in its season finale, it would send JSU to the SWAC championship game.
Alabama A&M can win the East by beating Texas Southern and Mississippi Valley State and having Jackson State lose at least once. Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State remain alive at 3–3 but need help. One clear route for Bethune-Cookman requires winning its final two games, Alabama A&M losing both and JSU losing at least once.
Alabama State can advance by beating JSU and Prairie View A&M, having Alabama A&M lose twice and having Bethune-Cookman lose at least once. Mississippi Valley State is eliminated from the championship-game race. Florida A&M is postseason ineligible and also cannot catch the division leaders.
SWAC West
Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff share the lead at 4–2 in the SWAC West. Prairie View controls its path and would advance to the SWAC title game by winning at UAPB and Alabama State.
Alcorn can secure the West berth by beating Southern and Jackson State and having Prairie View lose at least once. UAPB can secure the West berth by beating Prairie View and Texas Southern and having Alcorn lose at least once.
Southern remains alive at 3–3 in league play. The Jaguars must beat Alcorn State and Grambling State. Southern would also need Prairie View to defeat UAPB but the Panthers lose to Alabama State in their season finale, and have Texas Southern beat UAPB. That would put Southern in a winning tiebreaker position against Prairie View and potentially Alcorn.
Texas Southern and Grambling have been eliminated. Both teams can finish no better than 4–4, while the Prairie View-UAPB winner will have at least five conference victories.
MEAC
South Carolina State and North Carolina Central, both 3–0 in league play, meet Saturday in Orangeburg, South Carolina, with at least a share of the MEAC title at stake. NCCU could also clinch a Celebration Bowl berth with a win, holding head-to-head victories over both remaining contenders.
South Carolina State needs a win and a Delaware State loss at Howard on Saturday to clinch a Celebration Bowl berth, or two closing wins to claim the MEAC title outright.
Delaware State, 2–1 in league play, must beat Howard and South Carolina State, have the Bulldogs beat NCCU and have Morgan State beat the Eagles to reach Atlanta. A three-way tie at 4–1 would send South Carolina State instead.
Howard, Morgan State and Norfolk State are eliminated from both races. Howard can finish only 3–2 and Morgan and Norfolk at 2–3 respectively, while Saturday’s South Carolina State-NCCU winner will have four conference wins.
HBCU Week 11 Top 10 Poll – Division II
1. Virginia Union
2. Benedict
3. Kentucky State
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. Central State
6. Fayetteville State
7. Virginia State
8. Bowie State
9. Edward Waters
10. Miles
HBCU Week 11 Top 10 Poll – Division I
1. South Carolina State
2. Jackson State
3. Prairie View A&M
4. Alabama A&M
5. Alcorn State
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
7. North Carolina Central
8. Delaware State
9. Alabama State
10. Southern