New Atlanta bowl game names executive director

The Celebration Bowl, Atlanta’s new college football postseason game, Friday announced local businessman John Grant as its executive director.

The game will match the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) leagues. The inaugural game is scheduled for noon Dec. 19, live on ABC.

Grant has been CEO of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta organization for 14 years.

The MEAC and SWAC announced in March a six-year agreement to play the Celebration Bowl here: the first two years in the Georgia Dome and the next four in the new Falcons stadium, which opens in 2017 and this week was officially named Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Celebration Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, which like ABC is part of the Walt Disney Co.

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