SWAC, MEAC Commissioners Talk On HBCU Sports In Atlanta
ATLANTA — Historically Black colleges aren't new to Atlanta. Between Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and now Morris Brown, four of the most recognizable HBCUs call Georgia's capital home. Over the last eight years, Atlanta has become a prime location for HBCU sports, primarily because it's home to two of the most prominent games in Black college football.
The Cricket Celebration Bowl was the first of the two games, where the MEAC and SWAC regular season champs face off for the title of HBCU national champion and to "celebrate" the history, legacy, and pageantry of HBCUs. The game was always played in Atlanta, where it started in 2015 at the Falcons' old stadium, the Georgia Dome, and North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in a thriller. The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is the older of the two games (it was established in 2005). Still, it didn't make its way to Atlanta until 2018, where Prairie View A&M defeated North Carolina Central 40-24 in Georgia State football's stadium, now known as Center Parc Stadium.
Commissioner Sonja Stills; Credit: MEAC
Both games have become benchmarks for HBCU football fans, with the MEAC/SWAC Challenge taking place in Week 0 and the Celebration Bowl serving as the culmination. And the city of Atlanta has fulfilled the host role for years. But there's an anecdote that creates an intriguing view of the present and future of each conference. Neither the MEAC nor the SWAC has a member institution in Atlanta or the state of Georgia. It wasn't always like that — Savannah State was in the MEAC at one point but decided to transition to Division II in 2019. Now the two Division I HBCU conferences play their two biggest games in a state with zero Division I HBCUs.
Why is this important? Simple, Atlanta is a great market. It's considered by many to be a mecca of Black culture, from the city's history, including its HBCUs, to its demographic and significance in the overall community. Beyond that, it's an opportunity for either conference to expand its brand on many levels. The SWAC has the inside track on a relationship with Atlanta as it played the conference baseball tournament at Georgia Tech this summer. Commissioner Charles McClelland spoke about the success of the baseball tournament at SWAC Football Media Day.
"Being in mid-town Atlanta was an excitement that I haven't felt in quite some time," McClelland told HBCU Legends. "The city of Atlanta truly embraced the tournament. We had the largest total attendance that we've had at a baseball tournament. There were fans there starting Wednesday all the way through the championship game that Sunday. "We're excited about Atlanta and what opportunities it would bring for our baseball. And we look for it to continue to grow." Not only were the fans out there, the mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, was in attendance, where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the championship game.
McClelland spoke on his relationship with Dickens, explaining how the relationship with the mayor's office was crucial in even getting the SWAC Baseball Tournament to Atlanta. He's also confident in the SWAC's relationship with the city, saying, "We want to be in Atlanta, and the city of Atlanta wants SWAC there. Baseball was kind of that first step, and we'll continue working with the leadership there to see what synergies we can put together." It makes sense that the SWAC is further along than the MEAC in a relationship with Atlanta.
Sonja Stills was named MEAC Commissioner on January 1, 2022, meaning she's only served in that role for a year and a half, and the conference has endured a lot of change with its member institutions. Stills said the MEAC doesn't have a relationship with Atlanta yet, but the experiences there have been positive. "We love being in Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl, and the MEAC/SWAC Challenge," Stills said to HBCU Legends. "Atlanta has the largest alumni base that we have. I just went to their MEAC picnic that's been going on for 27 years. So going there and seeing that felt like home, a homecoming atmosphere. "I look forward to building a relationship with Atlanta."
There's always the possibility of adding an Atlanta-based HBCU. The idea has been tossed around for years that either Morehouse or Clark Atlanta could make the jump. Morris Brown's progress is remarkable, but it's still far from adding athletics. Even adding another Georgia HBCU, like Fort Valley State or Albany State, or if Savannah State returns to Division I, could be an x-factor for either conference. However, if that doesn't come to fruition, both conferences have made traction in Atlanta with other events and strong alumni representation. Whether it's the MEAC or the SWAC, the conference controlling the city significantly changes its fortune.