ATLANTA, Ga. – The stage has ben set South Carolina State the champions of the MEAC will battle Prairie A&M the champions of the SWAC for the 2025 HBCU National Championship in the Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl Saturday, Dec. 13 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a noon eastern time kick. The game will be televised live on ABC.
First Meeting With South Carolina State
Despite the rich traditions of both programs, today marks the first-ever meeting between Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State. The Bulldogs enter the matchup as MEAC champions with a hard-nosed, physical identity and a history of postseason success. Prairie View A&M counters with a balanced offensive attack, a stingy and opportunistic defense, and a team that has played its best football in the season's biggest moments.
INSIDE LOOK AT SC STATE
BULLDOG BITE: Head coach
Chennis Berry in just us second season has led his team to back-to-back MEAC Championships including a perfect 10 worksheet in league play and a undefeated mark at home inside Oliver. C. Dawson Stadium on Willie Jeffries Field.
- SC State (9-3 overall, 5-0) will be vying for their 9th HBCU National Black Championship and 3rd appearance in the Celebration Bowl with appearances in 2021 (W, 31-10), 2024 (L, 28-7) and 2025.
- 13 Bulldogs earned All-MEAC Postseason honors including Berry capturing his second straight MEAC Coach of the Year award, while Roger Smith was named Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American Jarod Washington named Defensive Player of the Year.
- Defensive Back Jarod Washington delivering one of the nation's most dominant defensive performances of the season, was named the 2025 Aeneas Williams Award Winner. Washington received the 2025 honor given to the top defensive back in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Division I college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability, and character on behalf of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and presenting sponsor the Chickasaw Nation.
Champions of the SWAC
The Panthers (10-3 overall, 7-1 SWAC) earned their place in Atlanta with an impressive win over Jackson State in the 2025 SWAC Championship Game — a performance that showcased Prairie View's complete team identity. The championship victory secured Prairie View its first trip to the Celebration Bowl and solidified one of the program's strongest postseason runs in modern history.
ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
FOLLOW SOUTH CAROLINA STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with SCSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit
www.scsuathletics.com, the official web site of Bulldog athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /SCStateAthletics
Twitter: @SCStateAthletic
Instagram: /SCStateAthletics
