The MEAC/SWAC Challenge positions itself as a grand warm-up to the black college football season, and has grown each year in its marketability and reach among college football fans. But when you consider that so many, myself included, find no stock in the mythical black college national championship that is the Sheridan Broadcast Network poll, it’s not a stretch to call the annual ESPN MEAC/SWAC Challenge an official meeting for the black college football national championship.
Given its media exposure and history, its has already served as the black college football championship game for three of its five years of existence. The only teams to not play in the game immediately following their conference championship are Delaware State in 2008, and Alabama A&M in 2007 (Southern and FAMU played in the 2007 MEAC/SWAC Challenge).
And that’s no small coincidence, given that the Challenge’s ultimate objective is to attract the most viable fan bases from each conference every year.
This year’s game between South Carolina State and Grambling State will take place on September 6, 2009 in the Florida Citrus Bowl, and will be broadcast on ESPN2. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since their 1994 Heritage Bowl clash. Grambling owns the overall record against SC State, 10-4. Both teams swept through their conferences last season, both teams have tremendous fan followings.
Sounds like a prelude to a championship, doesn’t it?
ESPN can’t market it as a championship game, because the NCAA would never sanction such. A lot of fans would have a hard time believing it, because it doesn’t include Division II participants. Those are worthy discussions to have, but you can’t go wrong in calling the MEAC/SWAC Challenge exactly what it is: a meeting between the champions of the MEAC and SWAC for conference bragging right.
A national championship.
American Don 11:46 am on February 25, 2009 Permalink
You can’t have a championship for one season take place in the next season. This ain’t the soccer CONCACAF. Next topic.
JC 12:25 pm on February 25, 2009 Permalink
The game taking place in the same season would be ideal, yes. But should the MEAC skip the playoffs to play this kind of contest?
No.
Sorry, bro. Still sounds like a solid argument to me.
Five Reasons Why You Should Watch the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Hi-Def | HBCU Sports Blog 12:03 am on May 6, 2009 Permalink
[...] MEAC/SWAC Challenge this Fall on ESPN. Primarily, because its the closest thing you will see to a black college football national championship game, three of the four challenges have resulted in final scores of six points or fewer, and it’s [...]