By Roscoe Nance
Sometimes we end up in a place we never intended to go. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is Exhibit A.
MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas and Robert Vowels, his counterpart with the SWAC at the time, met with executives from ESPN in Atlanta with the idea of securing a multi-media contract for regular-season football broadcasts for their conferences. What they ultimately got was a nationally-televised season kickoff contest featuring teams from the nation’s two historically black Div. I conferences.
On Sunday, perennial MEAC championship contender Bethune-Cookman will take on traditional SWAC power Jackson State at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., in the 15th edition of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, the game that resulted from that meeting.
The game will broadcast live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m.
“It was a long day in Atlanta,” ESPN Senior VP/College Sports Programming & Events Pete Derzis, who was joined that day by Burke Magnus, then Director of Programming and Acquisitions for ESPN, said.
Derzis was familiar with the Bayou Classic, the Magic City Classic and the Florida Classic, games that featured matchups between traditional rivals and didn’t have the widespread appeal that ESPN, as the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” sought for its programming.
“I did a lot of listening,” Derzis said. “I had a lot of question about HBCU football, what worked, what didn’t, bands, dance teams. It was an indoctrination. I was learning about HBCU football. We take a lot of pride once we learned about it, focused on it. That’s when the light bulb went on for everybody. We’ve really enjoyed the game. Our interest was in building a quality event to serve the needs of the HBCUs. Our concept was to treat it as a kickoff classic or bowl game type atmosphere, bring national television to it, rotate the opportunity for two deserving teams and give everybody a bite of the apple.”
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge was the first venture of its kind that went through the conference office rather than individual schools. It led to broader programming for both conferences, including the Celebration Bowl, the nationally-televised game at the end of the football season featuring the MEAC and SWAC champions, a regular-season package of football and basketball games, as well as broadcasts of non-revenue sports.
“That’s what having vision is supposed to be about,” Thomas said, singling out Derzis for his role in bringing the MEAC/SWAC Challenge to fruition. “You never know how it’s going to turn out until it turns out. You knew you had a product and it could be successful. The toughest part is getting people to buy into the vision. We were pitching different concepts. ESPN wanted something at the beginning of the year, a kickoff game. That’s what we bought into.
“I want to emphasize the vision, commitment and courage of ESPN to bring programming to SWAC and MEAC. They saw value in both conferences and our institutions. I would like to think they’ve gotten a good return on investment.”
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has proven to be a win-win proposition for all involved. It has provided ESPN with quality programming and the two conferences and their member institutions have gotten much-needed exposure – the game is played on the Sunday afternoon prior to Labor Day and is generally the only college contest in its time slot – and financial benefits.
“It has been a tremendous asset from a branding, multimedia, financial, marketing and promotions standpoint,” Thomas said. “It’s been a touchdown. It has been a game-changer for both conferences.”
The contest was originally intended to be a matchup between each conferences’ champions from the previous season. That concept was abandoned because schools usually make their schedules several years in advance and the defending champions weren’t always available.
South Carolina State, the 2005 MEAC champion, defeated Grambling State 27-14, in the inaugural MEAC/SWAC Challenge in front of a crowd of 18,452 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Attendance increased each of the ensuing years that the game was played in Birmingham and peaked at an all-time high of 30,106 in 2007, as Southern defeated Florida A&M 33-27 for the SWAC’s first victory in the series.
The fledgling contest relocated to Orlando, Fla., home of Disney (the parent company of ESPN) for eight years, with seven games being played at the Citrus Bowl and one at Spectrum, the home field for the University of Central Florida. The move to Florida was made in part to take advantage of the amenities that Disney and its Walt Disney Resort and Disney World Theme Park could afford.
“Being exposed to the Disney environment added a bowl-like experience for both conferences,” Thomas said. “That was tremendous. Mickey (Mouse) and Minnie (Mouse) are a helluva attraction for families and both teams. It was absolutely tremendous.”
Other commitments on Disney’s part precipitated another change of venue for 2016 and 2017. The 2016 Challenge between MEAC tri-champion Bethune-Cookman and Alcorn State, the SWAC champion, was played at Municipal Stadium, site of Bethune-Cookman’s home games. It went in the record book as a no-contest when it was stopped in the second quarter due to lightning from feeder bands from Hurricane Hermine. Alcorn State was leading 13-7.
Southern came away with 14-8 home victory against South Carolina State in the 2017 matchup that was played at Mumford Stadium.
“We went to alternating campus sites to bridge the gap until we selected another venue,” Thomas said.
Last year’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge, a 40-24 victory for Prairie View A&M, drew 10,274 fans in the game’s first year in Atlanta. The crowd was the largest since the 2013 matchup between Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State in Orlando. That game drew 24,376 for the second-highest attendance ever.
Thomas is optimistic that Atlanta will be the game’s home for the long haul. The city has a rich history of hosting college football games. It is home to the Celebration Bowl and the Peach Bowl; it has also hosted the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff Championship Game.
Atlanta has an impressive track record when it comes to Black College football. Besides being home to the Celebration Bowl, it has hosted the Heritage Bowl, the Atlanta Football Classic, the Freedom Bowl All-Star Game and the Pioneer Bowl, a Division II bowl game between teams from the CIAA and the SIAC.
In addition, Atlanta is home to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Black College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Atlanta is a good place for sports, particularly football,” Thomas said. “To me, Atlanta is capital of football.”
A full weekend of activities is on tap to entertain the teams, as well as fans. They include a high school seminar on Friday and a reception for the teams on Friday evening. An NFL Forum outlining careers off the field and a Financial Literacy workshop are scheduled for on Saturday.
A number of social events are planned throughout the weekend for fans. Among them are a Day Party, a Kickoff Reception and Kickback Wind Down on Saturday and a Fan Fest, tailgating and a pre-game reception on Sunday.
“It’s just a good way to start your year,” South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough, who is 3-1 in four Challenge appearances, said. “It’s like a bowl experience. That’s exactly what it is. ESPN knows how to put those kinds of weekends on. They do a good job of entertaining the kids and making them feel good about the experience.”
The MEAC leads the series 9-4, but the SWAC has a two-game winning streak coming into this year’s matchup. Jackson State is appearing in the Challenge for the second time. The Tigers suffered 17-13 loss to Hampton in 2008 in the first Challenge played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
Bethune-Cookman is making its third appearance. The Wildcats posted a pair of lopsided victories in their first two trips to the Challenge. They trounced Prairie View 63-14 in Orlando in 2011 and rallied from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit to defeat Alabama State 38-28 the following year, again in Orlando.
Bethune-Cookman’s most recent appearance was the in the 2016 Challenge against Alcorn that was declared a no-contest.
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has run the gamut when it comes to action on the field. Derius Swinton blocked a point after touchdown kick to give Hampton a 27-26 win over Grambling State in Birmingham in the 2006 Challenge. Southern scored three touchdowns on its first four possessions in the third quarter the following year to beat Florida A&M 33-27 after trailing 21-12 at the half.
It was the final game at venerable Legion Field.
South Carolina State held of Grambling 34-31 in 2009 on Semaj Moody’s interception at the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line with 1:22 remaining. Backup quarterback Derrick Wiley came of the bench to lead the Bulldogs after their starter Malcolm Long left the game with cramps.
“The event has done well,” Derzis said. “Some of the games have been really outstanding; some on the field have proven to be a mismatch. But it’s been very competitive with a lot of pride for both conferences and the alumni of both conferences. We’ve had a lot of wonderful moments over the course of years of doing it. It has worked out well.”