2017 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl Preview.

2017 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl Betting Preview

Written by on November 20, 2017

If you can’t wait to get your 2017 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl bets in, then you have come to the right place. MyBookie.ag will have live betting odds available for every 2017 Bowl game as soon as the matchups are released.

2017 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl Betting Preview

In short, this lively affair serves as the unofficial national championship of Black College Football and is the only active bowl game to feature two teams from the FCS level. The first two games were played at the Georgia Dome, but this year’s game, which takes place on Saturday, December 16, 2017, 12 Noon ET while airing live on live on ABC, will be going down live from the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Each conference has claimed one victory in the event’s first two years, with MEAC Champion North Carolina A&T beating Alcorn State 41-34 in 2015 and SWAC Champion Grambling State beating North Carolina Central10-9 in a tight contest in the 2016 edition of this young bowl game. Two bowl alumni were selected in the 2017 NFL Draft with 2015 Offensive MVP Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T) and 2016 champion Chad Williams (Grambling State) making the leap to the big-time.

Key Details for the Third Edition

“We are thrilled to once again kick off the college football bowl season with the Celebration Bowl on ABC,” said John Grant, Celebration Bowl Executive Director. “This year’s game will be the first bowl game to be played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In our third year of featuring the champions from the MEAC and SWAC conferences, football fans have been exposed to two very competitive games that each went down to the wire. With the conference win records tied at one each, this year’s game will showcase to millions of fans and viewers another exciting championship game. Atlanta will play host to both the Celebration Bowl to open the season as well as the College Football Playoff Championship as the season finale.” “We are pleased to know that the 2017 Celebration Bowl will be on ABC again,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. “The exposure on an international and national level is not only good for our conferences but is also good for the participating institutions. To start the 2017 bowl season is an excellent opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, and institutions as they’re on a national platform that will enhance their brand and marketability. ESPN should be commended for providing this avenue of exposure for the MEAC and SWAC Champions.” “The Southwestern Athletic Conference is excited to continue its relationship with the Celebration Bowl, ABC and the city of Atlanta,” SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said. “The best football fans in the country will once again have the outstanding opportunity to watch the MEAC and SWAC champions kick off the bowl season, playing in front of a nationally televised audience.”

MEAC/SWAC Challenge

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, also manages the season-opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Labor Day Weekend, another game that showcases these two conferences and highlights the traditions of HBCUs. The 2017 Challenge featured Southern University from the SWAC and South Carolina State University from the MEAC. They played Sunday, Sept. 3 at Southern’s Ace. W Mumford Stadium and the victory  (14-8) was for Southern. The Celebration Bowl is one of 13 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. The game is the successor to two previous bowl games between the MEAC and SWAC, the Pelican Bowl and Heritage Bowl.

Past Winners

  • 2016: Alcorn State
  • 2015: South Carolina State
  • 2014: North Carolina A&T
  • 2013: Florida A&M
  • 2012: Bethune-Cookman
  • 2011: Bethune-Cookman
  • 2010: Delaware State
  • 2009: South Carolina State
  • 2008: Hampton
  • 2007: Florida A&M
  • 2006: Hampton
  • 2005: South Carolina State