ATLANTA — UPDATE: South Carolina State dominated Jackson State 31-10 to win the Celebration Bowl, concluding the HBCU football season on Saturday in Atlanta.
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ORIGINAL STORY: Atlanta is ready to welcome college football fans for the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, a college bowl game that will call the Mercedes-Benz Stadium home for over the next half decade. For the first time ever, the bowl game is standing room only.
Even more attention is on the Celebration Bowl after Travis Hunter, the nation's No. 1 high school football recruit and student at Atlanta's Collins Hill High School committed to HBCU Jackson State University, who will be taking to the field this weekend.
ESPN Events also reached an agreement on Friday, locking down the college bowl game to a six-year commitment to Atlanta.
“We are delighted to extend our agreement with AMB Sports and Entertainment." John Grant, executive director of the Cricket Celebration Bowl, said in a press release. "Opening the college football bowl season in Atlanta at one of the world’s premier sports and events venues, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is something our teams and fans really enjoy."
The Cricket Celebration Bowl has a long and rich history, featuring highlight worthy battles between Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference champions for the ultimate bragging rights.
Here's what to know:
What is the Celebration Bowl:
It's a celebration of Black academic excellence and athletic programs at historically Black colleges and universities.
Since 2015, the Celebration Bowl welcomes the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, the two prominent conferences of HBCUs. The postseason clash is traditionally played in Atlanta.
Who is playing:
For its sixth year, the Celebration Bowl welcomes the Jackson State Tigers and the South Carolina State Bulldogs.
Jackson State University plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference under head coach Deion "Prime Time" Sanders. Sanders took his talents to Jackson, Mississippi after a 14-season run in the NFL. The Tigers were 11-1 in the regular season.
The Bulldogs are traveling from Orangeburg, South Carolina after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. Under the guidance of head coach Oliver Pough, South Carolina State ended their season 6-5.
Event details:
Atlanta, known as a hub for HBCU culture will be hosting the Celebration Bowl at Mercedez-Benz Stadium.
Kick-off is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday, but Celebration Bowl events take place all weekend long.
Historically, event organizers host a service event to give back to the community, a pillar of the HBCU experience. This year the Celebration Bowl is partnering with the National Pan-Hellenic Council for a toy drive, according to its website.
Pre-game celebrations will also include a fan fest at Georgia World Congress Center with a Bowl Kickoff Band Jamboree.
After the game, fans should stick around Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Battle of the Bands.