10th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney Announces 2014 Matchups

ORLANDO, Florida  -- The MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney – celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2014 – will showcase North Carolina A&T of the MEAC against Alabama A&M of the SWAC on Sunday, Aug. 31. The yearly event – which features teams from two prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) – will be aired on an ESPN network.

“We are thrilled to have North Carolina A&T and Alabama A&M play in our 10^th anniversary game,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN Regional Television.

“As we celebrate this occasion, we are reminded of our beginning – in 2005, in Birmingham, Ala. We have watched the event grow since its move to Orlando, and we are proud that we will have showcased 13 different schools over the 10-year period. Our mission remains strong, which is to build on HBCU traditions while providing a stellar experience for the student-athletes and fans.”

It will be Alabama A&M’s first game under new head coach, James Spady. North Carolina A&T and third-year head coach Rod Broadway are coming off a seven win season in 2013.

“Alabama A&M Football is thrilled to be a participant in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge,” said Spady. “Working with ESPN and Disney is a great opportunity to give our student-athletes exposure to the best organizations in entertainment and sports programming. Anytime you play against a Rod Broadway-coached team, you better be ready to play technically-sound, error-free and physical football. We look forward to the challenge.”

“The MEAC/SWAC Challenge brings together two of the premier black college conferences in the country,” said Broadway. “Our university, our athletics department and our football program are proud to be playing this event for the first time. I spent four years in the SWAC as the head coach of Grambling State University, so I know firsthand there is quality football played throughout the league. We’re going to face a well-coached, talented opponent, but we’ll be ready to play and represent the MEAC to the best of our ability.”

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN. For more information about the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, or to join the event’s following on Facebook and Twitter, please visit the event’s official Web site at www.meacswacchallenge.com.

Note: Location Venue for the Game TBD as Florida Citus Bowl is currently under reconstruction/expansion and will not be completed until November 2014 for Florida Classic.