Three reasons to watch the Celebration Bowl: Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T

ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Bowl season kicks off on Saturday with a new flavor. FCS schools Alcorn State and North Carolina A&T will meet in the first Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome (Noon ET, ABC). Why should you watch this game? Here are three reasons:

1. It pits two conference champions: So many bowl games involve teams with six-win seasons (or in this year's case, 5-7 teams) or teams with interim head coaches since the coaching carousel has completed a few spins already in the offseason. Why not watch two quality teams who actually won something of substance -- a conference championship -- do battle? Alcorn State won the SWAC championship game, beating Grambling State on Dec. 5; North Carolina A&T won the MEAC via a three-way tiebreaker over Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central. Both teams won nine games; these are good football teams.

2. It's historic: This is a new game but the third attempt at a MEAC-SWAC bowl that would be considered a national championship of sorts for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which comprise both conferences. The last attempt at such a game, the Heritage Bowl, ran from 1991 to 1999. Could the third time be a charm? Perhaps this is the game that sticks around for a long time and becomes a mainstay for the champions in each conference. Plus, the bands are certain to put on a show. HBCUs are known for their excellent marching bands and Alcorn State's Sounds of Dyn-O-mite and A&T's Blue & Gold Marching Machine are sure to impress.



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