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As the Celebration Bowl approaches, multiple postgame brawls by HBCU football teams have spurred a significant rule change that will impact the post-game proceedings. Per a report by HBCU Gameday, Celebration Bowl Executive Director John T. Grant announced that the losing team will now head directly to the locker room after the game, while the winning team will remain on the field to celebrate. Opposing coaches will have the opportunity to shake hands in the interim.
The move comes after several post-game brawls occurred during recent HBCU matchups between teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Incidents included altercations following games between Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M, Jackson State and Alabama State, and North Carolina Central and Howard.
As a result, fines of $25,000 were imposed on the involved schools, and 16 players were suspended from the Alabama State-Jackson State game.
SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland stressed the importance of sportsmanship, saying the conference maintains a zero-tolerance policy for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct have no place in intercollegiate athletics or the SWAC,” McClelland said. “We will continue to enforce this policy to uphold the high standard of sportsmanship we expect.”
The Alabama State-Jackson State game ended with a 16-10 victory for Jackson State. Tensions between the two teams had been high, partly due to a 2022 incident where Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. accused then-Jackson State coach Deion Sanders of walking through his team’s huddle without acknowledging him. Robinson later apologized for his comments after not shaking Sanders’ hand post-game.
Alabama State President Quinton T. Ross expressed disappointment over the physical altercation that followed the game. In a statement, Ross promised appropriate disciplinary action and emphasized that the behavior did not reflect the university’s values.
“We are reviewing the incident and will take action in accordance with our policies,” Ross said. “This behavior is not representative of Alabama State University’s tradition.”
Coach Robinson addressed the incident with his players, confirming that some would no longer play for the team. “We’ve addressed it, and some kids won’t be playing Hornet football anymore,” Robinson said. “That’s where we are with our zero-tolerance policy.”
For North Carolina Central, Coach Trei Oliver reflected on a similar situation after his team’s 26-3 win over Howard. In a statement, Oliver explained that he had sent his team to the locker
room due to rising tensions. “We go to the locker room, go to the band, then go to the locker room. That won’t be tolerated in my program,” he said.
Incidents also occurred in the Prairie View A&M-FAMU game after Prairie View’s 31-12 upset. FAMU players were seen running toward the PVAMU band, resulting in a back-and-forth between players and band members. With neither two teams looking at a postseason birth these sanctions will impact the final games of the season for each program.
Looking forward, South Carolina State clinched its spot in the Celebration Bowl with a 54-9 win over Morgan State. The Bulldogs, on a seven-game win streak under first-year head coach Chennis Berry, will play the winner of the SWAC Championship game, which will feature Jackson State and Southern University. That game is scheduled for Dec. 7, a week before the Celebration Bowl.
