This weekend, the College Football Hall of Fame is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Atlanta this month. To kick off the celebration, Atlanta native and rapper Antwan “Big Boi” Patton is set to host a free concert. The celebration coincidentally takes place on the same weekend as the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, an annual historically black college football game showcasing a team from each of the two NCAA Division I conferences made up entirely of HBCUs—the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The Hall has played a key role in establishing Atlanta as the College Football Capital. Following its 2014 move to Atlanta, the Hall has attracted both domestic and international visitors to the city's sports, entertainment, and tourism hub in order to celebrate the people, customs, and fervor that characterize college football and provide a daily “Game Day” experience.
“As the nation’s only hall of fame dedicated to college football, we are honored to be recognizing our 10th anniversary in Atlanta by pulling out all the stops with big news, big changes, and Big Boi at our Grand Reopening celebration,” said Kimberly Beaudin, President and CEO of the College Football Hall of Fame. “We invite true college football fans to experience our newly revamped, technology-enhanced Hall of Fame when we reopen on Aug. 24 and join us in kicking off the next decade of honoring the passion and traditions of college football.”
The free concert will take place on August 24 to commemorate the hall’s 10th anniversary as a part of the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Kickoff Game Football Fest. As a native of Atlanta, Big Boi expressed his excitement about the upcoming celebration.
“As an Atlantan and college football fan, performing for the College Football Hall of Fame’s 10th anniversary in my hometown is an honor and perfect collaboration,” said Antwan “Big Boi” Patton. “Having followed my son’s college football career closely, I have seen the energy that college football creates. I’m looking forward to delivering that same atmosphere to this event, celebrating our city’s spirit, the history of college football, and bringing fans together for the game.”
Although the concert and the MEAC/SWAC Challenge are two separate events, Big Boi is familiar with the HBCU football scene. His son, Cross Patton, transferred to Bethune-Cookman University back in June. Patton originally committed to the University of Oregon in 2019, but with one year of eligibility remaining,
Patton transferred to Bethune-Cookman. Although Bethune-Cookman is a part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, they are not participating in this year’s challenge. For this year’s challenge, the Florida A&M University Rattlers will face the Norfolk State University Spartans.
The event will take place on August 24 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Big Boi is set to perform at 4:30 p.m. To register for clinics, get advanced tickets, and more, visit cfbhall.com.
Follow Us
Subscribe