Jay Walker said leading Howard University to the I-AA playoffs (now the Football Championship Subdivision) in 1993 is among his most treasured memories.
The Bison were undefeated (11-0) and ranked eighth in the nation when they traveled to Marshall University for a first-round matchup.
"The experience we had up there is something I've carried my whole life," Walker said via phone. The Howard quarterback spent four seasons in the NFL and currently calls games for ESPN. "I've also covered the FCS playoffs," he said. "I was definitely a playoff guy.
"But now, it's not even close. It's all about the Celebration Bowl. This thing is phenomenal in terms of what it brings together."
Walker will be in the booth Saturday when Howard, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), faces No. 5 Florida A&M, champs of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the Celebration Bowl. The annual matchup features winners of the sole Division I leagues comprised of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and determines the Black national championship.
Upwards of 40,000 fans are expected at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with the game televised by ABC. Ratings for last year's Celebration Bowl - the second straight game with coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State - drew more viewers than some FBS bowls and FCS playoff games. The "Prime Effect" likely played a role in viewership and attendance nearing 50,000 during Sanders' two seasons.
Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
But the event has never drawn fewer than 31,000 fans or 1.8 million viewers, dwarfing FCS playoff games, particularly first-round matchups where HBCUs' seasons typically ended before the Celebration Bowl's inception (2015).
"Before, you saw teams go to the playoffs and you'd hope they would win, but you weren't all into it," Walker said. "This basically has become the go-to event on the HBCU calendar. More people watch it than any other game out there. Everybody wants to get there."
That includes the administrators as well. Participating in the FCS postseason, which offers no compensation, strains most HBCUs' finances.
"Most games are away and we've got to fly there," Sanders told reporters at last year's Celebration Bowl. "Who's paying for that? We don't have that in the budget."
Conversely, the SWAC and MEAC each receive a $1 million payout, and the participants enjoy the pomp and pageantry of a bowl game doused in HBCU culture.
"No coach in either conference, whether it's MEAC or SWAC, would choose playoffs over the Celebration Bowl game for numerous reasons," North Carolina Central athletic director Louis Perkins told reporters. "Exposure, financially, the experience, the student-athletes, recruiting - there's no way."
Runners-up in the MEAC and SWAC are free to participate in the playoffs if invited. North Carolina Central (9-3) lost a first-round game at Richmond on Nov. 25. Florida A&M was 9-2 last season, but bypassed in favor of several FCS schools with worse records.
This year, the Rattlers (11-1) boast the nation's second-best defense in points (14.25) and yards (267) allowed per game. They were 8-0 in the SWAC, beating their opponents by an average of 17.7 points, with only one foe within single digits. The lone loss was against South Florida, 38-24.
SET YOUR ALARMS. WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW ?. Countdown to game day, presented by @Allstate. pic.twitter.com/faaeX3o39u
— Cricket Celebration Bowl (@CelebrationBowl) December 15, 2023
We'll never know if they could've reeled off four victories to win the FCS national title. But no matter what happens against Howard, the Rattlers have more to savor in the Celebration than they would in a first-round playoff game. Richmond head coach Russ Huseman noted the difference this month after beating NCCU - last year's national Black champions.
"The Celebration Bowl was a huge deal for them," he told HBCU GameDay. "And for us playoffs, man, we're doing backflips. For us it's 'How can we get in there. For them, it's 'How do we get in the Celebration Bowl? All right, we're in the playoffs.' I know how important the Celebration Bowl is. And it's a huge game."
It's top of the mountain for MEAC and SWAC football. Playoff berths are a consolation prize.
"I mean, it's not even close," Walker said.
