Everything to know for the 2024 HBCU football season (2024)

The preseason is here and conference are announcing their all-conference teams and predicted orders of finishes. Here's where HBCU programs landed.

MEAC

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year –Running back Jarett Hunter, Howard
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Safety Kenny Gallop, Jr., Howard

Predicted Order of Finish (1st place votes)

1. N.C. Central (4) — Points: 110
2. Howard (4) — Points: 92
3. Morgan State (1) — Points: 80
4. S.C. State (2) — Points: 78
5. Norfolk State (1) — Points: 50
6. Delaware State — Points: 22

Click or tap here to see the full MEAC preseason all-conference teams.

SWAC

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year –Quarterback Myles Crawley, Grambling State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year –Defensive Lineman Ckelby Givens, Southern

Predicted Order of Finish (1st place votes)

SWAC East

1. Alabama State- 114 points (11)
2. Florida A&M- 104 points (6)
3. Jackson State- 87 points (2)
4. Alabama A&M- 76 points (4)
5. Bethune-Cookman- 47 points
6. Mississippi Valley State- 31 points (1)

SWAC West

1. Alcorn State- 112 points (11)
2. Prairie View A&M- 104 points (8)
3. Grambling State- 72 points(4)
4. Southern- 70 points (1)
5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 61 points
6. Texas Southern- 40 points

Click or tap here to see the full SWAC preseason all-conference teams.

Other HBCU teams

Tennessee State

• The Tigers were predicted to finish fourth in the Big South-OVC Preseason Poll.
• TSU also had the following 12 players selected to the league's Preseason Player to Watch List.
  • QB Draylen Ellis
  • RB Jordan Gant
  • WR Jalal Dean
  • OL Connor Meadows
  • TE Jason Hoath Jr.
  • DL Eriq George
  • LB Ahmad Nelson
  • DB Jalen McClendon
  • All-Purpose/KR/PR Dayron Johnson
  • K James Lowery
  • P Jackson Foster
  • LS Carson Buchanan

Click or tap here to see the full Big South-OVC preseason all-conference teams.

Hampton

• The Pirates were predicted to finish 12th in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• HamptonRB Elijah Burris was the only playerselected to the league's Preseason All-Conference team.

Click or tap here to see the full CAA preseason all-conference teams.

North Carolina A&T

• The Aggies were predicted to finish 14th in the CAA Preseason Poll.
• North Carolina A&T CB Karon Prunty was the only playerselected to the league's Preseason All-Conference team.

Click or tap here to see the full CAA preseason all-conference teams.

Here are some key dates for the 2024 HBCU football season.

Key dates

• SWAC football media day is Tuesday, July 25.
• Big South-OVC Football Association media day is Wednesday, July 17.
• MEAC football media day is Tuesday, July 23.
• CAA football media day is Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25.
• NCAA.com's Preseason HBCU football power rankings will release on Tuesday, July 30.
• The 2024HBCU football season begins with the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday, August 24.
• The 2024 SWAC Football championship game is on Saturday, December 7.
• The 2024HBCU football season concludes with the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 14.

Click or tap here for a complete list of HBCU homecomings and classics in 2024.

Before the season begins, here are some quick facts you should know.

Recent Champions

• The defending Celebration Bowl champion is Florida A&M. The Rattlers also won the SWAC after previously winning the SWAC East division.
• Howard won the MEAC in 2023, going back-to-back atop the conference after finishing asco-championsin 2022.
• The defending SWAC West division champion is Prairie View A&M

Click or tap here for a complete HBCU football championship history

Since 2015, the MEAC and SWAC conference champions face off in a postseason football clash known as the Celebration Bowl.

Here's what you need to know for 2024's Celebration Bowl:

• Date: December 14, 2024
• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
• TV Channel/Streaming: ABC/Watch ESPN

Past results

The SWAC won its second-ever Celebration Bowl when

North Carolina Central's 2022 Celebration Bowl victorybrought the MEAC's record against the SWAC to 6-1 in the all-time series. Previously,South Carolina State won the 2021 Celebration Bowlto add to the MEAC's win total.

Here's the list of Celebration Bowl champions.

There are 21 football programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) at the FCS level. FCS HBCU football programs primarily play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) or the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Below are all the HBCU football programs and the conference they will play in for the 2024 season.

MEAC

• Delaware State
• Howard
• Morgan State
• Norfolk State
• North Carolina Central
• South Carolina State

SWAC

• East Division
  • Alabama A&M
  • Alabama State
  • Bethune-Cookman
  • Florida A&M
  • Jackson State
  • Mississippi Valley State
• West Division
  • Alcorn State
  • Arkansas-Pine Bluff
  • Grambling State
  • Prairie View A&M
  • Southern
  • Texas Southern

CAA*

• Hampton
• North Carolina A&T

OVC-Big South Football Association*

• Tennessee State

*The CAA and Ohio Valley are not "HBCU conferences"