Continuing our series on hypothetical Celebration Bowl matchups between HBCU champions from the MEAC and SWAC from 2000 to 2014, we turn our attention to the 2001 season. This series reimagines annual showdowns between HBCU conference champions, starting from 2000—the year following the final Heritage Bowl, which concluded after the 1999 season.
2001 MEAC Champion: Florida A&M Rattlers
- Overall Record: 7–4
- Conference Record: 7–1
- Head Coach: Billy Joe (8th season)
- Postseason: NCAA Division I-AA First Round (Lost 60–35 to Georgia Southern)
- Notable Victory: Defeated Bethune-Cookman 31–21 in the Florida Classic
Florida A&M’s offense was led by quarterback Quinn Gray, who concluded his collegiate career as one of the school’s all-time great passers. Gray held school records in pass attempts (1,113), completions (562), passing yards (7,378), and touchdown passes (57), and he twice earned All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors (2000, 2001), leading the Rattlers to back-to-back MEAC titles.
? 2001 SWAC Champion: Grambling State Tigers
- Overall Record: 10–1
- Conference Record: 6–1
- Head Coach: Doug Williams (4th season)
- Postseason: SWAC Championship Game (Defeated Alabama State 38–31)
- National Recognition: Ranked No. 8 in The Sports Network Poll; recognized as black college national champions
Grambling State’s offense was potent, averaging over 35 points per game. The Tigers’ only loss came in a close contest against Alabama State during the regular season, which they avenged in the SWAC Championship Game.
Grambling State and Florida A&M were actually scheduled to face off that year in what would have been a high-stakes midseason classic game.
The matchup was slated for the Riverfront Classic in Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFL’s Bengals. Both teams were 2–0 and ranked as the top two HBCU programs in the country at the time. The showdown had all the makings of a Celebration Bowl preview—or, in our alternate history, a true test of who should be crowned HBCU national champion.
However, the game was canceled in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The organizers made the announcement via a recorded message at their headquarters. The cancellation dealt a major financial blow, reportedly costing each school up to $400,000.
This lost opportunity deprived fans of what could have been a defining moment in HBCU football history. In our Celebration Bowl simulation, it leaves us without a direct head-to-head result between the two top-tier programs of that year.
Hypothetical 2001 Celebration Bowl/HBCU Champ
Considering Grambling State’s superior overall record, higher national ranking, and recognition as black college national champions, they would be the likely victors in a hypothetical 2001 Celebration Bowl matchup of Division I HBCU champions. Florida A&M’s postseason struggles, including a significant loss to Georgia Southern, further tilt the scales in favor of Grambling State.Wikipedia
Projected Winner: Grambling State Tigers
Stay tuned as we continue this series, analyzing each season up to 2014 to project potential Celebration Bowl outcomes and celebrate the rich history of HBCU football.