Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Celebration Bowl

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14

Mercedes-Benz Stadium 1 AMB Dr Atlanta, GA 30313

Celebration Bowl website Mercedes-Benz Stadium website

Year Opened: 2017

Capacity: 71,000

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A Celebration of HCBU Football

The 2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl featured a contest pitting the South Carolina State Bulldogs, the conference champion from the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), against Prairie View A&M Panthers, the champion of the SWAC Conference (Southwest Athletic Conference). The game is widely accepted as the HBCU National Championship Game, as it pitted the champions from the two major HBCU Division I conferences against each other. The game has been played in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium since its opening in 2017.

Atlanta was chosen to host the title game due to its large number of HBCU schools located in Atlanta and due to its heritage as a part of the Civil Rights movement. The mission of the game was to provide each of the participating school’s alumni, fans, and students with a first-class bowl experience, while celebrating the heritage, legacy, pageantry, and traditions of HBCUs.

The 10th edition of the Celebration Bowl was the most exciting ever, as South Carolina State overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit to win the game in the fourth overtime period 40-38.

Food & Beverage 5

Mercedes-Benz Stadium pioneered the concept of cashless purchases and value menu items to speed up the ordering process, while providing a select set of menu items at a very reasonable price. This is known as the Fan First Food Experience, where you could purchase an entire meal of chicken tenders, a hot dog, a slice of pizza, a pretzel, a bag of popcorn, nachos with cheese, and a refillable Coca-Cola product for $20.

Of course, the stadium also offered a more expensive and diverse set of food and beverage options at its more than 60 concession stands. Vendors included Auntie Ann’s, BBQ and MAC, Bruster’s, H&F Burgers, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, Fresh Mex, Williamson Brothers BBQ, Molly B’s, and Chick-fil-A. The Michelob Ultra Grill and Sweetwater Brewing Company.

Atmosphere 4

This was one bowl game that really lived up to its name, as Bowl Week was a combination of a class/family reunion, a holiday party, a concert, and of course, a football game. The Celebration Bowl offered this all-in-one package. It offered fans from the two major HBCU conferences to get together for a good-natured rivalry and bragging rights for their respective schools/conferences.

The Celebration Bowl is a football game where nobody leaves their seats at halftime. The Marching 100 Band from South Carolina State and the Prairie View A&M Marching Storm Band put on a spectacular show featuring great music and real showmanship. Many fans felt that the halftime show was the main reason for attending the event!

Neighborhood 5

Fans from both schools had several opportunities to visit some of downtown Atlanta’s top tourist sites. Centennial Olympic Park is located just a few blocks away, and features the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola Cola and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Fans can also visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District, located two miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The College Football Hall of Fame (www.cfbhall.com) is an easy walk from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and it offers a terrific exhibit on the history and traditions of HBCU football.

Fans 4

There were several fan-friendly events leading up to the Celebration Bowl. The HBCU Band of the Year National Championships were held the day before the game. This event featured the top two Division I and Division II bands in head-to-head competition, with a champion crowned at each level. The Coca-Cola Fan Experience opened the morning of the game at the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center. It featured a wide variety of exhibits, team memorabilia, and gameday merchandise.

Once inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, fans had no worries about the weather, as the stadium has a retractable roof that can be closed in the event of poor weather.

Access 4

One of the reasons Atlanta was chosen as the site for the Celebration Bowl was due to its proximity to the member schools of both the MEAC and SWAC Conferences. Fans could either drive to Atlanta for the event or fly into Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which offers direct flights from most HBCU cities.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is centrally located in downtown Atlanta and is conveniently located near a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Fans could either drive to the stadium using the WAZE traffic app or take the MARTA public transit system around the city. Once at the stadium, it was easy to navigate. Parking areas opened four hours before kickoff, and the four major gates at the stadium opened 90 minutes before the kickoff. The concourse was wide and allowed easy access to the seating bowl. Lines at the concession stands moved very quickly, so fans did not miss much of the action.

Return on Investment 3

Ticket prices began at $45.10 for seats behind the end zones and ran up to club seating at the 50-yard line for $154, which comes with some additional food and beverage perks. Only the 100 level of seating at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was used for the Celebration Bowl, guaranteeing fans a close-up view of the action.

We’ve already discussed the Fan First Food Experience, which provided a host of food options at a very reasonable price.

Parking at one of the Mercedes-Benz parking lots was $30 for the Celebration Bowl, with the nearby College Football Hall of Fame parking lot offering parking for $24.

The cheapest method of getting to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on gamedays was via the MARTA light rail transit system. It costs $2.50 each way. Riders could reach the stadium via either the GWCC/State Farm Arena/Mercedes-Benz Stadium Station or the Vine City Station.

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Extras 3

The Celebration Bowl has been carried since its inception by the ABC/ESPN television networks.

The center hung a 360-degree videoboard that constantly provided fans with shots of key plays, game statistics, and other helpful information.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium also hosts the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl during the postseason.

Final Thoughts

Unlike the other bowl Games, which rotate hosting the National Championship Game, the Celebration Bowl is always seen as the National Championship Game for HBCU football. Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium provide an excellent permanent home for this game.