It’s that time again, yall. The 2019 MEAC/SWAC Challenge comes to Atlanta’s Georgia State Stadium on Sunday, September 1. The game will feature Bethune-Cookman University and Jackson State University.
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has been an Atlanta tradition for a number of years now.
2019 MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Everything you need to know
The annual game features teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Launched on Labor Day Weekend in 2005, the HBCU matchup was held for its first three years at historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
In 2008, the game moved to Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Since 2016, the Challenge has been played at campus sites.
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About Bethune-Cookman College
Bethune-Cookman boasts the #1 band in the MEAC, known as the Marching Wildcats. They make up a 300+ unit that has five drum majors known affectionately as “The Five Horsemen.”
Bethune-Cookman is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Wildcats’ biggest rivals is in-state HBCU Florida A&M University.
About Jackson State University
JSU’s band, the Sonic Boom of the South, is the #1 ranked band in the SWAC. Jackson State University is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The mascot is a bengal tiger.
While 90% of JSU’s students hailed from Mississippi, other states make up the rest of the student body. The top three feeder states are Illinois (419 students), Louisiana (227), and Tennessee (192).
Among international students, most were from China, according to a JSU factbook.
Where to park at Georgia State Stadium
Parking at Georgia State Stadium is festival style, first-come-first-served in each lot. Handicap parking is available in the Green Lot on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please be advised handicap parking spaces are limited. A state issued placard or license plate and a parking pass are required for entry. Passes are currently available for the Green lot only.
Lots open 4 hrs prior to kickoff. No overnight parking. Online parking sales close on Saturday, August 31 at 11:59 p.m.