Published on 12/21/2022
The anticipation for the 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl was felt throughout Atlanta. The highly contested game brought in more than 49,000 fans to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium – an event record! The Jackson State Tigers and North Carolina Central Eagles went toe-to-toe live on ESPN for the Championship title. At the end, the Eagles reigned victorious after the tense overtime win.
Cricket is proud to partner with ESPN Events to amplify teams within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). This year’s game is the fifth consecutive win for the MEAC. With the winning title, comes a million-dollar donation to their conference.
Cricket Celebration Bowl amplifies the traditions, legacy and rich culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to a national audience. At half-time, spectators grooved to the Jackson State Sonic Boom and North Carolina Central Sound Machine marching bands.
Gearing up for the weekend, we invited our Cricket HBCU Campus Ambassadors to take part in the end of season activities. Before gameday, three Atlanta native Ambassadors participated in a hybrid panel discussion on college life hosted at Warren Boys & Girls Club. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta teens attended in person and tuned in virtually. Heavonly Boykins, a Bethune-Cookman University senior, NyAshia Muata, an Alabama State University senior, and Mahlon West, a Howard University junior and BGCMA alumnus discussed transitioning to college life, securing scholarships, and how they’re able to grow as Cricket Ambassadors.
In addition, more than 350 youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta received tickets to the Cricket Celebration Bowl. We hope the vibrant weekend peaked their consideration of the vast HBCUs across the country. Our commitment to HBCUs goes beyond gameday, so we can’t wait to share what’s in store as we continue to build stronger ties within the HBCU community!
