The game is on.

After weeks of speculation, The T&D has learned ESPN will officially confirm Monday this year’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge matchup between South Carolina State and Grambling.

The fifth annual contest, which matches up a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference for bragging rights in Football Championship Subdivision black college football, is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

This will mark the first time since 2006 that the respective defending conference champions will meet in the “Challenge” and both teams have emerged victorious in their previous appearances.

The Bulldogs claimed their first MEAC title outright since 1994 after going through the conference undefeated and finished the season 10-3 and ranked nationally after reaching the first found of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

As for Grambling, it finished 11-2 overall in claiming its 22nd SWAC title with an undefeated conference record. The Tigers also earned their 14th Jake Gaither Black College Football national championship trophy as named by SBN Sports, beating out S.C. State, who placed second in the poll.

The Tigers lead the all-time series with S.C. State 9-5. The last meeting took place at the 1994 Heritage Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, with coaching legends Willie Jeffries of S.C. State and the late Eddie Robinson of Grambling on the sidelines.

The Bulldogs rallied from 11 points down thanks to two touchdowns rushing and passing from Marvin Marshall, the latter set up by a blocked punt by Kenny Bynum, which was recovered by current Hunter-Kinard-Tyler head coach Jermaine Derricott at the one-yard line, to take a 31-27 victory. Ironically, the 1994 season was the last time up until this past season the Bulldogs had won 10 games and the MEAC regular-season title outright.

Both teams were originally slated to open the season against different opponents. The Bulldogs were slated to visit Benedict College on Sept. 5, while Grambling was to face Alcorn State the same date.

No official word has been given by S.C. State in regards to what arrangement it made with Benedict College about either a buyout or rescheduling the game to a future date. The two teams renewed their long-standing rivalry last season after a four-year hiatus.

There’s also the question as to how this will affect S.C. State’s matchup against Bethune-Cookman set for six days later in Daytona Beach, Fla.

n T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

You must be logged in to comment.