Envisioning a MEAC Football Championship Game
On the verge of having only five football-playing schools, the MEAC should think outside the box.
The conference realignment dominoes continue to fall as Howard looks poised to join the CAA as the conference’s 14th all-sports member and 16th football member. The MEAC is on the other end of the spectrum, fighting for survival with only seven members, and five football-playing schools.
With a smaller amount of schools, the MEAC needs to be creative in a variety of ways. One of those ways is by starting their own football championship game like their FCS HBCU counterparts in the SWAC. Since their teams play in the Celebration Bowl, there is room on the schedule for a title game on top of the fact schools will play a minuscule 4-game conference schedule.
A MEAC championship game has the potential to be a significant cash grab for the conference. In terms of dates, there are two options that can increase the league’s exposure.
A Network TV Showcase?
Black Friday looks like an ideal date for the championship game as the schedule is generally light that day and ABC typically does not broadcast a primetime game that night.
The second Saturday of December also looks to be a good date for a championship game, as Army-Navy and the FCS playoffs are the only games that mark the schedule that week.
The MEAC has a variety of options on that day. They can use the MEAC title game as a lead-in to the Army-Navy game, airing it at noon on ABC. The only other sporting event on network TV at that time was the Syracuse-Georgetown men’s basketball game on Fox, which averaged a rating of .25 among the 18-49 demographic.
Football fans can start their day with a game of national importance before the Army-Navy game or they can have the MEAC Championship as a nightcap on ABC’s Saturday Night Football. There is plenty of free real estate in the primetime slot as this is what the Big Four networks drew on the second Saturday of December last year courtesy of SpoilerTV.com:
ABC may be better served broadcasting a MEAC Championship Game instead of an NBA game given the MEAC-SWAC Kickoff Challenge drew a 0.6 rating in Week Zero on ESPN. The only drawback to the second Saturday of December title game gives the MEAC champ limited preparation and rest time before the Celebration Bowl, but it may be worth it for the exposure.
NBC is another network that can partner with the MEAC. NBCSN broadcasted the Truth and Service Classic between Howard and Hampton last season and CNBC will broadcast Howard-Morehouse this season.
The network aired It’s a Wonderful Life on the second Saturday of December last year and even though it’s a Christmas classic, it’s not exactly a ratings powerhouse.
George Bailey can step aside for a game deciding one of the spots in the Celebration Bowl. College football fans will likely want a nightcap after the Army-Navy Game and NBC could provide that.
Neutral or Not?
In terms of where to hold a championship game, the league has options on that front as well. Of course, they can hold it on campus, but it can be an HBCU classic of its own. The SWAC Championship Game has previously called Birmingham’s Legion Field and NRG Stadium in Houston home, so it’s not an unprecedented idea.
Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Charlotte look like ideal places to hold the game. Charlotte is already hosting the Aggie-Eagle Classic between North Carolina Central and NC A&T in 2022 and 2026, so the Queen City makes sense.
Baltimore and Washington D.C., both make sense with Morgan State and Delaware State in the league, with Audi Field in the capital being a nearly perfect venue for the game, hosting Howard-Hampton last season and seating 20,000 fans.
In the end, the MEAC needs new ideas to make it attractive for their members to stay in the conference. Going all in on the road to the Celebration Bowl, meaning adding a championship game may be the way to do so. Luckily, there is a logical path.