MEAC SWAC Challenge Changes Venue for NCAT vs AAMU

The 10th Annual MEAC SWAC Challenge presented by Disney will be played at Bright House Networks Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The previously announced Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football matchup between the North Carolina A&T Aggies of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Alabama A&M Bulldogs of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) will be played Sunday, Aug. 31, and televised on an ESPN network.

UCF approved the use of the stadium during a Board of Trustees’ meeting on Thursday. The game was played at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, from 2008-2013 and Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., from 2005-2007. The Citrus Bowl is currently being renovated and is unavailable for the 2014 MEAC SWAC Challenge.

“We are thrilled to have North Carolina A&T and Alabama A&M making their MEAC SWAC Challenge debuts in our 10th anniversary game,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN Regional Television. “UCF’s Bright House Networks Stadium will serve as a wonderful venue, allowing us to give our student-athletes and fans an experience to remember for a long time.”

“The MEAC SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney brings the excitement of HBCU football to Central Florida and we’re looking forward to celebrating the game’s 10th anniversary in Orlando,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of Community Relations and Minority Business Development for the Walt Disney World Resort. “Disney has a longstanding relationship with UCF and we are excited to host the event in the Knights’ stadium.”

Opened in 2007, Bright House Networks Stadium is the one of the newest college football venues in the U.S. Home to the UCF Knights football program, the stadium seats 45,323 and it serves as the crown jewel of the school’s burgeoning Athletics Village. The MEAC SWAC Challenge marks the first time the venue will host an NCAA Division I football game not involving UCF.

More than 20,000 fans participate in the yearly Labor Day weekend festivities in Central Florida for the start of college football season. Offering More Than a Game, weekend events also include a high school career seminar, a parade, band showcase and a Legends’ Reception.

The SWAC holds a 2-7 record in the MSC with Southern handing the league its only wins in 2007 and 2010. Last year, Mississippi Valley State represented the Conference falling to Flordia A&M 27-10. Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Texas Southern remain the only teams in the SWAC to have yet participated in the Challenge.

The match-up between AAMU and NCAT marks the first meeting ever between the two programs.

MEAC SWAC Challenge Travel Arrangements

Travel options to attend the MEAC SWAC Challenge in Orlando will be offered by Anthony Travel, the event’s official travel provider. Travel packages will include discounted hotel accommodations, game tickets and specially-priced Theme Park Tickets. For more information, visit www.AnthonyTravel.com/MEACSWAC or call 888-632-6951.

The MEAC SWAC Challenge is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN. For more information about the MEAC SWAC Challenge, or to join the event’s following on Facebook and Twitter, please visit the event’s official Web site at www.meacswacchallenge.com.

Courtesy: SWAC.org