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North Carolina A&T returns to Celebration Bowl after year hiatus

North Carolina A&T head coach Rod Broadway is doused with ice water during North Carolina A&T's 41-34 win over Alcorn State in the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Saturday December 19, 2015. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
North Carolina A&T head coach Rod Broadway is doused with ice water during North Carolina A&T's 41-34 win over Alcorn State in the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Saturday December 19, 2015. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
By
Dec 7, 2017

The inaugural winners of the Celebration Bowl are back. And they’re looking to complete the first undefeated season in MEAC history.

North Carolina A&T, the 11-0 champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will take on Grambling State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at noon Dec. 16. The Aggies won their first outright conference title since 2003.

The Aggies defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in the 2015 Celebration Bowl. But North Carolina Central topped them a year ago to earn the invitation.

“It’s an honor to be here,” coach Rod Broadway said. “I spent 26 years in Division I, and every year we started with the same goal: to make a bowl game. Now our kids have an opportunity to play in a bowl game. We played in one, and last year we played in a playoff. If you ask our kids, it’s 100 percent that they’d rather be here than a playoff.”

About the Author

Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.

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