2025 Celebration Bowl

2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl
10th Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State Bulldogs Prairie View A&M Panthers
(9–3) (10–3)
MEAC SWAC
40 38
Head coach: 
Chennis Berry		 Head coach: 
Tremaine Jackson
1234OT2OT3OT4OTTotal
South Carolina State 002114300240
Prairie View A&M 71477300038
DateDecember 13, 2025
Season2025
StadiumMercedes-Benz Stadium
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
MVPRyan Subblefield (QB, South Carolina State)
Brenyen Scott (DB, South Carolina State)
RefereeScott Broadway (Sun Belt)
Attendance26,703
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
ESPN Radio
AnnouncersTiffany Greene (play-by-play), Jay Walker (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporters) (ABC)
Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play), Max Starks (analyst), and Jordan Reid (sideline reporter) (ESPN Radio)

The 2025 Celebration Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 13, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The tenth annual Celebration Bowl game featured the South Carolina State Bulldogs, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and the Prairie View A&M Panthers, champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. South Carolina State beat Prairie View A&M in quadruple overtime by a score of 40–38.[1]

The game began at noon EST and aired on ABC.[2][3] The Celebration Bowl was the only one of the 2025–26 bowl games played by FCS teams. The game was sponsored by wireless service provider Cricket Wireless and was officially known as the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

The SWAC and MEAC are the two NCAA Division I conferences of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The Celebration Bowl thus serves as a de facto black college football national championship.

Teams

South Carolina State (champions of the MEAC), led by second-year head coach Chennis Berry, made their third Celebration Bowl appearance, having previously won in 2021 and lost in 2024.

Prairie View A&M (champions of the SWAC for the first time since 2009[4]), led by first-year head coach Tremaine Jackson, made their first appearance and was the first team west of Louisiana to appear in the Celebration Bowl.[5]

This was the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Game summary

2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34OT2OT3OT4OTTotal
South Carolina State 0 0 2114300240
Prairie View A&M 7 14 77300038

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 13, 2025
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 26,703
  • Referee: Scott Broadway
  • TV announcers (ABC): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), Jay Walker (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporters)
Game information
First quarter
  • PV – Ethan John 16-yard pass from Cameron Peters (Diego Alfaro kick), 1:02. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:17.

Second quarter

  • PV – Cameron Peters 27-yard run (Diego Alfaro kick), 10:30. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:53.
  • PV – Jyzaiah Rockwell 14-yard pass from Cameron Peters (Diego Alfaro kick), 1:05. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 4:32.

Third quarter

  • SCST – Tyler Smith 5-yard run (Nico Cavanillas Alti kick), 11:19. Panthers 21–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:06.
  • SCST – Jordan Smith 10-yard run (Nico Cavanillas Alti kick), 8:34. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:43.
  • SCST – Jordan Smith 19-yard pass from Ryan Stubblefield (Nico Cavanillas Alti kick), 5:05. Tied 21–21. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 2:07.
  • PV – Andre Dennis 13-yard pass from Cameron Peters (Diego Alfaro kick), 2:38. Panthers 28–21. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:27.

Fourth quarter

  • SCST – Ryan Subblefield (Nico Cavanillas Alti kick), 10:44. Tied 28–28. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:54.
  • PV – Cameron Bonner 78-yard pass from Cameron Peters (Diego Alfaro kick), 9:53. Panthers 35–28. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:51.
  • SCST – Jordan Smith 10-yard pass from Ryan Subblefield (Nico Cavanillas Alti kick), 1:54. Tied 35–35. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 5:14.

Overtime

  • PV – Diego Alfaro 29-yard field goal. Panthers 38–35. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards.
  • SCST – Nico Cavanillas Alti 40-yard field goal. Tied 38–38. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards.

2nd overtime

  • No scoring plays

3rd overtime

  • No scoring plays

4th overtime

  • SCST – Ryan Subblefield two-point pass to Tyler Smith. Bulldogs 40–38.

Statistics

Statistics SCST PV
First downs 22 21
Plays–yards 80–357 67–491
Rushes–yards 41–78 28–55
Passing yards 279 436
Passing: comp–att–int 22–38–1 25–37–0
Time of possession 34:15 25:45
Team Category Player Statistics
South Carolina State Passing Ryan Stubblefield 15/29, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Jordan Smith 5 carries, 28 yards, TD
Receiving Jordan Smith 9 receptions, 152 yards, 2 TD
Prairie View A&M Passing Cameron Peters 24/36, 412 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Cameron Peters 9 carries, 35 yards, TD
Receiving Andre Dennis 7 receptions, 131 yards, TD

References

  1. ^ "South Carolina State Wins Celebration Bowl in Fourth OT, Defeating Prairie View 40-38". ESPN. Associated Press. December 12, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  2. ^ "2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule, dates, TV channel, sites". NCAA.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  3. ^ "College Football Bowl Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Prairie View A&M Set to Face Jackson State in 2025 SWAC Football Championship Game". November 23, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  5. ^ Young, Matt (December 12, 2025). "What is Celebration Bowl? How it crowns Black college national champ". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
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