Maxwell Football Club Honors HBCU Football With New Prestigious Award
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The Maxwell Football Club (MFC), home to several of college football’s most prestigious awards, including the Maxwell, Chuck Bednarik, and George Munger awards, proudly announces the creation of the Club’s HBCU Contributions to Football Award. The honor will be presented annually to an outstanding contributor from a historically black college, athletic department, football program, or conference.
HBCU football was established in the late 19th century. The first game, between Biddle College and Livingstone College, occurred on Dec. 27, 1892.
Currently, twenty-one HBCU football programs at the FCS level play primarily in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
MEAC
- Delaware State University
- Howard University
- Morgan State University
- Norfolk State University
- North Carolina Central University
- South Carolina State University
SWAC
- Alabama A&M University
- Alabama State University
- Alcorn State University
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Grambling State University
- Jackson State University
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Prairie View A&M University
- Southern University
- Texas Southern University
- University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Three HBCU football programs participate in non-HBCU conferences:
- North Carolina A&T State University (CAA)
- Hampton University (CAA)
- Tennessee State (OVC)
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) comprises thirteen members, while the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) comprises fifteen. Together, the leagues host twenty-eight Division II football programs.
SIAC
- Albany State University
- Allen University
- Benedict College
- Central State University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Edward Waters University
- Fort Valley State University
- Kentucky State University
- Lane College
- LeMoyne-Owen College
- Miles College
- Morehouse College
- Savannah State University
- Spring Hill College
- Tuskegee University
CIAA
- Bluefield State University
- Bowie State University
- Chowan University
- Elizabeth City State University
- Fayetteville State University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Lincoln University (PA)
- Livingstone College
- Shaw University
- St. Augustine’s University
- Virginia State University
- Virginia Union University
- Winston-Salem State University
The 2024 HBCU football season commences with the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 24. It wraps up with the HBCU Division I Champion being crowned at the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.