HBCU Football Returns: The 7 Biggest Burning Questions No One Dares to Answer—Until Now

High-profile new hires, teams looking to defend titles fuel fresh competition

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference are entering the 2025 football season with a wave of fresh leadership that could signal a new era of competition in both conferences and reshape the landscape of football for historically Black colleges and universities.

From high-profile MEAC hires DeSean Jackson (Delaware State) to first-year SWAC coaches Sam Shade (Alabama A&M) and Tremaine Jackson (Prairie View A&M), the sidelines will look noticeably different this fall.

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge, with North Carolina Central facing Southern University, will kick off the 2025 HBCU football season on Aug. 23 in Atlanta. Andscape reporters Mia Berry and Cayla Sweazie and Rhoden Fellows Calandrea Carter, Ciara Latham, Raigan Lydon and Alauna Marable answer several questions on fans’ minds.

Which team has the best chance of making the Celebration Bowl?

Mia Berry: After last year’s 8-0 conference record and a FCS Coaches Top 25 poll. Despite losing several key seniors to graduation, the Tigers return starting quarterback T.C. Taylor has reloaded his offense and defense thanks to the

Cayla Sweazie: With three previous Celebration Bowl appearances – including its first win in 2024 – Jackson State is a favorite heading into this season. The dominance the Tigers showed in Atlanta last year was reflective of their 2025 preseason offensive player of the year.

Ciara Latham: Jackson State is tied with Alcorn State for the most three-star recruits such as wide receiver Kam Evans. With another season of eligibility for Morgan, the 2024 Celebration Bowl offensive MVP, the Tigers have major potential for a rerun in Atlanta.

Which team poses a threat to Jackson State’s mission to repeat as Celebration Bowl champion?

Berry: Aside from Jackson State’s victory is North Carolina Central’s 2022. Oliver heads into this season with the most experienced quarterback in the conference in second-team honors in 2024, throwing for 18 touchdowns with a 61.2% completion rate. North Carolina Central is the only MEAC team to defeat Jackson State in the past three seasons and has enough experience to compete against the Tigers if this year’s Celebration Bowl is a rematch of the 2022 game.

Sweazie: South Carolina State, which top team in the MEAC in a preseason poll, the Bulldogs are a strong contender to defeat Jackson State in Atlanta. However, South Carolina State head coach only once in last year’s bowl game. The Bulldogs open their season with Norfolk State on Oct. 25.

Raigan Lydon: Southern poses the strongest threat to Jackson State’s bid to repeat. The Jaguars finished 8-0 SWAC East run. Last season, Southern had the best passing defense in the SWAC, allowing a conference-low SWAC West title last season and with the return of the 2024 SWAC Ckelby Givens, Southern has the structure to push Jackson State out of championship contention.

Which former NFL-player-turned-HBCU coach will have the most success this season?

Berry: Alabama State’s longest tenured coach in the SWAC and knows how to win. The former 14-10 conference record. Despite quarterback issues plaguing the Hornets a season ago, the team still finished the season runner-up in the SWAC East title race. With the hopeful return of quarterback Andrew Body from injury, the Hornets are expected to compete again for the SWAC East title.

Sweazie: Vick, a preseason All-MEAC honors and running back Kevon King being named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the offensive player of the year in Division I FCS football.

Alauna Marable: Based on the track record of Tennessee State head coach Alabama State, his alma mater, then transitioned to head coach there for eight seasons, helping earn in school history and CIAA Coach of the Year honors. Before coming to Tennessee State, he coached the UFL’s 9-1 record and a XFL Coach of the Year Award.

Which first-year head coach will make an immediate impact?

Berry: Vick’s name has reverberated throughout the HBCU football community since Norfolk State announced Norfolk State’s spring game featured appearances from NBA legend Tyrod Taylor, and the Norfolk State community has rallied around the former Virginia Tech star and NFL sensation. With a fresh coaching staff featuring former NFL players and coordinators, Vick believes he has built a foundation for success.

Sweazie: Delaware State football hasn’t had a winning record since head coach Jackson has a chance to turn the program around this season. The former has expressed excitement about the challenge of rebuilding the program, and his collegiate and professional experience could be just what the Hornets need. While achieving a winning record in his first season may be a reach, the team has plenty of room for improvement after capturing just one win last season.

Latham: Alabama A&M head coach Shade played victory over Alabama State in 2023 and compiled an 18-15 overall record over his three seasons at Miles.

Which team will experience the most growth this season?

Berry: At MEAC Media Day, Howard head coach didn’t live up to the program’s standards. Last season, a year removed from top of the MEAC standings to the bottom of the conference, finishing 1-4 in conference play. Dual-threat quarterback honors twice. With a year of game experience under his belt, the Bison offense, which ranked 2020, and by 2023 turned Howard into a conference champion and title contender. After a rough 2024 campaign, Scott is preparing his team to bounce back.

Sweazie: Under the leadership of head coach 6-6) since Wilson’s hiring in Erick Hunter, preseason MEAC Offensive Player of the Year in running back Jason Collins Jr., Morgan’s offense is looking to elevate. With six quarterbacks fighting for a spot this season, Wilson believes he will find the right arm to lead the team, which could prove to be the missing piece.

Lydon: Alabama State is positioned to leap in 2025 after finishing 7-5 overall record and a SWAC’s 2025 preseason honors spotlight Alabama State’s potential, with four Hornets earning All-SWAC recognition: offensive lineman Keane Lewis (first-team defense) and offensive linemen Dezmond Penn (second-team offense). With veteran leadership and a strong offensive line core, Alabama State has the pieces to contend for the division.

Which non-HBCU conference HBCU team will have the most success this season?

Berry: Although North Carolina A&T has won but first-year head coach four Celebration Bowl titles in five years. Since taking the program reins, Gibbs has added former championship-winning Aggies Denzel Jones as position coaches to help rebuild the culture. North Carolina A&T finished last season 1-11 overall and winless in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. At a minimum for the Aggies, doubling their win total would be considered a success this season.

Sweazie: winless season in 2023, Hampton improved to a 2019. While four of last season’s wins came against HBCU competition, Hampton still faces the hurdle of improving its play against CAA opponents. The program has the potential for more success in Boykin’s second season as head coach.

Marable: As a member of the 9-4 overall record (coaching staff filled with NFL experience, including Super Bowl titles. Though Tennessee State’s program has experienced changes with players transferring, graduating and pursuing pro aspirations, the 2025 roster includes six players named to the OVC/Big South preseason watch list.

Which HBCU classic game will have the most competitive matchup this season?

Berry: The annual Aggie-Eagle Classic, scheduled on Trei Oliver – the two coaches are also fighting for familial bragging rights. Their relationship goes back over three decades, when Gibbs and Oliver were teammates and roommates at North Carolina Central. They also were a part of the same coaching staff at North Carolina A&T (2011-2015). Since 2009, North Carolina A&T has an 42-point victory over A&T. Oliver is looking to extend the Eagles’ 2021.

Sweazie: The 41-20 win over Jackson State last season, Jackson State coach T.C. Taylor is still looking for his first win against Grambling since taking over Jackson State’s program in 2022 and will make the contest all the more competitive.

Calandrea Carter: The 2025 HBCU football season is filled with marquee matchups, but few carry the tradition, talent and stakes of the annual BoomBox Classic between Jackson State and Southern, scheduled on six-game winning streak against Southern. The matchup is also famous for its halftime battle of the bands, pitting Jackson State’s Human Jukebox. Jackson State, the top-ranked scoring offense. Southern looks to close the gap with one of the conference’s top defenses, led by reigning SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Ckelby Givens.