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Bowl season is finally here. It all kicks off this weekend when the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s North Carolina Central University Eagles take on the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Grambling State University Tigers in the 2016 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.

This year’s HBCU championship-style football game will take place in Atlanta, Georgia and is sure to be an exciting weekend, both for those attending and watching the game live on ESPN.

Celebration Bowl Executive Director John Grant spoke with guest host Michelle Bernard about the big game during the second hour of Friday morning’s edition of NewsOne Now.

Now in its second year, the Celebration Bowl is extremely important for HBCU athletes, because it gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents on a national stage. Grand also stated it is more financially advantageous for the HBCU conferences to participate in this bowl game, rather than other NCAA matchups.

The teams attended a welcome dinner on Wednesday night at the Georgia Aquarium and on Thursday, players participated in the Champions Dinner, where the new inductees into the Black College Football Hall of Fame made their first public appearance.

On Friday, players from the Eagles and Tigers will visit Atlanta’s Hughes Spalding Hospital, which treats children with sickle-cell anemia.

Grant said fans will be able to attend two kick-off parties, one of which will be held at Stats Restaurant in the Centennial Park District.

Once the battle on the gridiron has been decided, those who traveled to Atlanta can participate in other activities centered around the Championship Bowl. The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks will host the Charlotte Bobcats and then on Sunday, the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons will face off against Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.

Watch John Grant, NewsOne Now guest host Michelle Bernard, and the NewsOne Now panel preview this year’s Celebration Bowl in the video clip above.

Be sure to watch this year’s Celebration Bowl December 17, live from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at 12 p.m. EST on ABC.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Watch NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

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