Deion Sanders has unfinished business at Jackson State before he makes the jump to Colorado.
For all he has accomplished in Jackson, Miss., Sanders has yet to attain the highest goal available to HBCUs: a victory in the Celebration Bowl, the de facto Black national championship game. The Tigers came close under Sanders in 2021, winning the SWAC with an 11-1 record before falling to South Carolina State 31-10 in the final game of the year.
Now, Sanders' 12-0 Tigers, headlined by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter, will take on N.C. Central hoping to accomplish what they could not in 2021. After that, Sanders will head to Boulder, Colo., with a not-insignificant number of players and coaches in tow.
But the Eagles, coached by Trei Oliver, won't simply coronate the Tigers. The MEAC champions are 9-2 and one of the losses was by two points. NCCU hasn't lost since Oct. 22 and has both blown out oppponents and won close games in its four-game winning streak.
MORE: Watch Celebration Bowl live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The Sporting News has everything you need to know to watch the Celebration Bowl between Jackson State and N.C. Central:
What channel is Jackson State vs. N.C. Central on today?
- TV channel: ABC
- Live stream: fuboTV
Jackson State vs. N.C. Central will air on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker will call the game in the booth while Tiffany Blackmon will report from the sideline.
Viewers can also stream the game with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Jackson State vs. N.C. Central start time
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 17
- Kickoff: Noon ET
The Celebration Bowl will kick off at noon ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
MORE: Picks, predictions for all 41 postseason games in 2022-23
Jackson State football schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 4 (Sunday) | vs. Florida A&M (Orange Blossom Classic)* | JSU 59, FAMU 3 |
| Sept. 10 | vs. Tennessee State (Southern Heritage Classic) | JSU 16, TSU 3 |
| Sept. 17 | vs. Grambling State | JSU 66, Grambling 24 |
| Sept. 24 | vs. Mississippi Valley State* | JSU 49, MVSU 7 |
| Oct. 1 | BYE | N/A |
| Oct. 8 | at Alabama State* | JSU 26, ASU 12 |
| Oct. 15 | at Bethune-Cookman* | JSU 48, BCU 8 |
| Oct. 22 | vs. Campbell | JSU 22, Campbell 14 |
| Oct. 29 | vs. Southern* | JSU 35, Southern 0 |
| Nov. 5 | at Texas Southern* | JSU 41, TSU 14 |
| Nov. 12 | vs. Alabama A&M* | JSU 27, AAMU 13 |
| Nov. 19 | at Alcorn State* | JSU 24, Alcorn State 13 |
| Nov. 26 | BYE | N/A |
| Dec. 10 | vs. Southern (SWAC championship) | JSU 43, Southern 24 |
| Dec. 17 | vs. N.C. Central (Celebration Bowl) | TBD |
* - SWAC game
N.C. Central football schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | vs. N.C. A&T (Duke's Mayo Classic) | NCCU 28, NCAT 13 |
| Sept. 10 | vs. Winston-Salem State | NCCU 41, WSS 0 |
| Sept. 17 | at No. 25 New Hampshire | NCCU 45, New Hampshire 27 |
| Sept. 24 | vs. Virginia-Lynchburg | NCCU 59, VLU 14 |
| Oct. 1 | at Campbell | Campbell 48, NCCU 18 |
| Oct. 8 | BYE | N/A |
| Oct. 13 (Thu.) | vs. Morgan State* | NCCU 59, MSU 20 |
| Oct. 22 | at South Carolina State* | SCSU 26, NCCU 24 |
| Oct. 29 | at Delaware State* | NCCU 28, Delaware State 21 |
| Nov. 5 | vs. Howard* | NCCU 50, Howard 21 |
| Nov. 12 | at Norfolk State* | NCCU 48, Norfolk State 15 |
| Nov. 19 | at Tennessee Tech | NCCU 22, TTU 20 |
| Dec. 17 | vs. No. 10 Jackson State (Celebration Bowl) | TBD |
* - MEAC game
