While the majority of college football fans will be skipping ahead to Jan. 11, 2016 to see who will take over Ohio State’s title, there’s another championship game played about a month sooner.

Saturday in Atlanta, the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State (9-3, 7-2 SWAC) will face Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference champion North Carolina A&T (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to crown an Historically Black College and University national champion. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. in the Georgia Dome and will be televised nationally on ABC.

“The question is, which conference will take home the championship?” said John Grant Jr., executive director of the Celebration Bowl. “Alcorn is back-to-back (SWAC) champions and N.C. A&T were co-champions (of the MEAC). Both of them have great records, are powerhouse institutions and represent their conference very well.”

The Atlanta Falcons will be in charge of game day operations, which Grant said would give the game a first-rate experience for players, athletes and fans.

In addition to the national attention for the HBCUs and their respective conferences, the bowl game will expose students to a new level of academics and athletics.

“With it being broadcast on ABC it gives us a true national reach,” Grant said. “Being on a national network, it will give the nation an opportunity to learn about HBCU football and a place where they can give … that’s really important for us, to let people know about the value of these great institutions and beyond.”

The idea for the Celebration Bowl came out of a conversation between the conference commissioners and ESPN. Afterward, the institutions made the decision to forgo sending conference champions to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, including the MEAC’s automatic qualifier. The SWAC does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.

Around the middle of November, agreements were finalized for the Air Force Reserve to become the title sponsor. Grant felt the Air Force Reserve brand was appropriate to associate with and brings a level of connectivity with their name.

“They’ve done a great job,” Grant said. “We’re excited to have them on board.

Aside from the Air Force Reserve’s role as the title sponsor and ESPN Events playing a prominent role in its inception, the work of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. serves to make the Celebration Bowl a fulfilling experience for athletes and spectators.

The 100 Black Men of Atlanta have hosted ancillary events this week, including a male youth symposium, a robotics showcase to expose young children to coding, and a screening of the biopic of Olympian Jesse Owens titled “Race.”

“We wanted the bowl to be more than a football game,” Grant said. “We want to connect the bowl to the community and it made sense to make a connection with the 100.”

Saturday will conclude with the “5th quarter Battle of the Bands” featuring the Dynamic Sound of Alcorn State and the Blue and Gold Marching Machine from A&T, as well as five Atlanta high school bands.

ESPN’s flagship show SportsCenter will broadcast from Atlanta with hosts Jay Harris, Cari Champion, Lisa Kerney and analyst Jerome Bettis from 9 until 11 a.m. Saturday.

“It more importantly demonstrates the commitment ESPN and Disney has to the Celebration Bowl,” Grant said.

Celebration Bowl

Alcorn State (9-3) vs. North Carolina A&T (9-2)

Saturday, 11 a.m., at Atlanta

TV: ABC; Radio: 91.7 FM