R.I.P. Florida Beach Bowl (2023-2024)

[K. Spears]

https://hbcugameday.com/2024/11/04/h...pen-this-year/

Gone just as quickly as it got here. I can't say I'm too shocked, as it seemed like the organizers were trying to make it like the D2 equivalent of the Celebration Bowl and that just doesn't really work as well at this level of play. I thought that it would at least last more than one year though. Back to playoffs or bust for CIAA and SIAC postseason play for now.

 

[ECSU_NCCU_Christopher]

Only schools that was not going to playoffs was eligible to play in that game and they had additional requirements as well. The same was true with the other bowl game they had many years ago, in that only teams not going to the playoffs was eligible.

Having the bowl game in Florida, was a major sign that it was not going last given that there is only one school, Edward Waters University, in Florida between the CIAA and SIAC. Online viewership was great, as they had over 700,000 viewership numbers on HBCU Plus.

The D2 playoffs are different than the FCS Playoffs, as the D2 playoffs uses super regions and there is no bidding process to host home games. Virginian Union was ranked number 1 in their region before when they was in the playoffs. I think part of the problem of why an HBCU has not won the D2 playoffs as of yet, is that often time when schools have good head coaches they are hired away by a D1 school. This has happen to Winston Salem State, Bowie State, and Benedict. I have high hopes for Virginia Union, if they managed to win the CIAA championship this season, as there coaching staff does have experience being in the playoffs and hopefully they have crafted a team that can win in the playoffs.


The CIAA and SIAC has signed a 3 year agreement with Black College Hall of Fame to pit the winners of the previous season champions from the CIAA and SIAC against each other. It is going to be interesting to see how the attendance is going to be for this game, given that there is only one HBCU between the CIAA and SIAC in Ohio (Central State). I think that with the game being Canton and being backed in part by the NFL, it will draw in additional fans outside of the fan bases of the schools in the game.

 

[K. Spears]

Only schools that was not going to playoffs was eligible to play in that game and they had additional requirements as well. The same was true with the other bowl game they had many years ago, in that only teams not going to the playoffs was eligible.

Having the bowl game in Florida, was a major sign that it was not going last given that there is only one school, Edward Waters University, in Florida between the CIAA and SIAC. Online viewership was great, as they had over 700,000 viewership numbers on HBCU Plus.

The D2 playoffs are different than the FCS Playoffs, as the D2 playoffs uses super regions and there is no bidding process to host home games. Virginian Union was ranked number 1 in their region before when they was in the playoffs. I think part of the problem of why an HBCU has not won the D2 playoffs as of yet, is that often time when schools have good head coaches they are hired away by a D1 school. This has happen to Winston Salem State, Bowie State, and Benedict. I have high hopes for Virginia Union, if they managed to win the CIAA championship this season, as there coaching staff does have experience being in the playoffs and hopefully they have crafted a team that can win in the playoffs.


The CIAA and SIAC has signed a 3 year agreement with Black College Hall of Fame to pit the winners of the previous season champions from the CIAA and SIAC against each other. It is going to be interesting to see how the attendance is going to be for this game, given that there is only one HBCU between the CIAA and SIAC in Ohio (Central State). I think that with the game being Canton and being backed in part by the NFL, it will draw in additional fans outside of the fan bases of the schools in the game.

When would that game be played, post season or a Week 0 game?

 

[ECSU_NCCU_Christopher]

When would that game be played, post season or a Week 0 game?

It will not be post season (as the majority of the schools in the conferences still want to go into the playoffs - typical CIAA\SIAC can get 2 to 3 teams in the playoff any given year depending on how wins\losses play out). Since there has not been an official announcement it could be a Week 0 game, which both conferences got NCAA approval to do so going forward, or it will happen at around the same time NFL Exhibition Hall of Fame Game.

CIAA and SIAC original plan was to have the previous year conference winners play in a week 0 game, but it seems the deal they got with Black College Hall of Fame was too good to pass up (which is a 3 year deal). Based on what Doug Williams said in an interview with Coach Cole, I believe the game will be broadcast on the NFL Network and played in Canton, Ohio (as the Black College Hall of Fame as been given space in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - I think the idea is to have the space completed by the game and official open as part of game day activities).

I hope that schools in the SIAC\CIAA will take this chance to try to recruit students as part of this event (athletes and non-athletes) and hopefully this will help out Central State, given that they are the only HBCU in Ohio. Doug Williams also noted that the temporary space is doing well in attendance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR-VjDC4wAo&t=2392s