Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Jackson State coach T.C. Taylor says staff debates choosing the Celebration Bowl path versus competing in the FCS playoffs.
- Under current rules, the SWAC champion gets an automatic berth to the Celebration Bowl, excluding them from FCS playoff contention.
- The staff studies non-HBCU FCS rosters and believes Jackson State could be highly competitive in the playoff field.
With another winning season unfolding, Jackson State is once again positioned to make a run at the Celebration Bowl—a championship they claimed in a dominant 2024 season.
But has the team ever thought about what it would be like to compete in the FCS playoffs?
That’s what Jackson State coach T.C. Taylor was asked during an appearance on The FCS Edge with Craig Haley and Zach McKinnell.
“You know, we were just talking about that as a staff yesterday,” Taylor said. “We’re kind of torn over here. Some love the Celebration Bowl and the talk about being the HBCU national champion. But we also talk about wanting to compete in the FCS playoffs. We feel like we could be highly competitive in that playoff race.”
Jackson State (5-1) is currently ranked No. 14 in the latest Stats Perform FCS poll and would be positioned as a playoff participant.
The staff, Taylor added, regularly studies FCS rosters outside the HBCU ranks to assess how their own team stacks up.
“We evaluate every roster in FCS,” he said. “We like how we match up against a lot of those teams. There would be some good matchups if we were in the playoffs.”
Under the current system, the SWAC champion earns an automatic berth to the Celebration Bowl — a structure that effectively removes the league’s top team from FCS playoff contention. Still, the coach hinted that his staff prepares for both paths.
Jackson State has not appeared in the FCS playoffs since 1997.
“It could be a situation where, say, we lose the Alabama State game, we finish the season strong as a two-loss team, and the playoff people (committee) have to take a good look at us,” Taylor explained. “So we prepare for both. Whatever lies out in front, we’ll be ready for it.”
Jackson State will be favored and should win out in the regular season, which would put them in the SWAC Championship Game for the fourth time in the last five years.
So, it’s likely Taylor won’t have to worry about trying to secure an FCS postseason bid this season.
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