The South Carolina State Bulldogs are the 2025 HBCU Division I football national champions after erasing a 21-point deficit to defeat Prairie View A&M, 40-38, in four overtimes Saturday at the 10th annual Cricket Celebration Bowl inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Prairie View A&M suffered a heartbreaking loss in its bid for the school's first national championship in 61 years.

Playing for their first outright HBCU national title in 61 years, the Panthers found themselves on the wrong end of a controversial 2-point conversation as South Carolina State completed a 21-0 comeback to win the Cricket Celebration Bowl 40-38 in four overtimes Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

South Carolina State pulled out an improbable win to seize the Cricket Celebration bowl in a 40-38 game over Prairie View A&M.

The de facto national champion of HBCU football will be crowned on Saturday when the South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-3) take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers (10-3) in the annual Celebration Bowl between the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

South Carolina State rallied from 21 down against Prairie View A&M to win 40-38 in four overtimes, taking home the HBCU national championship.