While Howard University has yet to reveal its full 2024 football schedule, the Bison continue to add to their out-of-conference lineup. Howard University has added Mercyhurst onto the docket for the 2024 season, according to fbschedules.com.
Mercyhurst is moving from the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference up to the Division I Northeast Conference in the FCS. Although the university is moving the NEC this fall, it will be ineligible to compete for a conference championship. Along with Howard, Mercyhurst will play Robert Morris, Central Connecticut, Duquesne, and Saint Francis as a part of their new schedule.
Meanwhile, Howard has just about finished its non-conference schedule. The Bison kick-off against a Big 10 opponent at Rutgers on Aug. 31. The following week, they play at home against Mercyhurst. Howard has a string of HBCU opponents in Morehouse on Sept. 14 and Hampton on Sept. 21. The Bison travel to New Jersey to play at Princeton the next week. There is a break in the schedule between the Princeton game and Howard’s matchup with Tennessee State on Oct. 19, which will presumably be filled with some MEAC opponents.
The Howard Bison are coming off an incredibly successful season in 2023, despite their 6-6 record. The Bison were unbeatable at home and played very well in the MEAC, going 4-1 within the conference. Following several losses to Robert Morris, Northwestern, and #19 Harvard, Howard took on their MEAC schedule and attained that 4-1 record. They lost to South Carolina State, 27-24, setting them up for a huge matchup with North Carolina Central in a game that essentially decided the MEAC Championship. Howard put their stamp all over NC Central, winning decisively 50-20.
By winning the MEAC, the Bison punched their ticket to the Celebration Bowl. That matched up against the hottest team in all of HBCU football, the Florida A&M Rattlers. Florida A&M went undefeated in the SWAC and cruised past Prairie View A&M in the conference championship game to make its way to Atlanta.
Howard jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, shocking the Rattlers into shape. Florida A&M responded in the second quarter, but the Bison still led 16-10 at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, the SWAC Champions took full control of the game. They dumped 20 points on Howard’s heads in the final quarter, winning the game 30-26 and securing their first Celebration Bowl.
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