The Howard University Bison will have a prominent fan in the stands as they take on the Florida A&M University Rattlers in Saturday’s Celebration Bowl.

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to attend this nationally televised matchup of two historically Black colleges at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Harris, a 1986 graduate of Howard, often talks about the impact attending the Washington HBCU had on her life and career trajectory.

The vice president’s office is marketing Saturday’s visit as a way to champion HBCUs.

In September, Harris paid a visit to the Atlanta University Center, where she rallied students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College and Spelman College. The stop was part of her Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour, an effort to energize college students on a variety of liberal issues heading into the presidential election year. The tour has included stops at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, community colleges and apprenticeship programs across the nation.

Harris’ office has not released further details about her itinerary for Saturday’s de facto HBCU national championship game. The contest is scheduled for a noon kickoff and will air nationally on ABC.

During the game, Harris will sit down for an interview with announcers Tiffany Greene, a FAMU alum, and Jay “Sky” Walker, who went to Howard.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Morehouse alum who also plans to attend, encouraged Harris to make the trip. The Bison, 6-5, will need all the help they can get from their famous fan in the stands. They are considered the underdogs against the Rattlers, who have lost only one game this season.

©2023 Cox Media Group