Southwestern Athletic Conference facts for kids
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| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920 |
| Commissioner | Charles McClelland |
| Sports fielded |
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| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | FCS |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama |
| Region | Southern |
| Locations | |
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The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a group of colleges that compete in sports. It is based in Birmingham, Alabama. Most of the schools in the SWAC are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) located in the Southern United States.
The SWAC is part of the NCAA's Division I. For football, its teams play in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Many people see the SWAC as the top conference for HBCUs. It is also known for having many former students who become professional athletes, especially in football. The SWAC has often had the highest attendance at home football games among FCS conferences.
Contents
History of the SWAC
The SWAC was started in 1920 by athletic leaders from six HBCUs in Texas. They met in Houston to create a new sports league. The first schools were Bishop College, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M, Texas College, Wiley University, and Samuel Huston (now Huston–Tillotson).
Over the years, some schools left and new ones joined. In 1932, Langston University joined, followed by Southern University in 1935. Arkansas AM&N (now University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) joined in 1936. Texas Southern University became a member in 1954.
As state-supported schools grew, it became harder for church-supported schools to keep up. Many of the original schools left the conference. In 1958, Grambling College and Jackson College joined. Alcorn State University joined in 1962, and Mississippi Valley State University joined in 1968. Alabama State University became a member in 1982.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff rejoined the SWAC in 1997. Alabama A&M University became the tenth member in 1999. In 2020, the SWAC announced that Florida A&M University and Bethune–Cookman University would join in the 2021–22 school year. This led to a change in how the divisions were set up.
SWAC Sports and Competitions
The SWAC offers championships in many sports for both men and women. For men, sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, and track and field. For women, sports include basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, volleyball, and track and field.
In football, the SWAC champion does not go to the regular FCS playoffs. Instead, they play in the Celebration Bowl against the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). However, a SWAC team can still get a special invitation to the FCS playoffs. The SWAC also has a conference championship game, where the winners of its two divisions play each other.
Current Member Schools
The SWAC has 12 full member schools. Most of them are public universities.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Division | |||||||||
| Alabama A&M University | Huntsville, Alabama | 1875 | Public | 6,172 | Bulldogs (men's) Lady Bulldogs (women's) |
1999 | |||
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, Alabama | 1867 | Public | 4,190 | Hornets (men's) Lady Hornets (women's) |
1982 | |||
| Bethune-Cookman University | Daytona Beach, Florida | 1904 | United Methodist |
2,901 | Wildcats | 2021 | |||
| Florida A&M University | Tallahassee, Florida | 1887 | Public | 9,626 | Rattlers | 2021 | |||
| Jackson State University | Jackson, Mississippi | 1877 | Public | 7,080 | Tigers (men's) Lady Tigers (women's) |
1958 | |||
| Mississippi Valley State University | Itta Bena, Mississippi | 1950 | Public | 2,147 | Delta Devils (men's) Devilettes (women's) |
1968 | |||
| West Division | |||||||||
| Alcorn State University | Lorman, Mississippi | 1871 | Public | 3,523 | Braves (men's) Lady Braves (women's) |
1962 | |||
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff, Arkansas | 1873 | Public | 2,498 | Golden Lions (men's) Golden Lady Lions (women's) |
1936; 1997 |
|||
| Grambling State University | Grambling, Louisiana | 1901 | Public | 5,438 | Tigers (men's) Lady Tigers (women's) |
1958 | |||
| Prairie View A&M University | Prairie View, Texas | 1876 | Public | 9,893 | Panthers (men's) Lady Panthers (women's) |
1920 | |||
| Southern University | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 1880 | Public | 7,140 | Jaguars (men's) Lady Jaguars (women's) |
1935 | |||
| Texas Southern University | Houston, Texas | 1947 | Public | 7,524 | Tigers (men's) Lady Tigers (women's) |
1954 | |||
Divisions in the SWAC
With the additions of Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M in 2021, the SWAC changed its divisions. Alcorn State moved to the West Division.
| East Division | West Division |
|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Alcorn State |
| Alabama State | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| Bethune-Cookman | Grambling State |
| Florida A&M | Prairie View A&M |
| Jackson State | Southern |
| Mississippi Valley State | Texas Southern |
Timeline of Members
Full members Full members (non-football)
SWAC Facilities
Each SWAC school has its own stadiums and arenas for different sports. Here are some of the main facilities:
| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball stadium | Capacity |
| Alabama A&M | Louis Crews Stadium | 21,000 | Alabama A&M Events Center | 6,000 | Bulldog Field | 500 |
| Alabama State | Hornet Stadium | 26,500 | ASU Acadome | 7,400 | Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex | 500 |
| Alcorn State | Spinks-Casem Stadium | 22,500 | Davey Whitney Complex | 7,000 | Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium | N/A |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Golden Lion Stadium | 16,000 | K. L. Johnson Complex | 4,500 | Torii Hunter Baseball/Softball Complex | 1,000 |
| Bethune-Cookman | Daytona Stadium | 10,000 | Moore Gymnasium | 3,000 | Jackie Robinson Ballpark | 4,200 |
| Florida A&M | Bragg Memorial Stadium | 25,500 | Al Lawson Teaching Gym | 9,639 | Moore-Kittles Field | 500 |
| Grambling State | Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium | 19,600 | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center | 7,500 | Wilbert Ellis Field at Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Park | 1,100 |
| Jackson State | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium | 60,492 | Williams Assembly Center | 8,000 | Braddy Field | 800 |
| Mississippi Valley State | Rice-Totten Stadium | 10,000 | Harrison HPER Complex | 5,000 | Magnolia Field | 120 |
| Prairie View A&M | Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field | 15,000 | William Nicks Building | 4,000 | John W. Tankersley Field | 512 |
| Southern | Ace W. Mumford Stadium | 29,000 | F. G. Clark Center | 7,500 | Lee-Hines Field | 1,500 |
| Texas Southern | Shell Energy Stadium | 22,000 | Health and Physical Education Arena | 8,100 | MacGregor Park | N/A |
SWAC Football Champions
Before 1999, the SWAC football champion was decided by which team had the best record in conference games. Since 1999, the SWAC has held a championship game between the winners of its two divisions.
Some championships were later changed or removed due to rule violations. For example, Texas Southern's 2010 championship was vacated.
The SWAC Championship Game was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1999 to 2012. In 2013, it moved to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Since 2019, the game is played at the home stadium of the team with the best record.
Since 2015, the winner of the SWAC Championship plays against the MEAC champion in the Celebration Bowl. This special bowl game is for the overall HBCU championship.
Recent Football Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Southern | Jackson State | 31–30 |
| 2000 | Grambling | Alabama A&M | 14–6 |
| 2001 | Grambling | Alabama State | 38–31 |
| 2002 | Grambling | Alabama A&M | 31–19 |
| 2003 | Southern | Alabama State | 20–9 |
| 2004 | Alabama State | Southern | 40–35 |
| 2005 | Grambling | Alabama A&M | 45–6 |
| 2006 | Alabama A&M | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | 22–13 |
| 2007 | Jackson State | Grambling | 42–31 |
| 2008 | Grambling | Jackson State | 41–9 |
| 2009 | Prairie View A&M | Alabama A&M | 30-24 |
| 2010 | Texas Southern (vacated) | Alabama State | 11–6 |
| 2011 | Grambling | Alabama A&M | 16–15 |
| 2012 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Jackson State | 24–21 |
| 2013 | Southern | Jackson State | 34–27 |
| 2014 | Alcorn State | Southern | 38–24 |
| 2015 | Alcorn State | Grambling | 49–21 |
| 2016 | Grambling | Alcorn State | 27–20 |
| 2017 | Grambling | Alcorn State | 40–32 |
| 2018 | Alcorn State | Southern | 37–28 |
| 2019 | Alcorn State | Southern | 39–24 |
| 2020 | Alabama A&M | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | 40–33 |
| 2021 | Jackson State | Prairie View A&M | 27–10 |
| 2022 | Jackson State | Southern | 43–24 |
| 2023 | Florida A&M | Prairie View A&M | 35–14 |
| 2024 | Jackson State | Southern | 41-13 |
Celebration Bowl Results
The Celebration Bowl is a special game where the SWAC champion plays the MEAC champion.
| Year | MEAC team | SWAC team | Attendance | Series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 41 | Alcorn State Braves | 34 | 35,528 | MEAC 1–0 |
| 2016 | North Carolina Central Eagles | 9 | Grambling Tigers | 10 | 31,096 | Tied 1–1 |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 21 | Grambling Tigers | 14 | 25,873 | MEAC 2–1 |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 24 | Alcorn State Braves | 22 | 31,672 | MEAC 3–1 |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 64 | Alcorn State Braves | 44 | 32,968 | MEAC 4–1 |
| 2021 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 31 | Jackson State Tigers | 10 | 48,653 | MEAC 5–1 |
| 2022 | North Carolina Central Eagles | 41 | Jackson State Tigers | 34 (OT) | 49,670 | MEAC 6–1 |
| 2023 | Howard Bison | 26 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 30 | 41,108 | MEAC 6–2 |
| 2024 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 7 | Jackson State Tigers | 28 | 36,823 | MEAC 6–3 |
SWAC Basketball Champions
The SWAC has both men's and women's basketball tournaments. The winners of these tournaments get to go to the NCAA Division I Tournaments. The semi-final and championship games for the SWAC Basketball Tournament are held in Birmingham, Alabama.
Men's Basketball Tournament Winners
| Year | Regular season | Coach | Tournament | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956–57 | Texas Southern | Ed Adams | not held | |
| 1957–58 | Texas Southern | Ed Adams | ||
| 1958–59 | Grambling | Fred Hobdy | ||
| 1959–60 | Grambling | Fred Hobdy | ||
| 1960–61 | Prairie View A&M | Leroy Moore Jr. | ||
| 1961–62 | Prairie View A&M | Leroy Moore Jr. | ||
| 1962–63 | Grambling | Fred Hobdy | ||
| 1963–64 | Grambling Jackson |
Fred Hobdy Harrison Wilson |
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| 1964–65 | Southern | Richard Mack | ||
| 1965–66 | Alcorn A&M Grambling |
E. E. Simmons Fred Hobby |
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| 1966–67 | Alcorn A&M Arkansas AM&N Grambling |
E. E. Simmons Hubert Clemens Fred Hobby |
||
| 1967–68 | Alcorn A&M Jackson State |
Bob Hopkins Paul Covington |
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| 1968–69 | Alcorn A&M | Bob Hopkins | ||
| 1969–70 | Jackson State | Paul Covington | ||
| 1970–71 | Grambling | Fred Hobdy | ||
| 1971–72 | Grambling | Fred Hobdy | ||
| 1972–73 | Alcorn A&M | Davey L. Whitney | ||
| 1973–74 | Jackson State | Paul Covington | ||
| 1974–75 | Jackson State | Paul Covington | ||
| 1975–76 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | ||
| 1976–77 | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland | ||
| 1977–78 | Southern | Carl Stewart | Jackson State | Paul Covington |
| 1978–79 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1979–80 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1980–81 | Alcorn State Southern |
Davey L. Whitney Carl Stewart |
Southern | Carl Stewart |
| 1981–82 | Alcorn State Jackson State |
Davey L. Whitney Paul Covington |
Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1982–83 | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1983–84 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1984–85 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Southern | Bob Hopkins |
| 1985–86 | Alcorn State Southern |
Davey L. Whitney Bob Hopkins |
Mississippi Valley State | Lafayette Stribling |
| 1986–87 | Grambling | Bob Hopkins | Southern | Ben Jobe |
| 1987–88 | Southern | Ben Jobe | Southern | Ben Jobe |
| 1988–89 | Grambling Southern Texas Southern |
Bob Hopkins Ben Jobe Robert Moreland |
Southern | Ben Jobe |
| 1989–90 | Southern | Ben Jobe | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland |
| 1990–91 | Jackson State | Andy Stoglin | Jackson State | Andy Stoglin |
| 1991–92 | Texas Southern Mississippi Valley State |
Robert Moreland Lafayette Stribling |
Mississippi Valley State | Lafayette Stribling |
| 1992–93 | Jackson State | Andy Stoglin | Southern | Ben Jobe |
| 1993–94 | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland |
| 1994–95 | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland |
| 1995–96 | Jackson State Mississippi Valley State |
Andy Stoglin Lafayette Stribling |
Mississippi Valley State | Lafayette Stribling |
| 1996–97 | Mississippi Valley State | Lafayette Stribling | Jackson State | Andy Stoglin |
| 1997–98 | Texas Southern | Robert Moreland | Prairie View A&M | Elwood Plummer |
| 1998–99 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 1999–00 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Jackson State | Andy Stoglin |
| 2000–01 | Alabama State | Rob Spivery | Alabama State | Rob Spivery |
| 2001–02 | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney | Alcorn State | Davey L. Whitney |
| 2002–03 | Prairie View A&M | Jerome Francis | Texas Southern | Ronnie Courtney |
| 2003–04 | Alabama State | Rob Spivery | Alabama State | Rob Spivery |
| 2004–05 | Alabama A&M | L. Vann Pettaway | Alabama A&M | L. Vann Pettaway |
| 2005–06 | Southern | Rob Spivery | Southern | Rob Spivery |
| 2006–07 | Mississippi Valley State | James Green | Jackson State | Tevester Anderson |
| 2007–08 | Alabama State | Lewis Jackson | Mississippi Valley State | James Green |
| 2008–09 | Alabama State | Lewis Jackson | Alabama State | Lewis Jackson |
| 2009–10 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | George Ivory | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | George Ivory |
| 2010–11 | Texas Southern | Tony Harvey | Alabama State | Lewis Jackson |
| 2011–12 | Mississippi Valley State | Sean Woods | Mississippi Valley State | Sean Woods |
| 2012–13 | Southern | Roman Banks | Southern | Roman Banks |
| 2013–14 | Southern | Roman Banks | Texas Southern | Mike Davis |
| 2014–15 | Texas Southern | Mike Davis | Texas Southern | Mike Davis |
| 2015–16 | Texas Southern | Mike Davis | Southern | Roman Banks |
| 2016–17 | Texas Southern | Mike Davis | Texas Southern | Mike Davis |
| 2017–18 | Grambling | Donte Jackson | Texas Southern | Mike Davis |
| 2018–19 | Prairie View A&M | Byron Smith | Prairie View A&M | Byron Smith |
| 2019–20 | Prairie View A&M | Byron Smith | Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | |
| 2020–21 | Prairie View A&M | Byron Smith | Texas Southern | Johnny Jones |
| 2021–22 | Alcorn State | Landon Bussie | Texas Southern | Johnny Jones |
| 2022–23 | Alcorn State Grambling |
Landon Bussie Donte Jackson |
Texas Southern | Johnny Jones |
| 2023–24 | Grambling | Donte Jackson | Grambling | Donte Jackson |
| 2024–25 | Southern | Kevin Johnson | Alabama State | Tony Madlock |
Women's Basketball Tournament Winners
| Year | Regular season | Coach | Tournament | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | Jackson State | Sadie Magee | Jackson State | Sadie Magee |
| 1982–83 | Jackson State | Sadie Magee | Jackson State | Sadie Magee |
| 1983–84 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Jackson State | Sadie Magee |
| 1984–85 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Jackson State | Sadie Magee |
| 1985–86 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 1986–87 | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs | Mississippi Valley State | Jessie Harris |
| 1987–88 | Mississippi Valley State | Jessie Harris | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs |
| 1988–89 | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs | Alabama State | Ron Mitchell |
| 1989–90 | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs | Jackson State | Andrew Pennington |
| 1990–91 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 1991–92 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 1992–93 | Alcorn State Southern |
Shirley Walker Herman Hartman |
Mississippi Valley State | Jessie Harris |
| 1993–94 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs |
| 1994–95 | Alcorn State Grambling Jackson State |
Shirley Walker Patricia Bibbs Andrew Pennington |
Jackson State | Andrew Pennington |
| 1995–96 | Alcorn State Jackson State |
Shirley Walker Andrew Pennington |
Grambling | Patricia Bibbs |
| 1996–97 | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs | Grambling | Patricia Bibbs |
| 1997–98 | Grambling | David Ponton | Grambling | David Ponton |
| 1998–99 | Grambling | David Ponton | Grambling | David Ponton |
| 1999–00 | Grambling | David Ponton | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 2000–01 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 2001–02 | Southern | Sandy Pugh | Southern | Sandy Pugh |
| 2002–03 | Alabama State Jackson State |
Freda Freeman-Jackson Denise Taylor |
Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson |
| 2003–04 | Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson | Southern | Sandy Pugh |
| 2004–05 | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker | Alcorn State | Shirley Walker |
| 2005–06 | Jackson State Southern |
Denise Taylor Sandy Pugh |
Southern | Sandy Pugh |
| 2006–07 | Prairie View A&M Jackson State |
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Denise Taylor |
Prairie View A&M | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke |
| 2007–08 | Prairie View A&M | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | Jackson State | Denise Taylor |
| 2008–09 | Prairie View A&M | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | Prairie View A&M | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke |
| 2009–10 | Southern | Sandy Pugh | Southern | Sandy Pugh |
| 2010–11 | Southern | Sandy Pugh | Prairie View A&M | Toyelle Wilson |
| 2011–12 | Mississippi Valley State | Nate Kilbert | Prairie View A&M | Toyelle Wilson |
| 2012–13 | Texas Southern | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | Prairie View A&M | Toyelle Wilson |
| 2013–14 | Southern | Sandy Pugh | Prairie View A&M | Dawn Brown |
| 2014–15 | Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson | Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson |
| 2015–16 | Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson | Alabama State | Freda Freeman-Jackson |
| 2016–17 | Texas Southern | Johnetta Hayes-Perry | Texas Southern | Johnetta Hayes-Perry |
| 2017–18 | Southern | Sandy Pugh | Grambling | Freddie Murray |
| 2018–19 | Southern | Carlos Funchess | Southern | Carlos Funchess |
| 2019–20 | Southern | Carlos Funchess | Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic | |
| 2020–21 | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed |
| 2021–22 | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed |
| 2022–23 | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed | Southern | Carlos Funchess |
| 2023–24 | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed | Jackson State | Tomekia Reed |
| 2024–25 | Southern | Carlos Funchess | Southern | Carlos Funchess |
SWAC Baseball Champions
The SWAC baseball champion is usually decided by a conference tournament. Here are the winners from the last ten years:
| Year | Program |
|---|---|
| 2015 | [[{{{school}}}|Texas Southern]] |
| 2016 | [[{{{school}}}|Alabama State]] |
| 2017 | [[{{{school}}}|Texas Southern]] |
| 2018 | [[{{{school}}}|Texas Southern]] |
| 2019 | Southern |
| 2021 | Southern |
| 2022 | Alabama State |
| 2023 | Florida A&M |
| 2024 | Grambling State |
| 2025 | Bethune Cookman |
SWAC Marching Bands
Marching bands are a very important part of school spirit and pride in the SWAC. The bands are known for their exciting performances and showmanship. They add a lot to the unique culture of the conference.
| School | Band | Dance Auxiliary |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Marching Maroon and White | Dancin' Divas |
| Alabama State | Mighty Marching Hornets | Sensational Stingettes |
| Alcorn State | Sounds of Dynomite | World Renowned Golden Girls |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South (M4) | M4 Golden Girls |
| Bethune-Cookman | Marching Wildcats | 14 Karat Gold Dancers |
| Florida A&M | Marching 100 | ----- |
| Grambling State | World Famed Marching Band | Orchesis Dance Company |
| Jackson State | Sonic Boom of the South | Prancing J-Settes |
| Mississippi Valley State | Mean Green Marching Machine | Satin Dolls |
| Prairie View A&M | Marching Storm | Black Foxes |
| Southern | Human Jukebox | Fabulous Dancing Dolls |
| Texas Southern | Ocean of Soul | Motion of The Ocean |
See also
In Spanish: Southwestern Athletic Conference para niños
