Life has been great for college football in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) over the last couple of years.
HBCU brands Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman left the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to join the SWAC. ESPN is all in with coverage all over its family of networks, including the streaming ESPN+. The SWAC has also been leading all of FCS in attendance, and it’s not even close.
All that is before even mentioning the upgrades in coaching made over the last two seasons, which include Grambling State’s Hue Jackson and the unicorn himself: Jackson State’s Deion Sanders, aka “Coach Prime”. And with coaching upgrades come improvements in recruiting, led by Jackson State cracking ESPN’s TOP 60(!!) recruiting class.
Yeah I know the SWAC have done jack-shit in the Celebration Bowl vs. the MEAC, but the fact that attendance AND television audiences have steadily increased over the life of the event (staged by ESPN, by the way) is largely due to the increasing popularity of the SWAC.
Now there’s talk that some other HBCUs may want to be included in what is now the “SEC of the FCS”. Tennessee State’s reps recently have made it clear that they wanted to be in a more stable conference. Heck, there is a possibility that schools from the MEAC — and maybe the SIAC (Tuskegee) — may look to join the SWAC.
To that I say, BRING IT ON.
Can you imagine a SWAC that looks like this?
| 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 |
| North Carolina Central | Southern |
| South Carolina State | Texas Southern |
| Tuskegee | Jackson State |
| Tennessee State | Mississippi Valley State |
Y’all can’t tell me this wouldn’t be a hit among alumni and fans alike. Hell, you think ESPN wouldn’t want this either?
The only thing is this would effectively kill the MEAC and thus bring the end to the Celebration Bowl. Maybe if the MEAC were to re-invite Winston-Salem State back? NC A&T and Hampton gets their shit together and come back as well?
Hell, anything is possible in my own football multiverse (can’t wait for the new Dr. Strange movie!).
Categories: sports story
It would also kill all the autobids for more sports for HBCU’s
You make a good point. Lots of moving parts of this to be sure.
Now you are talking and A&T will definitely fit into the East Division. Now we can create a 3 Bowl games.
The two top East teams will play the two top West teams in a Bowl game 💰, and the winners play the Championship Bowl game. 💰
Hmmm. Interesting. Lemme think on that for a moment.
This would be better than BLACK WALL STREET, ROSEWOOD, and ENGLEWOOD put together!!!!!!!.
YOOOO!!! Right???
I have a different perspective on this super conference. I have 24 teams broken down into 4 divisions.
The Central: Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State,
South Carolina State
The West: Grambling State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern, Tennessee State,
Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The South: Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central,
Savannah State
The North: Coppin State, Delaware State, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State
Forget the Super Conference, this can be its own ASSOCIATION.
Damn!!!!
Now imagine if they improve their performance out of conference and move up to the FBS and challenge the likes of the MAC, Conference USA and the American. Maaaaaaan….