The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has released its 2026 football predicted order of finish, with Alabama State and Prairie View A&M earning the top spots in their respective divisions following voting from conference coaches and media.
East Division Predicted Finish
| Rank | Team | Points | First-Place Votes |
| 1 | Alabama State | 131 | 16 |
| 2 | Jackson State | 122 | 7 |
| 3 | Bethune-Cookman | 71 | — |
| 4 | Florida A&M | 70 | — |
| 5 | Alabama A&M | 66 | 1 |
| 6 | Mississippi Valley State | 29 | — |
Alabama State enters the 2026 season as the favorite in the East Division after receiving 131 total points and 16 first-place votes. The Hornets narrowly edged out defending SWAC powerhouse Jackson State, which collected 122 points and seven first-place votes.
Jackson State remains one of the league’s biggest draws and will be looking to challenge Alabama State for control of the division. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M are separated by just one point in the preseason rankings, setting up what could be a competitive middle of the division.
Alabama A&M received one first-place vote, while Mississippi Valley State rounds out the division projections.
West Division Predicted Finish
| Rank | Team | Points | First-Place Votes |
| 1 | Prairie View A&M | 130 | 19 |
| 2 | Grambling State | 93 | 2 |
| 3 | Alcorn State | 90 | 1 |
| 4 | Texas Southern | 79 | 1 |
| 5 | Southern | 65 | 1 |
| 6 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 32 | — |
Prairie View A&M is the clear favorite in the West Division, earning 130 points and 19 first-place votes. The Panthers hold a significant advantage over second-place Grambling State, which finished with 93 points and two first-place votes.
The race behind Prairie View could be one of the most intriguing storylines in the SWAC. Grambling State and Alcorn State were separated by only three points, while Texas Southern and Southern will look to make moves in the standings.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff enters the season projected sixth in the division.
