From swac.org :
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- With storied traditions, rich legacies, and some of the biggest names to ever play the game it’s safe to say that the football history of Southwestern Athletic Conference is truly remarkable and unmatched at the FCS level.
Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Doug Williams, Deacon Jones, Robert Brazille, Steve McNair, Aeneas Williams, and Michael Strahan are just a few of the legendary names of the game that also just so happened to attend SWAC member institutions.
For decades the SWAC has produced some of the best and most talented athletes the game of football has to offer as clearly evident by the names of former SWAC products listed in the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame.
With 2019 Signing Day officially in the books it appears that the days of the SWAC attracting some of the top recruits in the nation is alive and well with several highly touted two-star and three-star recruits choosing SWAC institutions over Power Five, Group of Five, and FCS leagues.
“I think it’s clearly evident what we are seeing is a remarkable resurgence in the status level and exposure that playing at an HBCU and more specifically a SWAC institution can offer today’s generation of student-athletes,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.
“The positive exposure and impact from the partnerships forged between the SWAC, MEAC and the Celebration Bowl has without a doubt raised the overall level of visibility and profiles of our leagues, institutions, and football programs. That exposure has helped us start to attract some of the best collegiate student-athletes not only on the FCS level but it’s also assisted our respective member institutions in attracting recruits that traditionally might have only looked at attending colleges and universities at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.”
Enhancements made to playing facilities have also played a significant role in the recruiting and signing of some of the top student-athletes in the country. In the past decade every institution within the SWAC has made upgrades in some form or fashion to its home playing facility.
Prairie View A&M and Alabama State recently built new stadiums, while league counterparts Grambling State, Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff installed new state-of-the art playing surfaces. Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State have also added upgrades to its home stadiums while Texas Southern began playing its games at a professional venue (BBVA Compass Stadium) in the heart of Downtown Houston.
“The current level of talent and competition that can be witnessed amongst the programs in the SWAC has the state of college football collectively in our league at a very high level,” said McClelland. “It is our focus as a conference to continue to take the necessary steps needed in order to raise the bar each year so that our member institutions can continue to bring in the best and brightest student-athletes from around the country.”
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.
