Happy Saturday, college football fans, as we turn the calendar to June. Just 12 weeks from today, the season kicks off with week 0 and we will be underway. In the meantime, we have 21 more conferences to talk about. Today is the Southwestern Athletic Conference, or SWAC, the other FCS Historically Black College and University (HBCU) conference. Last time (see http://bit.ly/2019GCR for all past and current posts), we talked about the cousin conference, the MEAC. These champions of these two conferences meet each December to combat each other in the Celebration Bowl. Last year the Florida A&M Rattlers capped a brilliant 12-1 season to bring the title back to the SWAC after two consecutive losses.
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This 12-team conference not only is the first so far (and only FCS conference) to have divisions and a championship game, they also have a huge division between most difficult schedule and easiest. Check out the table below. As always, (D) indicates a non-Division I opponent, (F) indicates a non-conference FCS opponent, (G) indicates a Group of 5 opponent, (4) indicates a Core 4 (used to be Power 5) opponent, and (N) indicates a neutral-site game. I bring you, the 2024 SWAC.
| Team | 2023 Record (Rank) | 2024 PS SOS (Rank) | Home Games | Away/Neutral Games | Opp 2023 Rec |
| Florida A&M Rattlers (East) – 1 | 12-1 (125) | 3.60 (145) | (20-35/.364) South Carolina St (F), Alabama A&M, Southern, Texas Southern, Mississippi Valley | (44-39/.530) Miami FL (4), Troy (G), Norfolk St (FN), Alabama St, Jackson St, Prairie View, Bethune (N) | 64-74 (.464) |
| Bethune Wildcats (East) – 2 | 3-8 (218) | 2.93 (178) | (28-28/.500) Clark Atlanta (D), Mercer (F), Alabama St, Jackson St, Grambling St | (38-44/.463) South Florida (G), W Michigan (G), Alabama A&M, Mississippi Valley, Southern, Texas Southern, Florida A&M (N) | 64-72 (.471) |
| Texas Southern Tigers (West) – 3 | 3-8 (211) | 2.82 (192) | (23-32/.418) Lynchburg (D), Jackson St, Grambling St, Bethune, Southern | (29-32/.475) Rice (G), Lamar (F), Prairie View, Ark Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Alcorn St | 52-64 (.448) |
| Alabama A&M Bulldogs (East) – 4 | 5-6 (222) | 2.61 (198) | (27-28/.491) Kentucky St (D), Georgetown KY (D), Bethune, Southern, Grambling St | (44-38/.537) Auburn (4), Austin Peay (F), Florida A&M, Mississippi Valley, Ark Pine Bluff, Jackson St (N), Alabama St (N) | 71-66 (.518) |
| Mississippi Valley Delta Devils (East) – 5 | 1-10 (229) | 2.56 (202) | (21-24/.467) Alcorn St, Bethune, Prairie View, Alabama A&M | (48-42/.533) Tennessee St (F), Lamar (F), Murray St (F), Nicholls (F), Alabama St, Ark Pine Bluff, Jackson St, Florida A&M | 69-66 (.511) |
| Ark Pine Bluff Golden Lions (West) – 6 | 2-9 (252) | 2.33 (218) | (25-41/.379) Arkansas Baptist (D), C Arkansas (F), Prairie View, Mississippi Valley, Alabama A&M, Texas Southern | (35-32/.522) Arkansas (4), Tennessee St (FN), Alcorn St, Grambling St, Jackson St, Southern | 60-73 (.451) |
| Prairie View Panthers (West) – 7 | 6-6 (186) | 2.19 (232) | (29-27/.518) Commerce (F), Texas Southern, Southern, Alcorn St, Florida A&M | (27-45/.375) Michigan St (4), Incarnate Word (F), Northwestern St (F), Ark Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley, Alabama St, Grambling St (N) | 56-72 (.438) |
| Grambling St Tigers (West) – 8 | 5-6 (197) | 2.17 (235) | (30-25/.545) Tuskegee (D), Jackson St, Alcorn St, Ark Pine Bluff, Alabama St | (30-50/.375) Louisiana (G), Commerce (F), Texas Southern, Bethune, Alabama A&M, Prairie View (N), Southern (N) | 60-75 (.444) |
| Alabama St Hornets (East) – 9 | 7-4 (171) | 2.06 (241) | (40-28/.588) Miles College (D), Tuskegee (D), Florida A&M, Mississippi Valley, Jackson St, Prairie View | (35-32/.522) NC Central (FN), Samford (F), Bethune, Grambling St, Alabama A&M (N), Alcorn St (N) | 75-60 (.556) |
| Southern Jaguars (West) – 10 | 6-5 (185) | 2.02 (248) | (20-34/.370) Savannah St (D), Nicholls (F), Alcorn St, Bethune, Ark Pine Bluff | (38-41/.481) McNeese (F), Jackson St, Prairie View, Texas Southern, Florida A&M, Alabama A&M, Grambling St (N) | 58-75 (.436) |
| Jackson St Tigers (East) – 11 | 7-4 (162) | 1.98 (250) | (23-33/.411) Lane College (D), Southern, Florida A&M, Ark Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley | (32-46/.410) ULM (G), Alcorn St, Grambling St, Texas Southern, Bethune, Alabama St, Alabama A&M (N) | 55-79 (.410) |
| Alcorn St Braves (West) – 12 | 7-4 (171) | 1.97 (252) | (18-25/.419) Edward Waters (D), Ark Pine Bluff, Texas Southern, Jackson St | (31-60/.341) Vanderbilt (4), UAB (G), McNeese (F), Prairie View, Mississippi Valley, Grambling St, Southern, Alabama St (N) | 49-85 (.366) |
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That’s it for today. Tune in next time for the conference with the 20th most difficult schedule. Thank you for reading and especially for sharing with others. See you next time, G
