BIRMINGHAM – The Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents voted to return football to a nine-game conference schedule beginning with the 2010 season.
The nine-game conference schedule will be in place for a minimum of four years through at least the 2013 football season. The SWAC last played a nine-game Conference schedule for three seasons from 2005-07. Since the SWAC expanded to 10 teams with full membership prior to the 1999 season, the seven-game format was used from 2000-2004, and from 2008 and the upcoming 2009 season.
Other key sport changes include:
The three-team football tie-breaker criteria has been amended. In 2009, the seventh tie-breaker criteria will be best point differential among the tied teams. (see attachment for full football tie-breaker.)
Conference baseball games will be played in three 9-inning games, consisting of two 9-inning games on Day 1 of the series, and one 9-inning game on Day 2. A 10-run rule will be in effect after seven innings.
The 2011 SWAC Basketball Tournament will now be played one week earlier on the first weekend of March. The Conference basketball season will start on the third weekend in December, 2010 with two games played. The schedule will resume on the first weekend of January, 2011.
I am really disappointed by this move. I really am. It feels like a blow to the gut! There is no need for the SCG now.
The Presidents voted on this right? Maybe they finaly realize that their schools are afraid to go out and get big time schools to run up the score in exchange for cash. This should not be a blow to the gut…it is football no lives are being taken or given. Have you ever played sports? If you have you would know that sometimes you have to try things and if i doesn’t work you have to go back to what does.
CK
I think this is a move in the wrong direction for the conference. Since we are implementing this mandate, I think we need to disband the SCG because now it serves no real purpose.
With a 9 game mandated schedule, the conference champion will be determined on the field, what is the point in having a rematch to determine a conference champion?
We can’t move ahead because we continue to get in our own way.
it is ashame that the swac cant decide what they want in reguards to the 7 game schedule. It is embarrasing to the conference. Why don’t they use the SEC format, they never have problems.
I don’t have a problem with all the games counting. It keeps certain teams from having an unfair advantage due to an easier conference schedule. what I’d like to see is the top two teams meet in the championship. Sometimes, the two best teams come from the same division of the conference. No matter if it’s Southern vs. Grambling, Alcorn vs. J-State, the Alabama Schools, etc. I think that would make the championship game more interesting.