The SWAC announced Monday its ESPN Network lineup of football games for the upcoming 2012 season.
In all, five SWAC football contests will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks. There is still a possibility that some Saturday games during the season will be carried on the ESPN family on a tape-delay broadcast.
Kicking off the season is the Labor Day weekend tradition of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, which is presented by ESPN and Disney at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl Stadium on Sunday, September 2. The game is set for an 11:00 a.m. (CT) start on ESPN between Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman.
This will be the second time Alabama State has participated in the Challenge, now in its 8th year.
Two regular season Thursday night games highlight the SWAC regular season. Southern will play host to Mississippi Valley State on September 13 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The game is the conference and home opener for the Jaguars.
A week later on September 20, Arkansas-Pine Bluff travels to Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. to face Alabama State for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU.
The final regular season game on the ESPN family is the traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup between Alabama State and Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic. This year’s event is special because it features the grand opening of ASU Stadium for a 3:00 p.m. start on ESPNU.
And finally, the 14th annual SWAC Championship Game will be carried live on ESPNU on Saturday, December 8 from Birmingham’s Legion Field.
