The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its 2021 football schedule highlighted by a record number of games slated to be available on ESPN’s linear and digital platforms.
Alcorn State will kickoff league coverage during Week Zero on Saturday, August 28 when the Braves travel to Atlanta to face North Carolina Central in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff live on ESPN.
The 2021 slate of ESPN games are also highlighted by several highly anticipated league classics as the Labor Day Classic featuring Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern, the Magic City Classic featuring Alabama A&M versus Alabama State, and the Florida Classic featuring Bethune-Cookman versus Florida A&M will all take center stage this upcoming season.
The 2021 Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Championship Game is slated to be shown live on ESPNU on Saturday, December 4.
The listing of upcoming SWAC football ESPN games that have been announced can be found below. Additional games are scheduled to be announced at a later date.
| Date | Game | Watch |
| Aug. 28 | Alcorn State vs. North Carolina Central | ESPN |
| Sept. 4 | Southern at Troy | ESPN3 |
| Sept. 4 | Bethune-Cookman at UTEP | ESPN3 |
| Sept. 4 | Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern | ESPN Networks |
| Sept. 5 | Jackson State vs. Florida A&M | ESPN2 |
| Sept. 11 | Bethune-Cookman at UCF | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 11 | Grambling State at Southern Mississippi | ESPN3 |
| Sept. 11 | Alabama State at Auburn | SECN |
| Sept. 11 | Texas Southern at Baylor | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ |
| Sept. 11 | Tennessee State vs. Jackson State | * ESPN Networks |
| Sept. 16 | Alabama A&M at Bethune-Cookman | ESPNU |
| Sept. 18 | Grambling State at Houston | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 18 | Florida A&M at South Florida | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 18 | Jackson State at Louisiana–Monroe | ESPN3 |
| Sept. 18 | Alcorn State at South Alabama | ESPN3 |
| Sept. 23 | Alcorn State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff | ESPNU |
| Sept. 25 | Bethune-Cookman at Alabama State | ESPN Networks |
| Sept. 26 | Southern vs. Mississippi Valley State | ESPN Networks |
| Sept. 30 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M | ESPNU |
| Oct. 2 | Alabama A&M at Grambling State | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 9 | Jackson State at Alabama A&M | ESPN Networks |
| Oct .9 | Grambling State at Alcorn State | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 16 | Florida A&M at Alabama A&M | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 16 | Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 16 | Alabama State at Jackson State | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 23 | Bethune-Cookman at Jackson State | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 23 | Prairie View A&M at Southern | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 30 | Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State | * ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 30 | Grambling State at Florida A&M | ESPN Networks |
| Oct. 30 | Alcorn State at Southern | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 6 | Florida A&M at Southern | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 6 | Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 13 | Jackson State at Southern | * ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 13 | Alabama A&M at Texas Southern | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 20 | Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 20 | Alcorn State at Jackson State | ESPN Networks |
| Nov. 27 | Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View A&M | ESPN Networks |
| Dec. 4 | SWAC Football Championship | ESPNU |
| Dec. 18 | Celebration Bowl | ABC |
