The 2023 season has numerous big storylines that could significantly impact the landscape of HBCU football.
Changes from the offseason brought about questions that need answers not just on the field but also on the sidelines.
Also, there could be historical implications for a team in the SWAC while a MEAC team looks to cement its legacy among the greatest HBCU football teams ever.
Here are the five biggest storylines for the 2023 HBCU football season.
North Carolina Central defends the crown
Coming off a season in which they were HBCU national champions, the North Carolina Central Eagles are in pursuit of history in their quest for back-to-back championships.
North Carolina Central finished the 2022 regular season with a 9-2 record claiming their first MEAC championship since 2016.
Entering the Celebration Bowl, the Eagles were heavy underdogs facing off against the then-undefeated two-time reigning SWAC champion Jackson State Tigers.
Ultimately, NC Central came out of the highly competitive contest, defeating the Tigers 41-34 in overtime.
MEAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Davius Richard led the way for the Eagles, finishing with 175 passing yards completing 75% of his passes, and a touchdown. He also added 97 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns.
North Carolina Central is expected to be the favorite to win a second straight national championship, with much of the team’s championship core returning for the 2023 season.
The next Jackson State QB post-Shedeur Sanders
The two-time reigning SWAC champion Jackson State Tigers are entering the 2023 season with an entirely different roster in their quest for a three-peat.
Only one of Jackson State’s 12 All-SWAC selections is returning this year (D.J. Stevens), with the most critical loss coming at the quarterback position.
Shedeur Sanders transferred from Jackson State to Colorado after back-to-back seasons as the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.
The Tigers have several quarterbacks transferring in, including two from Power Five programs, but no starter has been named.
Even when the Tigers name a starter for their season opener in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, the Tigers could play more than one quarterback in the game to gauge who is the team’s best fit to be the starter.
This storyline could develop for much of the 2023 season as the team looks to remain in the SWAC’s upper echelon.
First-year HBCU head coaches
Speaking of Jackson State, they will be one of many teams turning over a new leaf under the direction of first-year head coaches.
Tigers head coach T.C. Taylor arguably has the most challenging task of any coach entering their first season, taking over for a Jackson State team with a 23-3 overall record in their last two seasons.
He is one of four coaches making their debut in the SWAC, along with Alonzo Hampton (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Raymond Woodie (Bethune-Cookman), and Kendrick Wade (Mississippi Valley State).
Meanwhile, in the SIAC, 2021 conference champion Albany State will look to return to the top of the mountain under new head coach Quinn Gray.
Gray joins the Golden Rams replacing Gabe Giardina, who accepted a position at Charleston Southern. Giardina led Albany State to three SIAC conference championship games in his five-year tenure with the team.
North Carolina A&T, which is entering its first season in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), will not only be joining a new conference but will be doing so with new head coach Vincent Brown.
Brown joins the Aggies coming off a season in which they fell one game short of winning the Big South title, with their season-finale loss against Gardner-Webb denying them the achievement.
Race to SWAC West title
One of the most exciting stories from the 2022 season came in the final full week, with the SWAC West division title winner still needing to be decided.
Prairie View A&M entered the day simply needing a win over Mississippi Valley State to lock up the division. This was not to be, as the Panthers lost 27-7.
This now opened the door for Texas Southern to claim the division, and it seemed like they were primed to do so, leading 20-3 over Alabama A&M in the fourth quarter.
That is until the Bulldogs scored 21 straight points to defeat the Tigers 24-20, eliminating TSU from contention.
Entering the day with longshot odds, Alcorn State now had new life needing a win over Jackson State and a Southern loss to claim the SWAC West. However, that was not to be, as the Braves lost 24-13.
In the end, Southern clinched a spot in the SWAC championship game, defeating Grambling State 34-17 in the Bayou Classic the following week.
The 2023 season could see similar mayhem as there is no overwhelming favorite to win the division this year.
Don’t be surprised to see the winner of the SWAC West once again determined in the season’s final week.
Florida A&M is chasing history
As the Florida A&M Rattlers prepare for their third season in the SWAC, they could be on the cusp of a significant accomplishment.
Florida A&M has a combined record of 18-5 in two seasons with the SWAC, including a 14-2 record against conference opponents.
Now that Jackson State, the only team in the SWAC that has beaten Florida A&M, has an entirely different roster with many of its all-conference players transferred out, the Rattlers could be considered the favorite to win the SWAC.
If that were to happen, Florida A&M would be the first team to win a SWAC and MEAC conference championship, respectively.
In addition, this would also make the Rattlers the first team to win a conference title in three of the four major HBCU conferences (previously won 29 SIAC conference championships).
Although FAMU could be considered the favorite to win the SWAC this season, they must first get over the hump and snap its losing streak against the only team they have not beaten in the conference, Jackson State.
