The days of SWAC football teams scheduling Virginia University of Lynchburg are coming to an end.
The conference is moving to eliminate football games against non-Division I and non-Division II opponents beginning with the 2027 season, a decision Commissioner Charles McClelland says is designed to increase competitiveness across the league.
McClelland said the conference’s membership voted in favor of the measure as part of a broader effort to strengthen scheduling and improve the overall product on the field.
“We’re going to eliminate playing non-Division I and non-Division II games in football starting in the 2027 football season,” McClelland said during an appearance on SWAC TV at the SWAC golf championships. “So no longer are we going to play games that don’t count.”
The decision reflects a unified stance among SWAC athletic directors, who McClelland credited for recognizing the long-term benefits of more competitive matchups.
SWAC wants more competitive non-conference games
By limiting schedules to Division I and II opponents, the conference expects to enhance both team performance and fan engagement.
“The membership came together and decided that was going to be the best thing in order for us to grow and move forward,” McClelland said. “As we have more competitive games, it’s going to shift schools’ thought process.”
The move will also remove what McClelland described as structurally misaligned contests, ensuring that every game carries greater weight within the season.
During the 2026 season, three SWAC schools have scheduled a non-NCAA opponent.
Southern will play Lincoln Christian University, Bethune-Cookman will host VUL and Alcorn State will play a home game versus NAIA Baptist College.
“It’s going to allow our teams to have more competitive games,” he said. “It’s going to allow our fans to have more competitive games to go watch and support.”
McClelland emphasized that the decision is part of a larger set of strategic adjustments being made by the conference in real time, positioning the SWAC for future growth amid an evolving college athletics landscape.
“All of these things are changing in real time,” he said. “We’re in the room making these strategic decisions, and we’re able to make them because we know what’s coming around the road.”
