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.