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How Do you Feel About This Plan?
Jul 23, 2003
The "New" SWAC: A glance into the future?
By J. Kenyatta Cavil - 3C-HBCUSports.com
With all the talk about ACC expansion by Big East Conference (Miami & Virginia Tech) and how it will affect the college landscape, some suggest that National College Athletic Association (NCAA) member colleges and conferences from the Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Mountain West and the WAC will be impacted.
Where will it stop? The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) or Florida A & M University? Well, many Historically Black College or University?s fans are interested in following what happens next in Black College Sports. Can you view a series of events that would cause some HBCU programs to seriously consider moving from NCAA Division I-AA to NCAA Division I-A?
Old Rivalries Lost
Florida A & M University?s administration has announced their intentions to move the football program from I-AA to I-A status. Because of their football rivalry with Tennessee State University, it could easily be viewed that they would evaluate and consider the same move.
Because of the history between Florida A & M and Tennessee State?s football programs and the support of their fans, neither can be excited about the potential loss of the revenue from the ending of the Atlanta Football Classic.
During the 2001 SWAC Winter meetings, Tennessee State?s administration actively recruited several SWAC and MEAC programs to consider moving their football programs to the I-A level with the intentions of creating a HBCU Super Conference.
If Tennessee State joins Florida A & M at the Division I-A level, then I believe this would start the mass exodus of HBCU programs, mainly from the SWAC, from I-AA level to the I-A level.
The Trickle Down Effect
Similar to the rivalry between Florida A & M and Tennessee State, many would view the rivalry between Jackson State University and Tennessee State just as strong.
With this in mind, Jackson State would be next in line to seriously consider the move from I-AA to I-A. Maintaining the revenue from the Southern Heritage Classic would be an impetus for this move.
Arguably, there isn?t any greater state-to-state border rivalry than the one between Jackson State and Southern University. If Southern has not made the move before Jackson State, then surely they would make it once Jackson State moves their football program from I-AA to I-A.
Cause and Effect
Once these four HBCU programs move from I-AA to I-A status, some imagination may be needed to follow the remaining dominoes. The future conference affiliation and timetable in which the above programs decide to move, as well as speculation that the entire SWAC may consider moving the entire conference to I-A in five year strategic plan will affect the following analysis. The proposed SWAC plan has been written about in other editorials.
The SWAC Commissioner could view all this movement from I-AA to I-A as the erosion of the SWAC. The SWAC Commissioner should politic the university presidents for the ?new? SWAC.
The Plan
The ?new? SWAC plan could be similar to the new alignment proposed by the Big East Conference, using a 3 to 5 year strategic plan that would layout the details of a move for the entire conference.
One could imagine that the four HBCU programs (Florida A & M, Tennessee State, Jackson State and Southern) could form a HBCU Division I-A conference. The could complete it by picking up current SWAC members Alabama A & M University, Alabama State University, Grambling State University and MEAC members South Carolina State University or North Carolina A & T State University.
The eight-member conference would meet the NCAA minimum requirements for a sanctioned I-A conference. An alliance between the eight-member I-A sanctioned programs, the five remaining I-AA members of the SWAC (Alcorn State University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley State University, Prairie View A & M University and Texas Southern University and three additional I-AA programs would create a 16-member 2-tier HBCU super-conference, the ?new? SWAC.
That would give the ?new? SWAC eight schools participating at the I-A level and eight participating at the I-AA level.
Other possible members for the I-AA division of the conference are National Athletic Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) member Langston University, Savannah State University (I-AA Independent), or Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Division II member, Albany State University.
In this alignment, the conference would only require one or at most two schools seeking either NCAA reclassification or membership in a new conference. Schools such as Clark-Atlanta University (SIAC), Tuskegee University (SIAC) or Bethune-Cookman College (MEAC) could be considered to form the remainder of the I-AA sanctioned group.
The Format
Football
The ?new? SWAC format would consist of an eight-member:
NCAA Division I-A Coalition: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Florida A & M, Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern, Tennessee State and South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State.
And a separate eight-member:
NCAA Division I-AA Coalition: Alcorn State, Langston, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern, Savannah State, Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and one of the following institutions: Albany State University, Clark-Atlanta University, Tuskegee University, South Carolina State or Bethune-Cookman College.
Each 8-member coalition would have its own operating supervisor, while the SWAC Commissioner oversees the entire 16-member alliance.
The 16-member alliance in the ?new? SWAC would have crossover games in basketball. But, the eight-member I-A coalition would have a different revenue-sharing plan than the eight-member I-AA coalition, allowing both groups to keep its generated share of the money.
The I-A football membership would play a seven-game conference schedule while the I-AA football membership would be separated into two divisions:
Division I-A
Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Florida A & M, Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern, Tennessee State and South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State
Division I-AA
WESTERN DIVISION: Langston, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern, and Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
EASTERN DIVISION: Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State and one of the following: Albany State, Clark-Atlanta, Tuskegee, South Carolina State or Bethune-Cookman.
Basketball
Each division would be required to play their three inter-divisional opponents and two intra-divisional opponents rotating ever two years to save on traveling expenditures. In basketball the conference would set-up into two divisions:
WESTERN DIVISION: Grambling State, Jackson State, Langston, Prairie View A & M, Southern, Tennessee State, Texas Southern, Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
EASTERN DIVISION: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Florida A & M, Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State, South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State and one of the following: Albany State, Tuskegee, Clark-Atlanta or Bethune-Cookman.
Two intra-divisional games will be designated between two basketball divisions to keep rivalries going along with a full-blown well-marketed preseason tournament.
The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth place teams in each division would earn a spot in the conference basketball tournament. The first and second place teams would earn a first round bye in the tournament.
All Other Sanctioned Sports
The Olympic sports of the alliance would be separated into four divisions:
DIVISION A: Langston, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern and Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
DIVISION B: Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern and Tennessee State.
DIVISION C: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State.
DIVISION D: Florida A & M, Savannah State, South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State, and one of the following: Albany State, Tuskegee, Clark-Atlanta or Bethune-Cookman.
Each division would play a three game set, home and away with each inter-divisional opponent and a three game set with two designated intra-divisional opponents. The first place and second place teams in each division would earn a spot in the conference tourna
Jul 23, 2003
The "New" SWAC: A glance into the future?
By J. Kenyatta Cavil - 3C-HBCUSports.com
With all the talk about ACC expansion by Big East Conference (Miami & Virginia Tech) and how it will affect the college landscape, some suggest that National College Athletic Association (NCAA) member colleges and conferences from the Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Mountain West and the WAC will be impacted.
Where will it stop? The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) or Florida A & M University? Well, many Historically Black College or University?s fans are interested in following what happens next in Black College Sports. Can you view a series of events that would cause some HBCU programs to seriously consider moving from NCAA Division I-AA to NCAA Division I-A?
Old Rivalries Lost
Florida A & M University?s administration has announced their intentions to move the football program from I-AA to I-A status. Because of their football rivalry with Tennessee State University, it could easily be viewed that they would evaluate and consider the same move.
Because of the history between Florida A & M and Tennessee State?s football programs and the support of their fans, neither can be excited about the potential loss of the revenue from the ending of the Atlanta Football Classic.
During the 2001 SWAC Winter meetings, Tennessee State?s administration actively recruited several SWAC and MEAC programs to consider moving their football programs to the I-A level with the intentions of creating a HBCU Super Conference.
If Tennessee State joins Florida A & M at the Division I-A level, then I believe this would start the mass exodus of HBCU programs, mainly from the SWAC, from I-AA level to the I-A level.
The Trickle Down Effect
Similar to the rivalry between Florida A & M and Tennessee State, many would view the rivalry between Jackson State University and Tennessee State just as strong.
With this in mind, Jackson State would be next in line to seriously consider the move from I-AA to I-A. Maintaining the revenue from the Southern Heritage Classic would be an impetus for this move.
Arguably, there isn?t any greater state-to-state border rivalry than the one between Jackson State and Southern University. If Southern has not made the move before Jackson State, then surely they would make it once Jackson State moves their football program from I-AA to I-A.
Cause and Effect
Once these four HBCU programs move from I-AA to I-A status, some imagination may be needed to follow the remaining dominoes. The future conference affiliation and timetable in which the above programs decide to move, as well as speculation that the entire SWAC may consider moving the entire conference to I-A in five year strategic plan will affect the following analysis. The proposed SWAC plan has been written about in other editorials.
The SWAC Commissioner could view all this movement from I-AA to I-A as the erosion of the SWAC. The SWAC Commissioner should politic the university presidents for the ?new? SWAC.
The Plan
The ?new? SWAC plan could be similar to the new alignment proposed by the Big East Conference, using a 3 to 5 year strategic plan that would layout the details of a move for the entire conference.
One could imagine that the four HBCU programs (Florida A & M, Tennessee State, Jackson State and Southern) could form a HBCU Division I-A conference. The could complete it by picking up current SWAC members Alabama A & M University, Alabama State University, Grambling State University and MEAC members South Carolina State University or North Carolina A & T State University.
The eight-member conference would meet the NCAA minimum requirements for a sanctioned I-A conference. An alliance between the eight-member I-A sanctioned programs, the five remaining I-AA members of the SWAC (Alcorn State University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley State University, Prairie View A & M University and Texas Southern University and three additional I-AA programs would create a 16-member 2-tier HBCU super-conference, the ?new? SWAC.
That would give the ?new? SWAC eight schools participating at the I-A level and eight participating at the I-AA level.
Other possible members for the I-AA division of the conference are National Athletic Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) member Langston University, Savannah State University (I-AA Independent), or Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Division II member, Albany State University.
In this alignment, the conference would only require one or at most two schools seeking either NCAA reclassification or membership in a new conference. Schools such as Clark-Atlanta University (SIAC), Tuskegee University (SIAC) or Bethune-Cookman College (MEAC) could be considered to form the remainder of the I-AA sanctioned group.
The Format
Football
The ?new? SWAC format would consist of an eight-member:
NCAA Division I-A Coalition: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Florida A & M, Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern, Tennessee State and South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State.
And a separate eight-member:
NCAA Division I-AA Coalition: Alcorn State, Langston, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern, Savannah State, Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and one of the following institutions: Albany State University, Clark-Atlanta University, Tuskegee University, South Carolina State or Bethune-Cookman College.
Each 8-member coalition would have its own operating supervisor, while the SWAC Commissioner oversees the entire 16-member alliance.
The 16-member alliance in the ?new? SWAC would have crossover games in basketball. But, the eight-member I-A coalition would have a different revenue-sharing plan than the eight-member I-AA coalition, allowing both groups to keep its generated share of the money.
The I-A football membership would play a seven-game conference schedule while the I-AA football membership would be separated into two divisions:
Division I-A
Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Florida A & M, Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern, Tennessee State and South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State
Division I-AA
WESTERN DIVISION: Langston, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern, and Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
EASTERN DIVISION: Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State and one of the following: Albany State, Clark-Atlanta, Tuskegee, South Carolina State or Bethune-Cookman.
Basketball
Each division would be required to play their three inter-divisional opponents and two intra-divisional opponents rotating ever two years to save on traveling expenditures. In basketball the conference would set-up into two divisions:
WESTERN DIVISION: Grambling State, Jackson State, Langston, Prairie View A & M, Southern, Tennessee State, Texas Southern, Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
EASTERN DIVISION: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Florida A & M, Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State, South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State and one of the following: Albany State, Tuskegee, Clark-Atlanta or Bethune-Cookman.
Two intra-divisional games will be designated between two basketball divisions to keep rivalries going along with a full-blown well-marketed preseason tournament.
The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth place teams in each division would earn a spot in the conference basketball tournament. The first and second place teams would earn a first round bye in the tournament.
All Other Sanctioned Sports
The Olympic sports of the alliance would be separated into four divisions:
DIVISION A: Langston, Prairie View A & M, Texas Southern and Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
DIVISION B: Grambling State, Jackson State, Southern and Tennessee State.
DIVISION C: Alabama A & M, Alabama State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State.
DIVISION D: Florida A & M, Savannah State, South Carolina State or North Carolina A & T State, and one of the following: Albany State, Tuskegee, Clark-Atlanta or Bethune-Cookman.
Each division would play a three game set, home and away with each inter-divisional opponent and a three game set with two designated intra-divisional opponents. The first place and second place teams in each division would earn a spot in the conference tourna
