The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the postponement of Fall sports

The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests along with SWAC championships due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The fall sports impacted include men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. The conference has started the process of formalizing plans to conduct a competitive schedule for the fall sports during the 2021 spring semester.

Specifically, in the sport of football the plan includes a seven-game conference schedule beginning with an eight-week training period in January 2021. Each member institution will play a total of six conference games (four divisional/two non-divisional) with the option to play one non-conference game. 

Additional details regarding scheduling for women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country along with the Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Championship game will be released at a later date.

Fall sports teams and student-athletes will have the opportunity to attend classes and practices in preparation for a spring 2021 competitive schedule upon return to campus. Student-athletes will have the ability to participate in conditioning, strength training and practices in all sports provided all required local, state, and federal health and safety guidelines are met. There have been no final decisions made regarding competitive schedules for the league’s winter sports at this time.     

The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors felt this action was necessary out of growing concern for the health, safety and well-being both mentally and physically of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, team staff, campus faculty, fans and supporters.

The continued increase of COVID-19 cases across many portions of the league’s geographic footprint and Southern regions of the country played a significant role in the council’s decision, along with data that suggests African-American communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The SWAC shares in the disappointment that will undoubtedly be felt by student-athletes, fans, and supporters impacted by the postponement of fall sports competition. The league will continue to review appropriate measures to ensure the health, safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and the local community which continues to be the primary responsibility of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its member institutions.
 
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
 
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 

North Carolina A&T to leave MEAC

HBCU football powerhouse North Carolina A&T announced Friday it will move to the Big South Conference in 2021, a major blow to the shrinking Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Greensboro university, which announced the move during an on-campus news conference, will join the Big South on July 1, 2021 as the conference's 12th full-time member. It will have the largest enrollment in the conference and return football to eight teams (Presbyterian is departing this year), including three associate members.

N.C. A&T teams will be immediately eligible for Big South titles upon entry to the conference.

"We have been looking carefully at our opportunities in athletics for five years and more intensively over the past year," North Carolina A&T chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. said in a statement. "We're pleased to have brought that process to fruition and excited to be ushering in a new alliance with the Big South. This move makes great sense for our student-athletes, for our fans and for our bottom line. We will always have a place in our hearts for the MEAC, and we look forward to what the new conference will make possible for the Aggies."

The most significant ramifications are in football. N.C. A&T has developed into the leading power among HBCU football programs (historically black colleges and universities). It has won at least a share of three straight and five of the past six MEAC titles and four of the first five Celebration Bowls, which match the MEAC and Southwestern Athletic Conference champs, and generally decide the Division I black college football national title. The Aggies have gone 72-21 over eight straight winning seasons, including a 12-0 record in 2017.

[SOURCE: ESPN]

North Carolina A&T wins Celebration Bowl and are 3X HBCU National Champs!

An HBCU dynasty is born!

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion North Carolina A&T (10-2) defeated SWAC champion Alcorn State (9-4) 24-22 in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to become the 2018 HBCU National Champs. This is the Aggie's third national championship in four years.

The Aggies were led by senior Quarterback Lamar Raynard passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Malik Wilson did his part on special teams by returning a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown to help seal the game for Carolina A&T.

Rayard will finish his football career with a record of 35-2 as a starter.

This year's senior class will leave with three national championship rings and three SWAC championships rings.

This was first-year Head coach Sam Washington's first national title after taking over for Rod Broadway who retired in January after seven successful years which included two national titles

Congrats to the Noth Carolina A&T Aggies, three-time National Champs!

Alcorn State and North Carolina A&T to meet in Celebration Bowl to decide HBCU Champion!

The Alcorn State Braves (9-3) defeated the Southern Jaguars on the SWAC Championship Game to advance to the Celebration Bowl to face MEAC champion North Carolina A&T (9-2) for the HBCU national championship. The game will take place Saturday, Dec. 15, at noon ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and aired live on ABC.

Entering its fourth year, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl has established itself as a premier bowl game and celebrates the heritage, legacy, pageantry, and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It is a championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC champions. ESPN Events collaborates with 100 Black Men of Atlanta to organize the game’s ancillary events which include a youth symposium, robotics showcase, gospel night, fan experience and more. The MEAC leads the overall Celebration Bowl series 2-1 after three years. North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in the inaugural game in 2015. In 2016, Grambling State defeated North Carolina Central 10-9. As in previous years, last year’s Celebration Bowl was a tight battle with North Carolina A&T beating Grambling State 21-14.

Fans can purchase tickets to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl online at thecelebrationbowl.com or ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Prices range from $15 to $155 including taxes and fees. A full list of events surrounding the game are available on the event’s website.

The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the 2017 HBCU Football Champs!

The North Carolina A&T Aggies (12-0) are once again HBCU football champions after defeating the Grambling University Tigers (11-2) by a score of 21-14 at the third annual Celebration Bowl.

The Aggies were lead by QB Lamar Raynard, who completed 23 of 43 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown and had 17 yards on eight carries.

"It's a great feeling to make history," the junior quarterback said.

Running back Marquell Cartwright aided the team's effort by rushing for 110 yards on 20 carries.

Franklin McCain III made the defensive play of the day for the Aggies. The freshman cornerback ended a Grambling drive following the second-half kickoff with an interception at the goal line.

"It's awesome," said McCain. "Not many programs can say that they went 12-0 and won a national championship. It's unbelievable."

"It's an awesome feeling to be 12-0 right now," N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway said. "I'm just extremely proud of our players, and I'm happy for our school."

The Celebration Bowl has the winner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) face the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC ) champion to decide who is the best in HBCU football.

This is North Carolina A&T's fourth championship. They also won pre-Celebration Bowl championships in 1990 and 1999 before winning the inaugural Celebration Bowl in 2015.

Howard University records the biggest upset in College Football history

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

Some guest just don't follow the rules. UNLV (University Nevada Las Vegas) paid HBCU Howard University $600,000 to show up and get beat up in Las Vegas, but the Howard Bison (1-0) had other historical ideas.

Led by the little brother of Cam Newton, Caylin Newton and Coach Mike London the Howard Bison defeated the UNLV Running Rebels 43-40 recording the biggest upset in college football history based on the betting line. Newton threw for 140 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns to lead his team to victory.

UNLV was favored by 45 1/2 point over Howard and no team that was a 45 plus point Underdog had ever won. To put into perspective how much of an underdog Howard was a $100 bet would have won the person betting $55,000.

“It’s a very humbling experience to be a part of something that you can talk about forever,” London said, between responding to “a gazillion text messages” and breaking down the win with his mother.

“My players, the guys, I’m telling you, they are sky high right now regarding confidence, in terms of belonging,” London went on. “We talked about how this was a business trip. This wasn’t the old typical I-AA, it’s your money game, and we’re going to be cannon fodder for this team. We came here to win the game, and that’s what happened.”

This marks the first time that Howard has beaten a team in College Football's top division the FBS.

Grambling wins Celebration Bowl and HBCU national championship

In a low-scoring affair, Grambling State came out on top with a 10-9 win over North Carolina Central in the 2016 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.

A sluggish first half by Grambling State gave way to a much better performance in the second half by the Tigers. The Tigers were led by Martez Carter, who got the second half started with a 32-yard touchdown run that capped off an eight-play, 70-yard drive to take a 7-3 lead.

“It is a great win for our program. It was one of those situations where we had to battle right down and play great defense and run the football." Head Coach Broderick Fobbs said. "That is what makes our football team a very dominant team. We are able to win in many different ways.”

The Tigers’ Arkez Cooper would force a fumble on N.C. Central’s next possession with a strip-sack, and the Tigers took over at N.C. Central’s 25 yard line. The Tigers would get three points off of the turnover, with a 26 yard field goal from Jonathan Wallace to give the Tigers a 10-3 lead.

N.C. Central thought that it had the game tied up late in the fourth quarter after a 39 yard touchdown pass from Malcolm Bell to Quentin Atkinson. However, a blocked extra point by Joesph McWilliams kept the Tigers’ lead, making it 10-9. That play turned out to be the deciding factor. Grambling would not let NC Central have another possession, holding on for the victory.

Grambling State’s Martez Carter was named the game’s offensive MVP, totaling 109 yards rushing on 12 carries and one touchdown. Carter also added 69 yards on returns and 23 receiving yards for 201 all-purpose yards.

“Today, we ran the football effectively, and were able to establish some drives and put what we needed to do in the end zone” Fobbs added. “ My hat goes off to North Carolina Central, they have a great program. It was definitely an even matched ball game, as you can tell by the score.”

Jameel Jackson was named Defensive MVP. Jackson recorded five solo tackles and an interception in the win.

[SOURCE]

Bayou Classic 2016: Grambling beats Southern 52-30

Grambling left no room for doubt about who was the best team on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome turf for Saturday's 43rd Bayou Classic.

Grambling gashed Southern and its previously stingy defense for 571 yards. It forced a pair of critical early turnovers against a Jaguars unit that had taken great care of the ball all season and kept an explosive Southern offense largely at bay.

Most importantly, Grambling snapped Southern’s eight-game winning streak and extended its own to nine, punching its ticket to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game and ending Southern’s season with a 52-30 win.

Read more: Grambling surges past Southern in the second half to win Bayou Classic 52-30

Speaking of football rivalries, don't forget Grambling vs Southern (Bayou Classic)

Sure, Michigan vs Ohio State is a great rivalry right up there with Alabama vs Auburn , and Army vs Navy, but let's not forget about today's matchup of Grambling University (8-1) vs Southern University(8-2) in the Bayou Classic.

The two HBCU teams head into the 43rd edition of the Bayou Classic with a lot on the line. Both teams are undefeated in the Western Division so the winner of the game will head to the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) championship game to face Eastern Division champ, Alcorn State. The winner of that game heads to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to play MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Champion North Carolina Central see who is the best HBCU football team in the country.

How to watch, stream and listen:

TV: 5 p.m. ET, NBCSN

Radio: Grambling State | Southern

Online streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra

North Carolina A&T wins inaugural Celebration Bowl

North Carolina A&T came out on top of Alcorn State in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. In the battle of HBCUs between the SWAC and the MEAC champs, MEAC champ North Carolina A&T outlasted Alcorn State 41-34.

The Aggies were led by running back Tarik Cohen who rushed for for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

The Aggies finished the season 10-2 and are now HBCU national championship. Congrats to the North Carolina A&T Aggies!