| SWAC Championship Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sport | College football |
| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| Current stadium | Misssissippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (2024) |
| Current location | Jackson, Misssissippi (2024) |
| Played | 1999–present |
| Last contest | December 7, 2024 |
| Current champion | Jackson State |
| Most championships | Grambling State (8) |
| TV partner | ESPN[1] |
| Official website | SWAC Football |
| Sponsors | |
| HealthSouth (1999–2002) Jeep (2003) Dodge (2004) Farmers Insurance (2009–2012) Toyota (2013–2018) Cricket Wireless (2019–present) | |
| Host stadiums | |
| Legion Field (1999–2012) NRG Stadium (2013–2017) Jack Spinks Stadium (2018–2019) Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (2021–2022) Bragg Memorial Stadium (2023) | |
| Host locations | |
| Birmingham, Alabama (1999–2012) Houston, Texas (2013–2017) Lorman, Mississippi (2018–2019) Jackson, Mississippi (2021–2022) Tallahassee, Florida (2023) | |
| 2023 season matchup | |
|---|---|
| Prairie View vs.Florida A&M | |
| (Florida A&M 35-14) | |
| 2024 season matchup | |
| Jackson State vs.Southern |
TheSWAC Championship Game, officially theCricket Wireless SWAC Championship Game, is an Americancollege football game that is held annually on the first Saturday in December by theSouthwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Eastern Division against the champion of the Western Division in a game that follows the conclusion of the regular season. From 2015 onward, the winner of the game has represented the SWAC in theCelebration Bowl. Currently, it is the only conference championship game conducted at theFootball Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. As of the 2019 season, the game is sponsored byCricket Wireless.[2]
The game was held atLegion Field inBirmingham, Alabama, from 1999 through 2012, and moved toNRG Stadium inHouston, Texas, for the 2013 through 2017 playings. Since 2018, the game has been played at a campus site, hosted by the participant with the higher ranking, with the exception of the 2021 spring game when the championship moved to its third neutral location at theMississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium inJackson, Mississippi due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Following the 1998 season, the SWAC announced that the league would be split into two divisions with the divisional winners meeting in a championship game.[3][4] At the time of the announcement, a site for the game had not been selected but theLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans, theAstrodome inHouston, theGeorgia Dome inAtlanta,Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium inJackson,Ladd–Peebles Stadium inMobile andLegion Field inBirmingham were each mentioned as potential locations for the event.[3][4] Additionally, expansion of the league to twelve teams was also under consideration withTennessee State,Florida A&M,Tuskegee andMorris Brown mentioned as possible additions.[3][4] In February 1999, a championship game was officially approved by the SWAC Council of Presidents.[5] Officials also stated the winner of the championship game would advance to play in theHeritage Bowl against an opponent from theMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).[5]
The following May, SWAC officials announced the league offices would move from New Orleans to Birmingham and that the championship game would be played at Legion Field.[6][7] Birmingham was selected over New Orleans, Houston,Baton Rouge andMemphis as the city guaranteed both free office space to house the league headquarters and free access to Legion Field to host the game.[6] The inaugural game was played on December 11, with Southern defeating Jackson State 31–30 before 47,621 fans at Legion Field.[8] The following week, Southern lost toHampton in the Heritage Bowl; however, the meeting would be the only one for the SWAC champion following the championship game. In January 2000 the NCAA ruled schools cannot compete in two postseason games, effectively ending participation in the Heritage Bowl by the SWAC champion.[9] With the SWAC left unable to compete, the Heritage Bowl folded in February 2000.[10]
In July 2010, commissioner Duer Sharp announced the SWAC was interested in participating in the Legacy Bowl against the MEAC to determine the annualblack college football national championship.[11] Although a decision regarding the contest was postponed to 2011, SWAC participation in the event would potentially end the annual championship game in Birmingham.[11][12] Ultimately, the SWAC championship game was retained, and in May 2013, SWAC officials announced a move from Legion Field toReliant Stadium inHouston, Texas starting with the December 2013 playing.[13]
In June 2017, the SWAC announced that it would end its football championship game following that season's contest, and would send its regular season champion to the Celebration Bowl from 2018 onward.[14] In June 2018, the league reversed course, announcing that a championship game would be played in Birmingham.[15] In November 2018, the league further advised that the championship game would be played at the “SWAC institution with the highest ranking.”[16] The December 2018 game was held atJack Spinks Stadium inLorman, Mississippi, home field of theAlcorn State Braves; the December 2019 game returned to the same venue.[17] The championship game for the 2020 season, held in the spring of 2021, was moved to a neutral site,Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Subsequent games have been held at campus sites.
When the game was initially proposed, the teams playing in the championship game was to include those with the best record against seven conference opponents from each division.[18] However in August 1999 league officials changed the rule. For the inaugural contest, participation in the championship game was based on the record against the four divisional opponents only, not all conference teams.[18][19] This format was dropped by the SWAC following the 1999 championship game in favor of the original proposal based on all league games, not only the divisional opponents.[20]
Since the SWAC split into divisions and began conducting a conference championship game, the divisions have only ever been realigned once. In 2021, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman joined the SWAC and were placed into the Eastern Division, and Alcorn State was moved to the Western Division to maintain an equal number of teams in both divisions.[21]
Eastern Division | Western Division
|
| Season | Eastern Division | Western Division | Site | Attnd. | MVP | TV | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Jackson State | 30 | Southern | 31 | Legion Field Birmingham, AL | 47,621 | WR Michael Hayes, Southern | BET | [8] |
| 2000 | Alabama A&M | 6 | Grambling State | 14 | 34,687 | DB Calvin Spears, Grambling State | [22] | ||
| 2001 | Alabama State | 31 | Grambling State | 38 | 38,487 | RB Kendrick Shanklin, Grambling State | [23][24] | ||
| 2002 | Alabama A&M | 19 | Grambling State | 31 | 23,727 | QB Bruce Eugene, Grambling State | [25] | ||
| 2003 | Alabama State | 9 | Southern | 20 | 31,617 | QB Quincy Richard, Southern | MBC Network | [26][27] | |
| 2004 | Alabama State | 40 | Southern | 35 | 22,327 | QBTarvaris Jackson, Alabama State | BET | [28][29] | |
| 2005 | Alabama A&M | 6 | Grambling State | 45 | 20,612 | QBBruce Eugene, Grambling State | ESPN Classic | [30][31] | |
| 2006 | Alabama A&M | 22 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | 13 | 30,213 | LBJohnny Baldwin, Alabama A&M | ESPNU | [32][33] | |
| 2007 | Jackson State | 42 | Grambling State | 31 | 43,206 | QB Jimmy Oliver, Jackson State | ESPN Classic | [34] | |
| 2008 | Jackson State | 9 | Grambling State | 41 | 25,873 | QB Greg Dillion, Grambling State | [35] | ||
| 2009 | Alabama A&M | 24 | Prairie View A&M | 30 | 20,218 | QB K. J. Black, Prairie View A&M | [36] | ||
| 2010 | Alabama State | 6 | Texas Southern† | 11 | 22,350 | LB Dejuan Fulghum, Texas Southern | [37][38] | ||
| 2011 | Alabama A&M | 15 | Grambling State | 16 | 23,476 | LB Cliff Exama, Grambling State | ESPNU | [39] | |
| 2012 | Jackson State | 21 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | 24 | 32,480 | WR Willie Young, Arkansas–Pine Bluff | [40] | ||
| 2013 | Jackson State | 27 | Southern | 34 | NRG Stadium Houston, TX | 38,985 | QB Dray Joseph & DB Anthony Balancier, Southern | [41] | |
| 2014 | Alcorn State | 38 | Southern | 24 | 38,969 | QB John Gibbs Jr. & LB William Thomas II, Alcorn State | [42] | ||
| 2015 | Alcorn State | 49 | Grambling State | 21 | 40,352 | RB Darryan Ragsdale & DB Warren Gatewood, Alcorn State | [43] | ||
| 2016 | Alcorn State | 20 | Grambling State | 27 | 24,917 | RB Martez Carter & LB De'Arius Christmas, Grambling State | [44] | ||
| 2017 | Alcorn State | 32 | Grambling State | 40 | 24,610 | QB Devante Kincade & LB De’Andre Hogues, Grambling State | [45][46] | ||
| 2018 | Alcorn State | 37 | Southern | 28 | Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS | 20,652 | QB Noah Johnson & LB Brelion Hollis, Alcorn State | [47][48] | |
| 2019 | Alcorn State | 39 | Southern | 24 | 22,365 | WR LeCharles Pringle & DB Juwan Taylor, Alcorn State | [49] | ||
| 2020‡ | Alabama A&M | 40 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | 33 | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS | 17,248 | QB, Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M | ESPN2 | [50] |
| 2021 | Jackson State | 27 | Prairie View A&M | 10 | 50,128 | RB Peyton Pickett and LB James Houston, Jackson State | [51] | ||
| 2022 | Jackson State | 43 | Southern | 24 | 53,754 | QBShedeur Sanders and LBAubrey Miller Jr., Jackson State | [52] | ||
| 2023 | Florida A&M | 35 | Prairie View A&M | 14 | Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL | 14,628 | RBTerrell Jennings and DB Javan Morgan, Florida A&M | [53] | |
| 2024 | Jackson State | 41 | Southern | 14 | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS | 23,765 | QB Zy McDonald and DB Robert McDaniel, Jackson State | [54] | |
| Total | 12 Wins | 708 | 13 Wins† | 673 | |||||
† Texas Southern vacated its 2010 Championship victory, along with all its 2006 to 2010 wins, to avoid theNCAA imposing an athleticsDeath Penalty.[55]
‡ The 2020 season spanned the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, with the championship game played on May 1, 2021.
Updated for December 2023; 24 editions played, 50 total appearances.
| Appearances | Wins | Losses | School | Pct | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8 | 2 | Grambling State | .800 | 2000,2001,2002,2005, 2007,2008,2011, 2015,2016,2017 |
| 9 | 3 | 6 | Southern | .333 | 1999,2003, 2004,2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | Jackson State | .500 | 1999,2007, 2008, 2012, 2013,2021,2022,2024 |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | Alabama A&M | .286 | 2000, 2002, 2005,2006, 2009, 2011,2020 |
| 6 | 4 | 2 | Alcorn State | .667 | 2014,2015, 2016, 2017,2018,2019 |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | Alabama State | .250 | 2001, 2003,2004, 2010 |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | .333 | 2006,2012, 2020 |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | Prairie View A&M | .333 | 2009,2021,2023 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Florida A&M | 1.000 | 2023 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Texas Southern | — | 2010† |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Bethune–Cookman | — | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Mississippi Valley State | — | |
| 50 | 24† | 25 | Total | — |
Championship years appear inbold type.
† Texas Southernvacated its 2010 championship game victory.[55]
Prior to splitting into divisions and using a postseason championship game to decide its overall champion, the SWAC determined its champions by winning-percentage against conference opponents in regular season play.
In 1933 Langston appeared to win the title outright with a 4-0 conference record after the regular season, while Wiley finished 4-1, and Prairie View A&M finished 3-1. Langston was invited to the Prairie View Bowl, which was won by Prairie View. The Panthers subsequently declared themselves SWAC champions even though their claim was based on a postseason game. The SWAC seems to acknowledge both schools' claims to the title in the conference's football media guide,[56] although some other sources[57] including Michael Hurd'sBlack College Football, 1892–1992: One Hundred Years of History, Education, and Pride (1993) also list Wiley as an additional co-champion, apparently since all three schools had 4-1 records against conference opponents if the postseason game is incorporated into the regular season conference standings.
Prairie View vacated[57] its 1941 championship.[58] No championship was awarded in 1943 due to World War II.[57] Grambling State vacated its 1975 championship[59] due to a violation of SWAC rules for scheduling opponents.[60]