RFC Summer Semester: Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Preview (FCS)

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2012 Final Standings

Looking back: Arkansas-Pine Bluff won the 2012 SWAC championship in dramatic fashion, as the Golden Lions outlasted Jackson State, 24-21, in the title game, in overtime.  Ironcially, the lone conference loss for UAPB came in their second game of the season, as Alabama A&M knocked off the Lions, 14-10, on September 8.  The Bulldogs, believe it or not, started the season 5-0 before losing four of their final six games to finish 7-4.

Looking ahead: Just like in previous years, a poor Academic Progress Rate (APR) has hit schools in HBCU conferences like the SWAC hard.  And this year was no exception, as both Alabama State and Mississippi Valley State were banned from postseason play in 2013.  That means the race for this year's SWAC title will once again be tainted by the APR sanctions.

Predicted order of finish (2012 overall record in parentheses)

East Division

1. Jackson State (7-5): With Alabama State banned from the SWAC Championship Game due to a poor APR, expect the Tigers to be the favorite in a watered-down East Division race this year.

2. Alabama A&M (7-4):  The Bulldogs face only one non-HBCU opponent in 2013: the season finale at Georgia Tech on November 23.

3. Alcorn State (4-7):  Braves look to turn their fortunes around under new head coach Jay Hopson.

Not eligible for SWAC title

Alabama State (7-4):  With no berth in the SWAC title game to play for, or an annual Thanksgiving game against Tuskegee, for that matter, the Hornets go into 2013 playing for nothing more than school pride.

Mississippi Valley State (5-6):  The Delta Devils are in the same boat as the Hornets.

West Division

1. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (10-2):  The Golden Lions go into the 2013 season with a big target on their backs, as they look to not only to defend the SWAC title they won in 2012, but also try to defend their mythical HBCU national championship as well.

2. Southern (4-7):  A dramatic season-ending, 38-33 win over archrival Grambling State in the Bayou Classic was probably the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 2012 season for the Jaguars.  As the 2013 season approaches, they'll try to turn things around, and break the stranglehold UAPB currently has on the SWAC.

3. Prairie View A&M (3-8):  The Panthers bring back 67 letterwinners, including 14 starters (nine offense, five defense), from a team that suffered more than its share of injuries in 2012.

4. Texas Southern (2-9):  The Tigers lost all of their games by 10 or more points in 2012.  That's a stat that must change if they hope to be serious contenders in 2013.

5. Grambling State (1-10):  The once-mighty Tigers program faces a long, tough road ahead after a dismal 2012 season.

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