Future of the SWAC - Three-Part Series

[superman7515]

Casem, Gorden to Discuss SWAC Future (http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20110122/SPORTS/110121031)


Amidst dwindling budgets, shrinking attendance, crumbling facilities and talk of school closure and consolidation, the future of the Southwestern Athletic Conference has rarely been more uncertain.

Fans are invited to join some of the SWAC’s best-known figures for an open dialogue Feb. 8, entitled “The Future of the SWAC,” at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in Jackson.

The event is free and open to the public although seating is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the program beginning promptly at 6:30.

[TexasTerror]

Interesting...

And the Mississippi schools are well aware of the struggles, considering Valley is the lowest funded Div I (with football) in the country and have had their share of facility issues. Jackson State and Alcorn are not much better...

[nwFL Griz]

Is anyone here considering attending? I would be very interested in what was discussed there.

[TSUalum05]

At 76, Marino Casem's memory is fading.





But there's one moment still vivid for the winningest football coach in Alcorn State University history.
"Bear Bryant," Casem said, "... and that year."
The year was 1970, when a blowout home loss to the University of Southern California left University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant no choice but to integrate his football team.
Southern Cal's black running back Sam Cunningham ran for 135 yards and two scores on Bryant's all-white squad that day.
Said Casem: "He said he had to get him some of those."
Bryant's decision to integrate Alabama changed the landscape of Southeastern Conference football - and that of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, too.
Casem would find himself on the recruiting trail battling predominantly white colleges for black athletes - recruits, Casem said, who in the past attended historically black institutions because they often had no other choice in the segregated South.
"We had confrontations where we were trying to get athletes. Ole Miss and Louisiana State wanted the same," Casem said. "We thought we had the ups on the athletes and all of the sudden the atmosphere would change."
The SWAC, a conference comprised of HBCUs, used to be a powerful player when it came to producing professional athletes, Hall of Famers like Walter Payton, Mel Bount and Jerry Rice.
But that was then.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110208/NEWS/102080331/Are++golden+years++gone+for+Southwestern+Athletic+ Conference?

[TSUalum05]

At the center of our story in Tuesday’s Clarion-Ledger, you’ll find this: The integration of Southeastern Conference teams in the 1970s led to the demise of the SWAC.

That’s what most think. Just listen to these guys …


http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jsu/2011/02/07/sec-team-integration-swac-golden-era-gone/

[TSUalum05]

Interesting article's by Jackson State's beat writer.

[superman7515]

In The SWAC Our Limits Have Been Reached Says Braddy (http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jsu/2011/02/08/in-the-swac-our-limits-have-been-reached-says-braddy/)

Some tidbits from the article linked above...


Said Braddy: “I think we’ve got to evaluate where we are and where we want to go. As far as I’m concerned, the timing is right for us to consider what benefits we can gain by going to another conference.”


And then there’s that whole FCS playoff deal. The SWAC gave up its automatic bid into the FCS playoffs in 1999. The league created the two divisions and the SWAC championship game. Said Braddy about that: “Where do we go other than just playing in the SWAC championship? I just think it’s important for us to try getting in the I-AA playoff system or to the next level — preferably to the next level.”


Recruiting is hurt, Braddy said, because JSU doesn’t go to the FCS playoffs: “A lot of time we run into the recruiting problem because a lot of the kids that we are trying to recruit want to go to the FCS schools (that play in the playoffs). Certainly it would increase our chances of getting better athletes and national recognition.”

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The SWAC, as most of you probably know, invited Tennessee State to join the conference. Sharp and SWAC officials plan to meet with TSU officials soon about the reality of the Tigers joining. And if that happens? Sharp said he would recommend this to the SWAC presidents: Dissolve the two football divisions, rid of the SWAC championship game and play in the Legacy Bowl.

I know this has been discussed before, but what on Gods Green Earth would be the benefit for Tennessee State in joining the SWAC? Leaving aside football for a moment, their basketball program would fall off a cliff.

I think the whole piece has to be seen in the light of the TSU invite. Jackson State is, in effect saying, they should explore a 1-for-1 swap with the OVC with TSU at the very least (if not angle for a SoCon invite). If the SWAC gains TSU but loses Jackson State, what is left? Is the conference stronger?

More importantly, what if TSU declines and Jackson State bolts? What is left?

[DSUrocks07]

I know this has been discussed before, but what on Gods Green Earth would be the benefit for Tennessee State in joining the SWAC? Leaving aside football for a moment, their basketball program would fall off a cliff.

I think the whole piece has to be seen in the light of the TSU invite. Jackson State is, in effect saying, they should explore a 1-for-1 swap with the OVC with TSU at the very least (if not angle for a SoCon invite). If the SWAC gains TSU but loses Jackson State, what is left? Is the conference stronger?

More importantly, what if TSU declines and Jackson State bolts? What is left?

9 teams
no more divisions
more OOCs for the conference
an eight game round robin conference schedule
no more SWAC title game

AND possibly opens the door to the SWAC participating in the playoffs once again.

[JSU02]

Our limits have been reached. I really think the time is right for us to explore the important of going to another division. When you look at revenue sharing and when you look at potential crowds we can draw. I think our fanbase exceeds a lot of the schools in teh Sun Belt Conference.”

Hmmm, so Jackson State wants to go FBS too?

I wonder if their fan base would turn out if they didn't play a HBCU?

[Sly Fox]

That was an eyebrow raiser for me as well. Do they have the resources for such a jump?

[JSU02]

That was an eyebrow raiser for me as well. Do they have the resources for such a jump?

They might if they get merged with Alcorn and MS Valley State, LOL

Athletic Budgets

Jackson State 5.9 million
Alcorn State 4.9 million
MVSU 3.7 million

total 14.5 Million

[hujo21]

Jackson State has the fans and the resources. I think we should JSU should get with some other schools and start our own conference within the FCS.

[TexasTerror]

A three-part series about the SWAC's situation... intriguing!

Part I (dwindling attendance and JSU and Southern keeping the league afloat in that category): http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jsu/2011/02/07/swac-attendance-shrinking-we-look-deep/

Part II (about black athletes leaving the SWAC during integration): http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jsu/2011/02/07/sec-team-integration-swac-golden-era-gone/

Part III (SWAC limits have been reached): http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jsu/2011/02/08/in-the-swac-our-limits-have-been-reached-says-braddy/

TSPN thread on the subject - http://www.tspnsports.com/forums/showthread.php?96018-In-the-SWAC-%E2%80%9COur-limits-have-been-reached-%E2%80%9D-says-Braddy

[TexasTerror]

Jackson State's budget of $5.9M is comparable to the bottom of the Southland Conference...

Would their budget increase if they were to eliminate a schedule full of HBCUs and move forward with PWCs? I guess you can do your whole OOC schedule against the SWAC and other HBCUs, but they need those major guarantee games as well...

[TexasTerror]

Are 'golden years' gone for Southwestern Athletic Conference?
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110208/NEWS/102080331/Are++golden+years++gone+for+Southwestern+Athletic+ Conference?

[laxVik]

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mfl/lowres/mfln1553l.jpg

[TSUalum05]

TT, this was all posted already.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?81341-Fans-Invited-To-Discussion-on-Future-of-the-SWAC&p=1610826#post1610826

and

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?81848-Could-JSU-Leave-The-SWAC

[DSUrocks07]

Jackson State's budget of $5.9M is comparable to the bottom of the Southland Conference...

Would their budget increase if they were to eliminate a schedule full of HBCUs and move forward with PWCs? I guess you can do your whole OOC schedule against the SWAC and other HBCUs, but they need those major guarantee games as well...

The only HBCUs that I would see Jackson State wanting to play on an regular basis are Tennessee State. Southern and Florida A&M. And with TSU already in the OVC, a move there would be beneficial and opens up their schedule even more.

[TexasTerror]

TT, this was all posted already.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?81341-Fans-Invited-To-Discussion-on-Future-of-the-SWAC&p=1610826#post1610826

and

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?81848-Could-JSU-Leave-The-SWAC

This is what happens when I am not viewing AGS as often... Mods, reporting this now - 'merge those threads'

[TexasTerror]

The only HBCUs that I would see Jackson State wanting to play on an regular basis are Tennessee State. Southern and Florida A&M. And with TSU already in the OVC, a move there would be beneficial and opens up their schedule even more.

If Jackson State joins the OVC... I do not see Tennessee State leaving that league, is that a correct assumption?

[dakotadan]

They might if they get merged with Alcorn and MS Valley State, LOL

Athletic Budgets

Jackson State 5.9 million
Alcorn State 4.9 million
MVSU 3.7 million

total 14.5 Million

No offense to anyone, but when I see budget numbers like that, I have to wonder what some of these schools are doing in DI. Primarily MVSU. 3.7 million wouldn't even be considered a large budget in DII.

[hujo21]

TT,

That would be a fair assumption.

JSU can get guarantee games with FBS schools and still play Southern, Alcorn, and Tenn St. The money will be there for us to make the move.

[TexasTerror]

No offense to anyone, but when I see budget numbers like that, I have to wonder what some of these schools are doing in DI. Primarily MVSU. 3.7 million wouldn't even be considered a large budget in DII.

Those budgets are in line with many in the lower echelon of the Southland Conference, as well at Atlantic Sun and Big South. NCAA Division II truly believes that its next batch of members will come from Division I (in light of continuing economic hardships) and not Division III or NAIA.

[DFW HOYA]

The SWAC argument reminds me of the last line in the 1986 film "No Way Out", when Kevin Costner's character walks out of the safe house and the KGB operative says "Let him go, he will return. Where else does he have to go?" In almost all cases, the SWAC schools do not have the budget to be competitive candidates in any other conferences, and are too proud to give up D-I athletics to rejoin the SIAC.

[TexasTerror]

In almost all cases, the SWAC schools do not have the budget to be competitive candidates in any other conferences, and are too proud to give up D-I athletics to rejoin the SIAC.

The only schools that would be competitive candidates in other conferences are likely the two Texas schools - if the budget numbers that they were heading towards are legitimate numbers. Not sure what UAPB's numbers are.

Zem on Geaux Cowboys reports that TSU and UAPB are prime SLC candidates...