Walking from the Rice-Texas Southern game, a connected Rice fan I know told me the rumor he is hearing is Texas Southern and Prairie View are going to go to the Southland Conference. I told him really? Their fans would support that move?

But this source is solid and knows his stuff. And I know where he would have received the information, so I believe there is some substance to it.

Why?

I can’t imagine why Prairie View A&M or Texas Southern would leave a stable SWAC for a downward-trending Southland. That being said, leaving would allow the SWAC to extend life rafts to MEAC schools. To stay at 12, North Carolina Central and South Carolina St?

(09-26-2021 06:10 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Why?

To save money on travel.

I do think Albany State and Clark Atlanta to the SWAC might work. SWAC always wanted a Georgia prensence.

(09-26-2021 06:10 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Why?

That's a good question.

Nobody has left the SWAC since 1970. And the school that did rejoined in the 1990s. Nobody has left permanently since 1968.

I doubt those schools are leaving. But we shall see.

I've worked a bunch of SWAC games through the years. I've always gotten the sense that the SWAC (like a lot of conferences) are built into two tiers - schools that spend a bit of money on athletics (TSU, PVAM, Southern, Grambling and Jackson State in football, and Alabama State), and then several who do not (MVSU, Alabama A&M, Alcorn, Arkansas Pine Bluff). We're not talking about a massive budget difference, but perhaps TSU and PVAM want to compete in a conference where schools are spending a bit more on athletics?

I personally think it's unlikely just because the HBCU's won't want to give up their traditions. But this person told me the Southland Conference wants to get back to eight football teams, and TSU and PVAM are certainly a good geographic fit for the six remaining Southland schools that play football. If TSU and PVAM can still play a Grambling or Southern or Jackson State, then maybe it's something they're seriously considering?

(09-26-2021 06:33 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(09-26-2021 06:10 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Why?

To save money on travel.

I do think Albany State and Clark Atlanta to the SWAC might work. SWAC always wanted a Georgia prensence.

A few years ago Albany State cut a number of sports including one of the least expensive ones men's cross country. They also cut men's golf. They are not going to be jumping to DI anytime soon.

(09-26-2021 06:10 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Why?

Perhaps travel for their student athletes. A lot of smaller programs actually give a sh!t about their stuent athletes. The SWAC just added 2 florida schools and my gut tells me TSU is headed over soon.

The SWAC just signed an awesome deal with the PAC 12

(09-26-2021 09:00 PM)solohawks Wrote:  The SWAC just signed an awesome deal with the PAC 12

A few basketball games isn’t a reason to stay in a conference. Not being with schools you have nothing in common with, is.

(09-26-2021 07:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I've worked a bunch of SWAC games through the years. I've always gotten the sense that the SWAC (like a lot of conferences) are built into two tiers - schools that spend a bit of money on athletics (TSU, PVAM, Southern, Grambling and Jackson State in football, and Alabama State), and then several who do not (MVSU, Alabama A&M, Alcorn, Arkansas Pine Bluff). We're not talking about a massive budget difference, but perhaps TSU and PVAM want to compete in a conference where schools are spending a bit more on athletics?

I personally think it's unlikely just because the HBCU's won't want to give up their traditions. But this person told me the Southland Conference wants to get back to eight football teams, and TSU and PVAM are certainly a good geographic fit for the six remaining Southland schools that play football. If TSU and PVAM can still play a Grambling or Southern or Jackson State, then maybe it's something they're seriously considering?

On the surface, TSU/PV joining the Southland makes a lot of sense as long as they get to play Grambling and/or Southern in non-conference. There's more to it than that, though.

I wonder if they signed off on FAMU and Bethune-Cookman coming into the conference. Are the trips to Florida that much of an issue for them?

I'm not sure if I like the idea of them leaving the SWAC. Is it worth it for them to leave the premier HBCU conference for a bottom-of-the-line Texas/Louisiana conference?

(09-26-2021 09:22 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(09-26-2021 09:00 PM)solohawks Wrote:  The SWAC just signed an awesome deal with the PAC 12

A few basketball games isn’t a reason to stay in a conference. Not being with schools you have nothing in common with, is.

They've been in that conference with fellow HBCUs for a long time

Prairie View ia a charter member. It would be quite a shock to leave the SWAC now when it has so much going for it

(09-26-2021 09:36 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(09-26-2021 07:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I've worked a bunch of SWAC games through the years. I've always gotten the sense that the SWAC (like a lot of conferences) are built into two tiers - schools that spend a bit of money on athletics (TSU, PVAM, Southern, Grambling and Jackson State in football, and Alabama State), and then several who do not (MVSU, Alabama A&M, Alcorn, Arkansas Pine Bluff). We're not talking about a massive budget difference, but perhaps TSU and PVAM want to compete in a conference where schools are spending a bit more on athletics?

I personally think it's unlikely just because the HBCU's won't want to give up their traditions. But this person told me the Southland Conference wants to get back to eight football teams, and TSU and PVAM are certainly a good geographic fit for the six remaining Southland schools that play football. If TSU and PVAM can still play a Grambling or Southern or Jackson State, then maybe it's something they're seriously considering?

On the surface, TSU/PV joining the Southland makes a lot of sense as long as they get to play Grambling and/or Southern in non-conference. There's more to it than that, though.

I wonder if they signed off on FAMU and Bethune-Cookman coming into the conference. Are the trips to Florida that much of an issue for them?

I'm not sure if I like the idea of them leaving the SWAC. Is it worth it for them to leave the premier HBCU conference for a bottom-of-the-line Texas/Louisiana conference?

If the Southland does get Prarie View and Texas Southern does that change things for Grambling and Southern?

The Southland getting all 6 FCS schools from Louisiana would help the stability issue

You guys should look at the SWAC scheduling. They have done some amazing and innovative things to reduce travel dramatically.

First they play divisional (2/3rds of games against your division). Second cross-division matches in sports like volleyball are played at a neutral site between the schools. Look at the matches on Saturday, October 9, 2021, all in Jackson, MS.

https://swac.org/calendar.aspx?path=wvball

It's similar in other sports. This idea of saving on travel is born out of ignorance. The SWAC is one of the best managed conferences, from marketing to operations. Why would any HBCU want to leave that?

(09-26-2021 09:22 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(09-26-2021 09:00 PM)solohawks Wrote:  The SWAC just signed an awesome deal with the PAC 12

A few basketball games isn’t a reason to stay in a conference. Not being with schools you have nothing in common with, is.

I hear you, but we shouldn't overlook the significance of the Pac-12/SWAC deal

Most sports fans recognize the gap between HAVE and HAVE NOTS in college hoops; but few realize exactly how vast it is.

The SWAC will play a lot of non-conference guarantee games on the road to get the guarantee check to fund their programs... How many?

On average, the SWAC plays 10 of 12 OOC games on the road, and 2.1 home games.

In the 2019-20 season, the 12 SWAC men’s basketball programs averaged 0.33 non-conference home games vs DI opponents

The only four DI teams to visit SWAC schools in 2019-20 were Troy, Jacksonville State, Lamar and transitioning North Alabama.

In 2022, they get Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State. The Pac-12 is sending three teams per year for four years. That's massive.


Overall, I would agree that the Southland is historically a better conference and probably will be a statistically better conference going forward; But I think that the statistical difference doesn't translate to enough money to jump, because the SWAC has a brand and situation is ripe for SWAC improvement. Leave the HBCU conference for another poor, broke, one-bid league and you're still a poor, broke, one-bid league. But the SWAC can capitalize on the social justice movement and raise their game more than Southland teams can.

Deion Sanders is trying to lead his NFL alums into sponsoring HBCU's like never before, and you lose that going to the Southland.

Does the swac still not participate in the fcs playoffs? That could be a factor.

(09-26-2021 10:03 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Does the swac still not participate in the fcs playoffs? That could be a factor.

So all of a sudden PVAMU and TSU want to compete in the FCS playoffs and think they’re capable of winning games there? Didn’t cross their mind until 2021?

(09-26-2021 09:57 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  You guys should look at the SWAC scheduling. They have done some amazing and innovative things to reduce travel dramatically.

First they play divisional (2/3rds of games against your division). Second cross-division matches in sports like volleyball are played at a neutral site between the schools. Look at the matches on Saturday, October 9, 2021, all in Jackson, MS.

https://swac.org/calendar.aspx?path=wvball

It's similar in other sports. This idea of saving on travel is born out of ignorance. The SWAC is one of the best managed conferences, from marketing to operations. Why would any HBCU want to leave that?

Some posters just throw out stuff without having any real knowledge.

I'm not going to do the research, but I feel confident in saying that only one P5/BCS team has played a road game at a SWAC gym in the last 25 years.

And the Pac-12 is doing 12 in the next four years.

Honestly, it makes me think that EVERY CONFERENCE should be doing this, and the NCAA should be computer generating OOC schedules so these things happen.

(09-26-2021 10:20 PM)JSchmack Wrote:  I'm not going to do the research, but I feel confident in saying that only one P5/BCS team has played a road game at a SWAC gym in the last 25 years.

And the Pac-12 is doing 12 in the next four years.

Honestly, it makes me think that EVERY CONFERENCE should be doing this, and the NCAA should be computer generating OOC schedules so these things happen.

$$$