Will your SWAC team be the one that comes out on top at the end of this season
Birmingham, AL – The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) media day got fans excited with the anticipation of the football season coming near. There will be several changes to a few teams from player personnel to the changing of head coaches. HBCU fans got their first opportunity to learn more about each of the SWAC programs, along with the five new Head Football Coaching changes:
Florida A&M University – Coach James Colzie III
Texas Southern University – Cris Dishman
Southern University – Terrence C. Graves
Grambling State University – Mickey Joseph
Alcorn State University – Cedric Thomas
Each of these first-year coaches are looking to get their teams off to a great start once the 2024 football season begins. The SWAC announced the 2024 Preseason All SWAC teams and the SWAC Preseason order of finish for both the east and west divisions.
Tomorrows Leaders Sports Network did their first Preseason order of finish. Each team in both SWAC divisions have added playmakers to their teams, now it’s just a matter of how well the coaches develop and position their talent at crucial times in close games.
The TLSN order of finish will come down to the several games this upcoming season, in the east division, Alabama State plays Bethune Cookman and FAMU back to back weeks, and the game against Jackson State will be pivotal to see if Alabama State position themselves to win the SWAC East.
The same holds true for Jackson State and FAMU, who normally play one another early in the season at the Orange Blossom classic, like they have the past three years. This year will be the first time Jackson State and FAMU will play later in the season on October 19th. This game will have a strong implication for both teams when it comes to winning the East Division and represent in the SWAC Championship.
The West Division will have weekly fireworks beginning the first week of the season between Texas Southern vs Prairie View A&M in the State Fair Classic, to see which team position themselves early in the season, to represent the west division champ for a third year in a row. There are several matchups that will take place in the west division to see who will play for the SWAC Championship, Alcorn State University vs Southern State University on October 19th and Alcorn State vs Prairie View on November 16th, not to mention the Bayou Classic between Southern University and Grambling State on Thanksgiving Day. Tomorrows Leaders Sports Network (TLSN) preseason order of finish are as follows for the East Division:
| Team | Place of Finish |
| Jackson State | 1A |
| Florida A&M | 1A |
| Alabama State | 3 |
| Bethune Cookman | 4 |
| Alabama A&M | 5 |
| Mississippi Valley St. | 6 |
**The Jackson State vs FAMU game will decide who will win the SWAC East even though JSU has not played Alabama State. Alabama A&M is the dark horse in the division because no one ever knows what Coach Maynor has working that he doesn’t want anyone to see**
The order of finish for the SWAC West Division will go as follows:
| Team | Place of Finish |
| Grambling State | 1 |
| Alcorn State Univ | 2A |
| Southern University | 2A |
| PVAM | 4 |
| UAPB | 5 |
| Texas Southern | 6 |
**Grambling State has their quarterback returning for his final season, while most of the teams in the SWAC West will have a new quarterback leading their team this upcoming season. For the past two seasons, whoever won the State Fair Classic has won the SWAC West Division, will this happen three years in a row? **
FAMU player and coach additions to their program will make a compelling story if they can run it back and become back-to-back SWAC and Cricket Wireless Champions. Jackson State looks to derail those dreams because their signal caller Jacobian Morgan returns, and Alabama State has added Andrew Body as their new quarterback for the Hornets football team. Things will become very interesting for the Hornets if a few athletes step into key roles that will help them win games this season.
Alcorn State, Grambling State and Southern University all have new head coaches that will find ways to keep the team’s composure in tight games that will have them in route to play in the SWAC Championship game. Grambling State quarterback Myles Crawley is returning to lead the team this season. Grambling State did lose several playmakers during the off season due to the head coaching change. Head Coach Mickey Joesph is looking to show he is up for the challenge to restore order. Alcorn State Head Coach Thomas was the defensive Coordinator for the Braves last season, will look to lean on his defense to keep the Braves close in winning games. Now Southern University Coach Graves was named the new Head Coach after being the first coach to win the Bayou Classic as the interim head coach for both teams will also lean on his defense to help them win games this season. The jaguars will need to find a signal caller they can trust to run the offense, will this be Noah Bodden be named the Jaguars starter?
It will be interesting to see how everything shapes up throughout the season. We’re just a few days away the MEAC/SWAC Challenge to kick the season off between Norfolk State vs FAMU Rattlers in Atlanta, GA. Make sure to get your tickets for the game if you haven’t already and support HBCU football throughout the season.