Not many changes in recent years, but here's a thread to discuss...

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I wonder if the MEAC going to 14 would make the SWAC want to go to at least 12.

Tuskegee and Morehouse would be at the top of the list. Albany St.(D-II playoff team most of the time) right after that.

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I see no changes here....

I agree, unless any SIAC teams move up (and that means any school west of Georgia and from Tennessee on south), there's really not much on the table that fits the HBCU mold. If they really wanted to expand they would have taken Savannah State, however they are a ways out of the SWAC's footprint.

Possible Canidiates for Expansion include

Kentucky State
Harris-Stowe
Lincoln University of Missouri
Pittsburg State
Langston
Texas College
Fisk
Rust
Delta State
Houston-Tilson
Xavier University of New Orleans
Tuskeege


Less Possible Candidates for Expansion:

OSU-Wilburforce
Five Nations*
West Virginia State
Bluefield State

*Historic American Indian College

Fixed it
Did you just throw some names together off the top of your head and not look at a map either?

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FCS MB thread discussing proposal by Mississippi Governor to merge a number of Mississippi SWAC schools.
Apparently this proposal has been made unsuccessfully before.
Not sure that it will have legs this time either.
Link at http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/s ... hp?t=66655

What, no love for my post on the SWAC topic this morning?

http://news.collegesportsinfo.com/2009/ ... i-gov.html

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Quinn,I saw this story earlier in the week but wasn't going to bring it up until I saw your blog piece and the way this was handled by the FCS MB.This should allow anyone who wishes to comment an opportunity to do so after reading multiple sides of this issue.

Thanks
Freaked

So I'm not very well-informed at all on the HBCU leagues ?

Haley Barbour was GW Bush's campaign manager in 2000, or head of the Repuclican National Committee, before becoming governor. Many people are not aware that southern Mississippi was ravaged by Katrina, perhaps to a greated extent than Louisiana, but the storm surge that swept tens of miles inland to the northeastern side of New Orleans. So they've been recoving and re-building, however Mississippi didn't have the huge urban damage near the coast. Instead, it slammed the gambling facilities down near Biloxi, which provide the state with a ton of revenue.

Not sure what a merger of Jackson State, Alcorn State, and Mississippi Valley State would mean. SOmehow it is envisioned that a merger would cut costs. Are they physically close together ? Would some "redundant" facilities at certain locations be shut down to consolidate classes ? Would only Jackson State survive in terms of fielding an athletics department ?

If so the SWAC would be down to 8. Some years back, some MEAC schools (like FAMU and Bethune-Cookman) were grousing about something or other. It seemed like their option was to leave and join the SWAC. This has complications for football, since the SWAC conducts an NCAA-unauthorized championship game and thereby renders their champion ineligible for the FCS Playoffs.

I see this merger proposal failing miserably. Even if this would go through the state government (which I doubt will happen), it will be fought in court on grounds of race, and considering how the past treatment of the HBCUs by the MS government in funding, I doubt the plan would hold up in court.

Here's another link discussing the story (I apologize if it's been posted already): http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20 ... /911210346

This sounds a helluva lot like the "Good Ol' Boy" network trying to circumvent a ruling that the state had to spend $500+ million to get the HBCU's up to shape.

Clarion Ledger article discussing new proposal by JSU President to merge Alcorn,MVSU,and Jackson State into one University named Jacobs State University apparently with a single merged athletic program.
Not sure if this plan will fly either.
Link at http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20 ... /1001/news

If HBCUs start merging and/or closing en masse, the SWAC could be in considerable trouble-or it could push it's footprint considerably eastward.

Texas Southern - A merger with the University of Houston would be highly unlikely, although it could become part of the UH system. University of Houston-Downtown already has an athletic program, and even Houston-Victoria has started an athletic program, so dropping athletics would be unlikely. Texas Southern also has more than 11,000 students, so closing would be highly unlikely. If the SWAC starts dying, expect the Tigers to look to the Southland-who would love to have another FCS member should any schools depart for FBS.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff - No opportunities for a cross-town merger with any other university, but could tie the knot with two-year Southeast Arkansas College. UAPB's relative proximity to Henderson State (Arkadelphia), UALR (Little Rock), and Arkansas-Monticello make it a geographically inviting target for closure, especially since UAPB has under 3,500 students. The school would be better served by having its athletic program in Division II or Division III.

Mississippi Valley State - One of the smallest schools in Division I with 2,500 students. The best opportunity for merger would be with either Jackson State or Delta State in Cleveland, although Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead is much closer.

Alcorn State - The only other school in Mississippi that this is near is Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez. Alcorn State only has 3,500 students.

Jackson State - The only university in the state's largest city, and has an enrollment of over 8,000 students.

Alabama A&M - Located only a few miles from UAH despite having a non-Huntsville address. Given UAH's and the city's growth, a merger here could make sense, and the merged school would have the most diverse athletic program in the SWAC if all Title IX hurdles could be cleared. AAMU has just under 6,000 students, while UAH has just over 7,000.

Alabama State - Located in the same city as Auburn-Montgomery (NAIA) and Troy-Montgomery (no athletics). Politically, this would have to become part of the Auburn system for a merger to happen, especially if AAMU becomes part of the Alabama system. Alabama State is between AUM and AAMU in enrollment.

Southern - In the same city as the more politically dominant LSU. Southern has nearly 9,000 students, which would be a pretty hefty merger for LSU to swallow. Both the LSU and Southern systems have campuses in New Orleans and Shreveport that at least on paper would be merger targets.

Grambling State - Located only a few miles from Louisiana Tech (Ruston), but Grambling has a distinct history in football that would make merging the school difficult. Grambling State has about 4,500 students compared to Tech's 11,500.

So, in the worst case scenario for the SWAC:

Texas Southern
Jackson State
U of Alabama A&M
Alabama State-Montgomery

At four schools, the SWAC would need to basically need to invite half of the MEAC to survive, which could pose a problem if the MEAC lost too many schools who were core members of Division I, or failed the continuity requirement for an automatic bid in basketball and possibly other sports. The Alabama schools would likely apply for the Atlantic Sun (who already has 2 schools in Nashville), while Texas Southern and Jackson State would try for the Southland.

Article out of Jackson with report that state legislature likely considers these Mississippi school merger plans to be DOA.Link at http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20 ... on-arrival

The only schools I see fit for the SWAC are Langston and Tennessee State. They can easily bring the SWAC a playoff bid and allow them to keep their champ game in football as well.