BUT THERE ARE STILL UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 18 - 24, 2020 SWAC unveils ambitious spring football schedule By LUT WILLIAMS SPRING 2021 SWAC FOOTBALL BCSP Editor BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - If being first is WEEK ONE February 27 ™ important then the Southwestern Athletic Alcorn State at Alabama A&M Southern at Alabama State Conference (SWAC) is making its mark. Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State The league announced Monday a detailed Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff team-by-team schedule for football in the spring Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State of 2021, the first conference in the nation to (State Fair Classic) unveil such a schedule after announcing the Talladega College photo postponement of football this fall due to the WEEK TWO March 6 DEION "GETS HIS": NFL Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State COVID-19 pandemic. to be made once the NCAA releases its revised Hall of Famer Deion Sanders Alabama State at Alcorn State (r.), here with President Dr. The ambitious regular season schedule calls spring calendar. Clearly our plans in regards to Jackson State at Grambling State SURPRISE Billy C. Hawkins (l.), earns his for games for all ten SWAC schools to begin the safe return to competition within our league Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Southern undergraduate degree from on February 27 and run through a six-game will ultimately be dictated by the current state Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M MOVES Talladega College. conference schedule including games against all of the COVID-19 pandemic in the respective (Labor Day Classic) four divisional opponents and two against non- regions of our member institutions." SWAC PLANS SPRING FOOTBALL, DELSTATE'S division opponents. Regular season play would SWAC football teams are scheduled to WEEK THREE March 13 Bye Week GUNTER RETIRES, DEION AN HBCU GRADUATE end on April 17. The SWAC has five teams each begin preparation for the season with an eight- in East and West Divisions. week training period beginning in January 2021. WEEK FOUR March 20 The schedule includes one non-conference A key part of the new schedule is the Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M open date for each team and conference contests inclusion of signature and normally highly- Jackson State at Alabama State scheduled each week on Saturday beginning in attended 'Classic' games played between Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State UNDER THE BANNER Week One. conference opponents. The State Fair Classic Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State Southern at Texas Southern WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS Additionally, the league has designated between Grambling State and Prairie View a bye week for each team during the week of A&M is scheduled for February 27. The Magic WEEK FIVE March 27 FITCH NEW AD AT ALLEN U.: March 13 to ensure that fans and supporters City Classic between Alabama State and Grambling State at Alabama A&M (Columbia, S.C.) – Dr. Jerome Fitch has been named have the opportunity to attend the Cricket Alabama A&M as well as the Bayou Classic Alabama State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff athletics director at Allen University. Wireless SWAC Men's and Women's Basketball pitting Southern against Grambling are both Alcorn State at Southern Fitch brings a wealth of knowledge Tournaments (March 9-13). schedule for April 17. Where those games, Prairie View A&M at Jackson State and extensive experience in athletic The Cricket Wireless SWAC Football schedule for large neutral site venues, will be administration, most recently at the Championship will once again be played on played is unclear. WEEK SIX April 3 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Mississippi Valley State the campus of the highest seeded team at One of the big unanswered questions Claflin University, where he was Grambling State at Texas Southern instrumental in the University's the conclusion of regular season play. The about the games also is whether fans will be in transition from an NAIA school championship game is set for Saturday, May 1. attendance. The pro sports that have resumed WEEK SEVEN April 10 to NCAA Division II by ensuring "The SWAC Council of Presidents and play this fall are doing so without fans in the Alabama A&M at Jackson State institutional compliance with all rules Chancellors, Sports Administrators Committee, stands. Whether that will continue for spring Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State Fitch and regulations. COVID-19 Advisory Committee, along with football in 2021 is unknown at this point. Texas Southern at Alcorn State Southern at Prairie View A&M Allen currently sponsors 13 intercollegiate programs our fall sports scheduling groups have worked Commissioner McClelland has said in an tirelessly over recent months to get to the point earlier interview that the spring football schedule and was selected in July 2020 as the newest provisional WEEK EIGHT April 17 member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association where we are able to announce a significant was being put together with the full game-day Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M (NCAA) Division II effective for the 2020-2021 academic part of the rescheduling of our fall sports," said experience including bands and fans in mind. (Magic City Classic) year. SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland The release said the conference "will Jackson State at Alcorn State "Dr. Fitch's experience and leadership in NCAA ath- in the release from the conference. continue to work with local and state medical Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern letics will serve as a strong fit for Allen University Yel- "Collectively as a conference, we look experts along with governmental officials to Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Grambling State vs. Southern low Jacket athletics," said Dr. Ernest McNealey, Allen forward to continuing on the path to a safe return gather additional information, evaluate emerging (Bayou Classic) University President. "His dedication to student-athletes, to competition that we know all of our student- data and advancements, while monitoring new the advancement of HBCU athletics, and tremendous fun- athletes, team staff, institutional administrators developments regarding the pandemic," and will WEEK NINE April 24 draising efforts align with our vision and trajectory as we and supporters would like to see in the coming make any necessary adjustments "in the best Open Date prepare our student-athletes to thrive in NCAA Division months. interest of the health, safety and wellness of our II." "This schedule allows the needed flexibility student-athletes." WEEK TEN May 1 Prior to serving as Claflin University athletics director for any additional adjustments that will need Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Championship for nine years and director of compliance for three years, he served as athletics director at Alabama A&M Univer- sity, where he directed the construction of the football sta- dium and rectified compliance issues with multiple sports. BCSP Notes As athletic director, at Savannah State University, his DelState's Gunter forced to retire from NFL is our way of saying there is life after COVID for this College and our fundraising efforts eliminated $197,000 in debt. Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Rodney Gunter out of Delaware community." "The challenge of helping Allen transition into NCAA State announced Sunday via Twitter that he has been Bluefield State's athletic teams, known as the Big Blues, compete Division II is one that I felt I could be helpful in accom- forced to hang up his cleats after being diagnosed in NCAA's Division II as a member of the Eastern College Athletic plishing," said Fitch, who has an accomplished history in with a potentially life-threatening heart condition. Conference. They were a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate athletics administration. The condition was described as an enlargement Athletic Conference until the conference's dissolution. Their sponsored Fitch began his career as assistant athletics director, of Gunter's aorta and comes with the risk of ruptur- sports are men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, tennis and assistant men's basketball coach and sports information ing or tearing the vital blood vessel if he continues cross-country, men's golf and women's volleyball. director at his alma mater, North Carolina Central Uni- to play football. There is reportedly a surgery with a The college fielded a football team until 1981. In 1927 and 1928, versity, in 1970. He later became the head men's basket- 50 percent chance of fixing the issue, but Gunter said Bluefield State was voted the Black college football national champion by ball coach at Johnson C. Smith University, Voorhees that his aorta is not yet enlarged enough to qualify for the Pittsburgh Courier. College and Livingstone College. He was also the head Gunter the operation. BSC Interim Director of Athletics and Head Basketball Coach coach of the women's basketball team at Elizabeth City Derrick Price added, "We're hiring for these new sports now. I'm State University. He has a Doctor of Education degree prioritizing coaches with proven abilities to recruit. We will target good from South Carolina State University and a Master of student-athletes with the goal of being competitive immediately." Education degree from North Carolina Central University. In addition to football, Bluefield State will compete in Women's soccer, golf, acrobatics and tumbling, swimming, bowling and indoor and HOWARD ALUM JOINS PISTONS STAFF: outdoor track and field, and Men's indoor and outdoor track and field, The NBA's Detroit Pistons have hired Michael Lindo swimming and wrestling. It's expected that these sports will attract more as Director of Player and Family En- than 250 new students to campus. They will join the nearly 150 student- gagement.