SWAC moving football to spring could be final push for SEC to go to conference-only model

The Southwestern Athletic Conference of the FCS has decided to shift its football season from the fall to the 2021 spring semester because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that could certainly play a role in how the SEC handles a potential fall football season as well. Not just because Alabama A&M was to play Mississippi State and Alcorn State was set to face Auburn, but the SWAC schools are in the same coronavirus hot spot region of the country, the Sun Belt, as the SEC schools are.

The SWAC already has a detailed plan: An eight-week training camp beginning in January, and then a schedule of six conference games (four divisional and two non-divisional) with an option for one additional game out of conference.

"The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors felt this action was necessary out of growing concern for the health, safety and well-being both mentally and physically of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, team staff, campus faculty, fans and supporters," the SWAC said in its statement announcing the news. "The continued increase of COVID-19 cases across many portions of the league's geographic footprint and Southern regions of the country played a significant role in the council's decision, along with data that suggests African-American communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."

Casual college football bettors may not care much about the SWAC because it's an FCS league and often lines aren't even available for their games, but it's America's premier HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) football conference and has led all FCS conferences in attendance for 42 of the past 43 seasons.

Jackson State, the alma mater of the late, great Walter Payton, led the FCS in attendance in 2019 by averaging more than 30,000 fans. The SWAC and MEAC also typically participate in the Celebration Bowl. Jerry Rice played at SWAC school Mississippi State. The only SWAC player taken in the 2020 NFL Draft was Tennessee State offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons by the Bears in Round 7. SWAC players were definitely hurt by the HBCU Combine being canceled due to the coronavirus.

Both Auburn and Mississippi State are looking for replacement opponents, but it's widely expected that the SEC will follow the lead of the Big Ten and Pac-12 by going to a conference-only schedule. The SWAC's decision almost makes that an easier choice for SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. He plans to have a decision by the end of the month.

Alabama already lost a marquee Week 1 game vs. Southern Cal thanks to the Pac-12's decision. No SEC schools were to play Big Ten schools, though. The ACC and Big 12 seem likely to go conference-only as well. If so, that would cost Auburn a Week 2 game vs. North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta.

So far, five FCS leagues have announced they will not play sports -- football included -- this fall. In addition to the SWAC, they are the Ivy League, MEAC, Patriot League and CAA.

Two Big 12 programs were affected by the SWAC's decision: Texas Tech, which was to host Alabama State on Sept. 12; and TCU, which lost its Sept. 12 matchup vs. Prairie View A&M. Overall, the SWAC was to play 11 games vs. FBS schools. 

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