The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced that the upcoming Cricket Wireless SWAC Championship Game presented by Pepsi Zero has been moved to a neutral site.
Congratulations to the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (@AAMUBulldogs) for claiming the Spring 2021 SWAC Football Eastern Division Title. #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/mvPpu2Aknq
— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) April 18, 2021
The “Black College Super Bowl” was initially scheduled to be played on the campus of the highest-ranked team at the conclusion of regular season play, which would’ve been Arkansas-PineBluff.
Congratulations to our Golden Lions football team on winning the SWAC West Championship! pic.twitter.com/Fc7hIqTG2B
— Braque Talley, PhD (@BraqueTalley) April 18, 2021
The title game has now been relocated to Jackson, Mississippi at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Huge development to move into the city where first-year Jackson State Tigers head coach Deion Sanders has made quite a difference for the conference as it pertains to visibility, sponsorship and recruiting.
READ MORE: Pepsi Deal Shows Coach Prime’s Influence On Black College Football’s Way Bigger Than Wins & Losses
Veterans Memorial Stadium will be the site for the SWAC Championship. Jackson will once again be the place to be.https://t.co/uKP8gDia2A
— Joe Cook (@JoeCookSports) April 22, 2021
SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland said the move is a direct result of COVID-19 related game cancellations which directly impacted Alabama A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He also mentioned the games canceled would have ultimately assisted the Conference Officer in determining a host institution for the championship game using its existing tiebreaker policy.
But without having the ability to thoroughly evaluate both teams using that policy they had no choice but to move the game. It’s the only fair and equitable decision for both programs involved.
In landing the event the city of Jackson is thrilled to play host for the SWAC Championship Game, and extremely grateful for the opportunity to all visitors and friends who’ll make the trip for the game.
The “Coach Prime Effect” is once again in full effect.
RELATED: The Coach Prime Effect Makes HBCU Football A Big Deal This Spring
The atmosphere surrounding football since the arrival of Coach Prime in Jackson has turned up a few notches and also offers a great sense of pride in the Jackson community. The event will offer a welcome boost to the economy as part of the city’s 52-week tourist strategy.
The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, May 1 at 2:00 PM CST. And it will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and available live and on-demand on the WatchESPN app.
