Seven weeks into the season, the SWAC race is taking shape, and the two divisions look nothing alike. In the East, Jackson State has a clear path: win out, and the Tigers head back to the SWAC Championship Game. In the West, every contender has already lost to another contender, and nobody is guaranteed anything, even with a perfect finish.
The title game is set for Saturday, Dec. 5. Here is where every team stands, what is left on each schedule, and what each contender needs to get there.
How Ties Are Broken
Every SWAC team plays eight conference games. When two teams in the same division finish with the same conference record, the first tiebreaker is their head-to-head result. If they did not play, or that does not settle it, the next step is each team’s record within the division.
When three or more teams are tied, the SWAC starts with the record among just those tied teams. Once the group is cut down to two, the two-team rules take over. Deeper tiebreakers involve records against common opponents outside the division, but most of the scenarios below are decided by head-to-head results long before it gets that far.
The East: Jackson State Holds the Keys
The table below shows each East team’s SWAC record, its record against East opponents, the division teams it has beaten, and its remaining conference games, in order. Neutral site games are noted.
| Team | SWAC | Division | Division wins | Remaining SWAC games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | 3-1 | 2-1 | Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman | Alabama State (Oct. 31, Magic City Classic), at Prairie View A&M (Nov. 7), Texas Southern (Nov. 14), at Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 21) |
| Jackson State | 3-1 | 2-0 | Alabama A&M, Florida A&M | at Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 24), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 7), at Alabama State (Nov. 14), at Alcorn State (Nov. 21) |
| Bethune-Cookman | 2-1 | 2-1 | Alabama State, Mississippi Valley State | Jackson State (Oct. 24), at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Oct. 31), at Southern (Nov. 7), Grambling State (Nov. 14), Florida A&M (Nov. 21, Florida Classic) |
| Alabama State | 2-2 | 1-2 | Mississippi Valley State | Alabama A&M (Oct. 31, Magic City Classic), at Texas Southern (Nov. 7), Jackson State (Nov. 14), Prairie View A&M (Nov. 21) |
| Mississippi Valley State | 2-2 | 0-2 | None | Alcorn State (Oct. 31), at Jackson State (Nov. 7), at Florida A&M (Nov. 14), Alabama A&M (Nov. 21) |
| Florida A&M (ineligible) | 1-2 | 1-2 | Alabama State | Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Oct. 24), Southern (Oct. 31), at Alcorn State (Nov. 7), Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 14), Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 21, Florida Classic) |
Jackson State (3-1)
Jackson State may be No. 2 in our computer poll this week, but the Tigers lead the SWAC East and control their own destiny. If they win out, they finish 7-1, and no West team can finish better than 6-2. That means the SWAC Championship Game would be played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.
No other team in either division can say that. The Tigers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Alabama A&M after the 31-28 win in Mobile, and winning out would mean beating Bethune-Cookman, which keeps the Wildcats from finishing ahead of them. The toughest stretch is the end: road trips to Alabama State and Alcorn State in the final two weeks.
Alabama A&M (3-1)
Alabama A&M has been the East’s most dominant team, coming off a 61-31 Homecoming win over Grambling State, but the Mobile loss means it needs help. If the Bulldogs win out and Jackson State loses even once, the East is theirs. They also hold the head-to-head over Bethune-Cookman after a 55-17 win, so a tie with the Wildcats would break in their favor.
Bethune-Cookman (2-1)
Bethune-Cookman’s path runs straight through Jackson State on Oct. 24. If the Wildcats win that game and the rest of their schedule, they finish 7-1, but they would still need Alabama A&M to drop a game along the way, since the Bulldogs hold that head-to-head result.
Mississippi Valley State (2-2)
Mississippi Valley State is very much alive, but its path is a gauntlet. Winning out would mean beating Jackson State and Alabama A&M, and the Delta Devils would still need help. They are 0-2 in the division after losses to Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman, so they need the Wildcats to lose at least twice and the Hornets to lose at least once.
Alabama State (2-2)
Alabama State is in better shape than its 2-2 record suggests. The Hornets still get both Alabama A&M and Jackson State, so winning out would knock both leaders down to two losses. That would be enough in almost every scenario, as long as Bethune-Cookman does not also finish 6-2 or better, since the Wildcats hold the head-to-head after a 16-10 win.
Florida A&M (1-2)
Florida A&M is ineligible for the SWAC Championship Game this season, so the Rattlers cannot win the East. They can still shape it, though. Their remaining games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Southern, Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, and Bethune-Cookman all count in those teams’ conference records.
The West: A Five Team Circle
The West is far more tangled. Every contender has a head-to-head loss to another contender. Prairie View A&M beat Grambling State and Alcorn State; Grambling beat Alcorn; Alcorn beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Arkansas-Pine Bluff beat Southern; and Southern beat Prairie View. That circle is why no West team controls its own fate.
The West table follows the same format, with each team’s record against West opponents and the division teams it has beaten.
| Team | SWAC | Division | Division wins | Remaining SWAC games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie View A&M | 3-2 | 3-1 | Texas Southern, Grambling State, Alcorn State | Alabama A&M (Nov. 7), at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 14), at Alabama State (Nov. 21) |
| Alcorn State | 2-2 | 2-2 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas Southern | at Mississippi Valley State (Oct. 31), Florida A&M (Nov. 7), at Southern (Nov. 14), Jackson State (Nov. 21) |
| Grambling State | 2-2 | 1-1 | Alcorn State | at Texas Southern (Nov. 1), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 7), at Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 14), Southern (Nov. 28, Bayou Classic) |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 1-2 | 1-1 | Southern | at Florida A&M (Oct. 24), Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 31), at Grambling State (Nov. 7), Prairie View A&M (Nov. 14), at Texas Southern (Nov. 21) |
| Southern | 1-2 | 1-1 | Prairie View A&M | at Texas Southern (Oct. 24), at Florida A&M (Oct. 31), Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 7), Alcorn State (Nov. 14), Grambling State (Nov. 28, Bayou Classic) |
| Texas Southern | 0-3 | 0-2 | None | Southern (Oct. 24), Grambling State (Nov. 1), Alabama State (Nov. 7), at Alabama A&M (Nov. 14), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 21) |
Prairie View A&M’s remaining conference schedule is the shortest in the league at three games. The Panthers’ Oct. 24 game at East Texas A&M does not count in the SWAC standings.
Prairie View A&M (3-2)
The defending SWAC champions have the inside track. Prairie View is the only West team with three conference wins, and it already owns wins over Grambling State and Alcorn State, including Saturday’s 41-38 win over the Braves. If the Panthers win out, the West is theirs unless Southern also wins out, because Southern holds the head-to-head after its 28-14 win in Prairie View. The catch is the schedule: Alabama A&M at home and road trips to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama State.
Grambling State (2-2)
Grambling State wins the West if it wins out and Prairie View loses at least once. The Tigers hold the head-to-head over Alcorn State after their 63-59 win, but they lost to Prairie View in the State Fair Classic. Their path ends with the Bayou Classic against Southern on Nov. 28, a week after most of the league finishes.
Alcorn State (2-2)
Alcorn State’s loss at Prairie View hurt, because the Braves now have head-to-head losses to both Prairie View and Grambling. Winning out would be enough only if both of those teams lose at least once. Alcorn also closes with Jackson State, which could shape the East race as much as the West.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2) and Southern (1-2)
These two can still win the West, and each holds a key tiebreaker. Arkansas-Pine Bluff beat Southern 41-10, and it wins the West if it wins out, as long as Alcorn State does not also win out. Southern beat Prairie View, and it wins the West if it wins out, as long as Arkansas-Pine Bluff does not also win out. Both have five conference games left, more than anyone in the division.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff coach Alonzo Hampton made the same point on Monday’s SWAC coaches’ media call, when a reporter suggested the Golden Lions were out of the West race.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff coach Alonzo Hampton said he was thrown “for a loop” during Monday’s SWAC coaches’ media call when a reporter suggested the Golden Lions couldn’t win the SWAC West even though UAPB is currently just 1/2 game behind the first-place lead with five games left. https://t.co/dTpOw1erP9
— HBCU Sports (@HBCUSports) October 19, 2026
Texas Southern (0-3)
Texas Southern can still reach 5-3 by winning out, but nearly everyone ahead of it would need to struggle down the stretch. It is a long shot.
Who Hosts the Title Game?
The SWAC Championship Game is played at the home of the higher-ranked division champion. When the two champions finish with the same conference record, the SWAC uses a separate host tiebreaker. The first step is head-to-head, followed by record against common opponents, record within the division, the FCS Coaches Poll, the Kevin Pauga Index, point differential, and, finally, a coin flip.
That gives the East a clear advantage. Every West team already has at least two conference losses, so the best any West champion can finish is 6-2. Jackson State, Alabama A&M, and Bethune-Cookman can all still finish 7-1.
Here is how it plays out:
- If the East champion finishes 7-1, the title game will be in the East.
- If both champions finish 6-2, the host tiebreaker decides it. Some of those are already settled. Grambling State would host Jackson State after its 45-38 win on Oct. 10, and Alabama A&M would host Grambling State after Saturday’s 61-31 win.
- Several cross-division games still to be played could settle the host the same way: Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M on Nov. 7, Jackson State at Alcorn State on Nov. 21 and Prairie View A&M at Alabama State on Nov. 21.
- The West would host outright only if its champion finishes with a better conference record than the East champion, which would require the East winner to finish 5-3 or worse.
For now, the likeliest outcome is an East host. Jackson State or Alabama A&M, at 7-1, would host whoever the West sends.
Dates to Circle
- Oct. 24: Jackson State at Bethune-Cookman.
- Oct. 31: Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State in the Magic City Classic.
- Nov. 7: Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M, which could also settle the title game host.
- Nov. 14: Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State at Southern, two West games inside the circle.
- Nov. 21: Jackson State at Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M at Alabama State.
- Nov. 28: Southern vs. Grambling State in the Bayou Classic, which could decide the West after everyone else is done.
Follow every result and the full standings on the 2026 football season dashboard.
