(03-03-2022 03:36 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 02:17 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 02:06 PM)TexasCat Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 01:51 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Unless UAPB is leaving for the OVC, I am not sure why the SWAC would add them. Just another mouth to feed.

Tennessee State has longstanding, historical relationships with many SWAC schools, is well-supported (including in the stands as long as they're playing other HBCUs), and brings the Nashville market, to the extent that that matters at the FCS level. This is not the first time they're in talks either, so there is obviously continued interest (see link below). Hardly "just another mouth to feed" from the perspective of those involved in these conversations.

https://www.al.com/sports/2010/12/swac_i...ate_t.html

Yes, Tennessee St is one of the most valuable and desirable HBCUs.

If you’re making a list of the top-10 HBCU brands, TSU’s on it:
Howard
Hampton
NC A&T
Tennessee St
Alabama St
FAMU
Jackson St
Southern
Grambling
Prairie View

I know they’re not D1 but would Morehouse and Tuskegee make the list?

I would hope so..

(03-03-2022 12:36 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  I think a D2 HBCU that might be entertained to be number 14 would be Tuskegee. There have been talks and rumors from their fanbase and alum that they want to go D1. It could cut the cost of travel down so that they don't have to go to Kentucky State and Central State Ohio every year.

Tuskegee is not moving

As I have posted multiple times on this board, Tennessee State University is not a "conventional" HBCU. The reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity. TSU is only about 75 percent African-American (most HBCUs are 85 percent or more). I attended TSU in the 1980s and taught part-time in the 1990s (I'm white) and I noticed that diversity even back then. Today, TSU is even more diverse (its downtown "campus" — a large modernist building — houses classroom accommodating various grad degree programs that, in particular, attract a diversity of students in terms of age and ethnicity).

2. TSU shares its Nashville locale with two other HBCUs (Fisk University and Meharry Medical College). There are only a handful of U.S. cities (Atlanta and D.C. come to mind) that have three or more HBCUs.

3. Nashville is neither extremely similar to America's major "Black cities" (Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, etc.) nor its major "white cities" (Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, etc.) At about 30 percent Black, Nashville is a hybrid of sorts, melding Black culture (and other cultures, for that matter) from both the North/Midwest and the South.

4. TSU is a member of a non-HBCU athletics league (the OVC)


Not sure of the date for this site but worth checking:

https://www.edsmart.org/largest-hbcus-by-enrollment/

(03-03-2022 04:19 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  As I have posted multiple times on this board, Tennessee State University is not a "conventional" HBCU. The reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity. TSU is only about 75 percent African-American (most HBCUs are 85 percent or more). I attended TSU in the 1980s and taught part-time in the 1990s (I'm white) and I noticed that diversity even back then. Today, TSU is even more diverse (its downtown "campus" — a large modernist building — houses classroom accommodating various grad degree programs that, in particular, attract a diversity of students in terms of age and ethnicity).

2. TSU shares its Nashville locale with two other HBCUs (Fisk University and Meharry Medical College). There are only a handful of U.S. cities (Atlanta and D.C. come to mind) that have three or more HBCUs.

3. Nashville is neither extremely similar to America's major "Black cities" (Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, etc.) nor its major "white cities" (Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, etc.) At about 30 percent Black, Nashville is a hybrid of sorts, melding Black culture (and other cultures, for that matter) from both the North/Midwest and the South.

4. TSU is a member of a non-HBCU athletics league (the OVC)


Not sure of the date for this site but worth checking:

https://www.edsmart.org/largest-hbcus-by-enrollment/

I get what you’re saying but the near collapse of the OVC has given Tenn St the “opportunity” to reevaluate their conference home:

You’ve got the ASUN, which would include some familiar regional schools plus a big dose of Florida.

You’ve got the SWAC, which like the ASUN means more travel than their old home and no more trips north of the Ohio River, but would mean a big shift towards an HBCU identity.

The momentum right now seems to be towards a future that is more HBCU heavy, with some regional OOC games against predominantly white institutions rather than the other way around.

(03-03-2022 04:28 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 04:19 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  As I have posted multiple times on this board, Tennessee State University is not a "conventional" HBCU. The reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity. TSU is only about 75 percent African-American (most HBCUs are 85 percent or more). I attended TSU in the 1980s and taught part-time in the 1990s (I'm white) and I noticed that diversity even back then. Today, TSU is even more diverse (its downtown "campus" — a large modernist building — houses classroom accommodating various grad degree programs that, in particular, attract a diversity of students in terms of age and ethnicity).

2. TSU shares its Nashville locale with two other HBCUs (Fisk University and Meharry Medical College). There are only a handful of U.S. cities (Atlanta and D.C. come to mind) that have three or more HBCUs.

3. Nashville is neither extremely similar to America's major "Black cities" (Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, etc.) nor its major "white cities" (Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, etc.) At about 30 percent Black, Nashville is a hybrid of sorts, melding Black culture (and other cultures, for that matter) from both the North/Midwest and the South.

4. TSU is a member of a non-HBCU athletics league (the OVC)


Not sure of the date for this site but worth checking:

https://www.edsmart.org/largest-hbcus-by-enrollment/

I get what you’re saying but the near collapse of the OVC has given Tenn St the “opportunity” to reevaluate their conference home:

You’ve got the ASUN, which would include some familiar regional schools plus a big dose of Florida.

You’ve got the SWAC, which like the ASUN means more travel than their old home and no more trips north of the Ohio River, but would mean a big shift towards an HBCU identity.

The momentum right now seems to be towards a future that is more HBCU heavy, with some regional OOC games against predominantly white institutions rather than the other way around.

I definitely agree with you. TSU needs to be looking into its possible options — and it seems that is happening.

As a casual Tennessee State fan (our company just hired a proud graduate of the university), I would be fine with TSU in the SWAC. But I do hope TSU is on the phone with, say, the Southern Conference.

(03-03-2022 02:06 PM)TexasCat Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 01:51 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Unless UAPB is leaving for the OVC, I am not sure why the SWAC would add them. Just another mouth to feed.

Tennessee State has longstanding, historical relationships with many SWAC schools, is well-supported (including in the stands as long as they're playing other HBCUs), and brings the Nashville market, to the extent that that matters at the FCS level. This is not the first time they're in talks either, so there is obviously continued interest (see link below). Hardly "just another mouth to feed" from the perspective of those involved in these conversations.

https://www.al.com/sports/2010/12/swac_i...ate_t.html

They are another mouth to feed and they will not give the SWAC another NCAA tournament berth and the “Nashville market” will not significantly bump up their media deal. So they would be adding them, just to add them. Great for Tennessee State, I guess.

(03-03-2022 09:49 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 02:06 PM)TexasCat Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 01:51 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Unless UAPB is leaving for the OVC, I am not sure why the SWAC would add them. Just another mouth to feed.

Tennessee State has longstanding, historical relationships with many SWAC schools, is well-supported (including in the stands as long as they're playing other HBCUs), and brings the Nashville market, to the extent that that matters at the FCS level. This is not the first time they're in talks either, so there is obviously continued interest (see link below). Hardly "just another mouth to feed" from the perspective of those involved in these conversations.

https://www.al.com/sports/2010/12/swac_i...ate_t.html

They are another mouth to feed

This is entirely incorrect and a complete misunderstanding of Tennessee St’s value in the HBCU world. There’s a reason the SWAC has coveted TSU for a long time.

(03-03-2022 10:47 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 09:49 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 02:06 PM)TexasCat Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 01:51 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Unless UAPB is leaving for the OVC, I am not sure why the SWAC would add them. Just another mouth to feed.

Tennessee State has longstanding, historical relationships with many SWAC schools, is well-supported (including in the stands as long as they're playing other HBCUs), and brings the Nashville market, to the extent that that matters at the FCS level. This is not the first time they're in talks either, so there is obviously continued interest (see link below). Hardly "just another mouth to feed" from the perspective of those involved in these conversations.

https://www.al.com/sports/2010/12/swac_i...ate_t.html

They are another mouth to feed

This is entirely incorrect and a complete misunderstanding of Tennessee St’s value in the HBCU world. There’s a reason the SWAC has coveted TSU for a long time.

Enlighten me on how TSU is going to increase NCAA and FCS playoff bids and a higher media deal with ESPN.

(03-03-2022 11:19 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 10:47 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 09:49 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 02:06 PM)TexasCat Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 01:51 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Unless UAPB is leaving for the OVC, I am not sure why the SWAC would add them. Just another mouth to feed.

Tennessee State has longstanding, historical relationships with many SWAC schools, is well-supported (including in the stands as long as they're playing other HBCUs), and brings the Nashville market, to the extent that that matters at the FCS level. This is not the first time they're in talks either, so there is obviously continued interest (see link below). Hardly "just another mouth to feed" from the perspective of those involved in these conversations.

https://www.al.com/sports/2010/12/swac_i...ate_t.html

They are another mouth to feed

This is entirely incorrect and a complete misunderstanding of Tennessee St’s value in the HBCU world. There’s a reason the SWAC has coveted TSU for a long time.

Enlighten me on how TSU is going to increase NCAA and FCS playoff bids and a higher media deal with ESPN.

Doesn’t the SWAC not care about FCS playoff births? And would the addition of any FCS FB school left on the board, not just Tennessee State, guarantee any FCS Football/Mid Major conference multiple NCAA tournament bids? TSU would give the SWAC an extremely enticing destination for road conference FB games and out of conference “classic” matchups.

A SWAC with 13 schools could certainly go divisionless and have 4 protected annual opponents per team while alternating between half the other 8 opponents every year. My first stab at such a setup:



Let me know if I missed any critical rivalries.

I like the idea of 4 permanent rivals and then rotating the other 8 so that rivalries get preserved but you still play everyone in a 2 yr cycle.

13 teams actually works out just fine for scheduling. 3 SWAC teams play on Thanksgiving Weekend so for the last weekend of the typical FCS season, those 3 can have byes while the other 10 all have a conference opponent and no one is out there trying to scrounge up an OOC game late in the season.

(03-03-2022 07:03 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 04:28 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 04:19 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  As I have posted multiple times on this board, Tennessee State University is not a "conventional" HBCU. The reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity. TSU is only about 75 percent African-American (most HBCUs are 85 percent or more). I attended TSU in the 1980s and taught part-time in the 1990s (I'm white) and I noticed that diversity even back then. Today, TSU is even more diverse (its downtown "campus" — a large modernist building — houses classroom accommodating various grad degree programs that, in particular, attract a diversity of students in terms of age and ethnicity).

2. TSU shares its Nashville locale with two other HBCUs (Fisk University and Meharry Medical College). There are only a handful of U.S. cities (Atlanta and D.C. come to mind) that have three or more HBCUs.

3. Nashville is neither extremely similar to America's major "Black cities" (Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, etc.) nor its major "white cities" (Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, etc.) At about 30 percent Black, Nashville is a hybrid of sorts, melding Black culture (and other cultures, for that matter) from both the North/Midwest and the South.

4. TSU is a member of a non-HBCU athletics league (the OVC)


Not sure of the date for this site but worth checking:

https://www.edsmart.org/largest-hbcus-by-enrollment/

I get what you’re saying but the near collapse of the OVC has given Tenn St the “opportunity” to reevaluate their conference home:

You’ve got the ASUN, which would include some familiar regional schools plus a big dose of Florida.

You’ve got the SWAC, which like the ASUN means more travel than their old home and no more trips north of the Ohio River, but would mean a big shift towards an HBCU identity.

The momentum right now seems to be towards a future that is more HBCU heavy, with some regional OOC games against predominantly white institutions rather than the other way around.

I definitely agree with you. TSU needs to be looking into its possible options — and it seems that is happening.

As a casual Tennessee State fan (our company just hired a proud graduate of the university), I would be fine with TSU in the SWAC. But I do hope TSU is on the phone with, say, the Southern Conference.

The alumni, students, and fans of Tennessee State have made it known that they want to be in the SWAC. The problem with TSU is their biggest games are their HBCU rivalry games and then attendance drops off after that because their fan base isn't interested in watching them play OVC opponents. Between Grambling and Jackson State Tennessee State sold over 25k tickets to those two games and didn't sell that many tickets in their other home games combined. Tennessee State had the lowest attendance average in their history with fewer than 3,000 fans per game. Alumni, fans, and students have written the President and Athletic Director to let it be known that Tennessee State wants in the SWAC. Listening to spaces on Twitter last night, the fan base was energized when news broke that there are talks between the school and the SWAC. Going to the SoCon puts you in the same situation that you had in the OVC which is cultural fit and ticket holders wanting to be in a conference with traditional rivals. We'll see how this all plays out but right before the story broke there was a petition from Tennessee State alumni, supporters, and students about going to the SWAC. Folks in Nashville are definitely excited about this possibility.

Let's suppose that Tennessee State were to join the SWAC, giving them 13 members. It occurred to me that even as an FCS conference, the SWAC might not be permitted to hold a CCG with a non-round-robin divisionless schedule as I had proposed. Here's the part of the NCAA bylaws that pertains to FCS postseason games aside from the NCAA tournament:

Quote:17.11.6.2.2 Championship Subdivision. [FCS] In championship subdivision football, the maximum number of football contests shall exclude the following: (Revised: 1/10/90, Adopted: 1/10/91, 1/19/92, 1/16/93 effective 8/1/93, 1/13/98 effective 8/1/98, 2/16/00, 12/15/06, 10/28/10, 6/8/15)
...
( b ) Celebration Bowl. Participation in the Celebration Bowl held between representatives of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which shall meet the reporting requirements set forth in Bylaw 18.7.2 in order to be exempt;
( c ) Twelve-Member Conference Championship Game. A conference championship game between division champions of a member conference of 12 or more institutions that is divided into two divisions (of six or more institutions each), each of which conducts round-robin, regular-season competition among the members of that division;
( d ) Championship Subdivision Conference Tournament. A conference-sponsored, season-ending postseason tournament (one between teams that are not identified until the end of the preceding regular season), not to exceed one contest for any member institution. This provision does not preclude an institution from participating in a conference-sponsored season-ending postseason tournament and additional postseason football opportunities (e.g., NCAA Championship, Celebration Bowl) during the same season;
...

Part "c" would suggest the old CCG rule is in effect, which would require 2 divisions, one of 6 and one of 7. But what's weird is that Part "d" would seem to supersede Part "c", at least as I read it. I'm not sure why it would be called a "tournament" if each team can only play one game, but if we're just talking 2 teams, that's a CCG. And there are no restrictions mentioned in terms of season schedule or divisions in Part "d".

Any thoughts on this?

(03-04-2022 02:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Let's suppose that Tennessee State were to join the SWAC, giving them 13 members. It occurred to me that even as an FCS conference, the SWAC might not be permitted to hold a CCG with a non-round-robin divisionless schedule as I had proposed. Here's the part of the NCAA bylaws that pertains to FCS postseason games aside from the NCAA tournament:

Quote:17.11.6.2.2 Championship Subdivision. [FCS] In championship subdivision football, the maximum number of football contests shall exclude the following: (Revised: 1/10/90, Adopted: 1/10/91, 1/19/92, 1/16/93 effective 8/1/93, 1/13/98 effective 8/1/98, 2/16/00, 12/15/06, 10/28/10, 6/8/15)
...
( b ) Celebration Bowl. Participation in the Celebration Bowl held between representatives of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which shall meet the reporting requirements set forth in Bylaw 18.7.2 in order to be exempt;
( c ) Twelve-Member Conference Championship Game. A conference championship game between division champions of a member conference of 12 or more institutions that is divided into two divisions (of six or more institutions each), each of which conducts round-robin, regular-season competition among the members of that division;
( d ) Championship Subdivision Conference Tournament. A conference-sponsored, season-ending postseason tournament (one between teams that are not identified until the end of the preceding regular season), not to exceed one contest for any member institution. This provision does not preclude an institution from participating in a conference-sponsored season-ending postseason tournament and additional postseason football opportunities (e.g., NCAA Championship, Celebration Bowl) during the same season;
...

Part "c" would suggest the old CCG rule is in effect, which would require 2 divisions, one of 6 and one of 7. But what's weird is that Part "d" would seem to supersede Part "c", at least as I read it. I'm not sure why it would be called a "tournament" if each team can only play one game, but if we're just talking 2 teams, that's a CCG. And there are no restrictions mentioned in terms of season schedule or divisions in Part "d".

Any thoughts on this?

HBCU Gameday article mentioned a source told them a MEAC team is unlikely and a D2 (presumay SIAC) is more likely. I don’t think any of them are close to ready though.

(03-04-2022 03:05 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(03-04-2022 02:17 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Let's suppose that Tennessee State were to join the SWAC, giving them 13 members. It occurred to me that even as an FCS conference, the SWAC might not be permitted to hold a CCG with a non-round-robin divisionless schedule as I had proposed. Here's the part of the NCAA bylaws that pertains to FCS postseason games aside from the NCAA tournament:

Quote:17.11.6.2.2 Championship Subdivision. [FCS] In championship subdivision football, the maximum number of football contests shall exclude the following: (Revised: 1/10/90, Adopted: 1/10/91, 1/19/92, 1/16/93 effective 8/1/93, 1/13/98 effective 8/1/98, 2/16/00, 12/15/06, 10/28/10, 6/8/15)
...
( b ) Celebration Bowl. Participation in the Celebration Bowl held between representatives of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which shall meet the reporting requirements set forth in Bylaw 18.7.2 in order to be exempt;
( c ) Twelve-Member Conference Championship Game. A conference championship game between division champions of a member conference of 12 or more institutions that is divided into two divisions (of six or more institutions each), each of which conducts round-robin, regular-season competition among the members of that division;
( d ) Championship Subdivision Conference Tournament. A conference-sponsored, season-ending postseason tournament (one between teams that are not identified until the end of the preceding regular season), not to exceed one contest for any member institution. This provision does not preclude an institution from participating in a conference-sponsored season-ending postseason tournament and additional postseason football opportunities (e.g., NCAA Championship, Celebration Bowl) during the same season;
...

Part "c" would suggest the old CCG rule is in effect, which would require 2 divisions, one of 6 and one of 7. But what's weird is that Part "d" would seem to supersede Part "c", at least as I read it. I'm not sure why it would be called a "tournament" if each team can only play one game, but if we're just talking 2 teams, that's a CCG. And there are no restrictions mentioned in terms of season schedule or divisions in Part "d".

Any thoughts on this?

HBCU Gameday article mentioned a source told them a MEAC team is unlikely and a D2 (presumay SIAC) is more likely. I don’t think any of them are close to ready though.

Did you mean to respond to my post?

What’s the NCAA going to do if the SWAC hosts a CCG that doesn’t meet the current rules? They don’t really have any teeth to enforce this.

(03-04-2022 07:30 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  The alumni, students, and fans of Tennessee State have made it known that they want to be in the SWAC. The problem with TSU is their biggest games are their HBCU rivalry games and then attendance drops off after that because their fan base isn't interested in watching them play OVC opponents. Between Grambling and Jackson State Tennessee State sold over 25k tickets to those two games and didn't sell that many tickets in their other home games combined. Tennessee State had the lowest attendance average in their history with fewer than 3,000 fans per game. Alumni, fans, and students have written the President and Athletic Director to let it be known that Tennessee State wants in the SWAC. Listening to spaces on Twitter last night, the fan base was energized when news broke that there are talks between the school and the SWAC. Going to the SoCon puts you in the same situation that you had in the OVC which is cultural fit and ticket holders wanting to be in a conference with traditional rivals. We'll see how this all plays out but right before the story broke there was a petition from Tennessee State alumni, supporters, and students about going to the SWAC. Folks in Nashville are definitely excited about this possibility.

Agree 100 percent (or 110 percent if I was college football coach)

GreenHornet,

What do you think about an HBCU Super Conference (potential member schools are listed above)?

Your Tigers could still play Alcorn and Valley in the non-conference, so those games would remain on the schedule.

I know at least some of the old heads would grumble about such a change, but it seems like it would provide an incredible opportunity for JSU and other high-profile HBCU institutions to elevate their visibility and branding.

(03-03-2022 09:40 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Per GreenHornet33 in the OVC Expansion thread. For those who haven’t followed HBCU realignment closely, Dr Kenyatta Cavil has been one of the most accurate sources in HBCU realignment and was on HBCU Gameday quite a bit when they broke the FAMU/BCU moves.

I would keep an eye out for his Inside HBCU Sports Lab radio show today and see what he says:
https://youtube.com/c/InsidetheHBCUSportsLab

What is spurring this on? SWAC lost/needs teams?

(03-04-2022 07:30 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 07:03 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 04:28 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 04:19 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  As I have posted multiple times on this board, Tennessee State University is not a "conventional" HBCU. The reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity. TSU is only about 75 percent African-American (most HBCUs are 85 percent or more). I attended TSU in the 1980s and taught part-time in the 1990s (I'm white) and I noticed that diversity even back then. Today, TSU is even more diverse (its downtown "campus" — a large modernist building — houses classroom accommodating various grad degree programs that, in particular, attract a diversity of students in terms of age and ethnicity).

2. TSU shares its Nashville locale with two other HBCUs (Fisk University and Meharry Medical College). There are only a handful of U.S. cities (Atlanta and D.C. come to mind) that have three or more HBCUs.

3. Nashville is neither extremely similar to America's major "Black cities" (Philly, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Memphis, Detroit, etc.) nor its major "white cities" (Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, etc.) At about 30 percent Black, Nashville is a hybrid of sorts, melding Black culture (and other cultures, for that matter) from both the North/Midwest and the South.

4. TSU is a member of a non-HBCU athletics league (the OVC)


Not sure of the date for this site but worth checking:

https://www.edsmart.org/largest-hbcus-by-enrollment/

I get what you’re saying but the near collapse of the OVC has given Tenn St the “opportunity” to reevaluate their conference home:

You’ve got the ASUN, which would include some familiar regional schools plus a big dose of Florida.

You’ve got the SWAC, which like the ASUN means more travel than their old home and no more trips north of the Ohio River, but would mean a big shift towards an HBCU identity.

The momentum right now seems to be towards a future that is more HBCU heavy, with some regional OOC games against predominantly white institutions rather than the other way around.

I definitely agree with you. TSU needs to be looking into its possible options — and it seems that is happening.

As a casual Tennessee State fan (our company just hired a proud graduate of the university), I would be fine with TSU in the SWAC. But I do hope TSU is on the phone with, say, the Southern Conference.

The alumni, students, and fans of Tennessee State have made it known that they want to be in the SWAC. The problem with TSU is their biggest games are their HBCU rivalry games and then attendance drops off after that because their fan base isn't interested in watching them play OVC opponents. Between Grambling and Jackson State Tennessee State sold over 25k tickets to those two games and didn't sell that many tickets in their other home games combined. Tennessee State had the lowest attendance average in their history with fewer than 3,000 fans per game. Alumni, fans, and students have written the President and Athletic Director to let it be known that Tennessee State wants in the SWAC. Listening to spaces on Twitter last night, the fan base was energized when news broke that there are talks between the school and the SWAC. Going to the SoCon puts you in the same situation that you had in the OVC which is cultural fit and ticket holders wanting to be in a conference with traditional rivals. We'll see how this all plays out but right before the story broke there was a petition from Tennessee State alumni, supporters, and students about going to the SWAC. Folks in Nashville are definitely excited about this possibility.

Good to hear and I'm not surprised. As a long-time fan of Belmont and a casual fan/observer of Tennessee State since the 1970s, having both school in the OVC was a neat thing. But now with Belmont headed to the Missouri Valley, there is little (if any) reason I would want TSU as a member of the Ohio Valley. The SWAC would make sense in so many ways (though the bus rides will be longer in general).

(03-04-2022 04:46 PM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  

(03-03-2022 09:40 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Per GreenHornet33 in the OVC Expansion thread. For those who haven’t followed HBCU realignment closely, Dr Kenyatta Cavil has been one of the most accurate sources in HBCU realignment and was on HBCU Gameday quite a bit when they broke the FAMU/BCU moves.

I would keep an eye out for his Inside HBCU Sports Lab radio show today and see what he says:
https://youtube.com/c/InsidetheHBCUSportsLab

What is spurring this on? SWAC lost/needs teams?

I would think primarily the history/fan interest between some SWAC programs and TSU. The two parties simply "fit." The SWAC has always had its eye on TSU, and now TSU needs a better and more stable home than the OVC.

Of course, and based on your past posts made with negative and dismissive tone, you likely look at the SWAC, OVC and TSU with disdain — so I'm surprised you are curious about this.