KICKOFF SET FOR 1 P.M. FOR HEALTHSOUTH SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH BETWEEN BULLDOGS, TIGERS

BIRMINGHAM -- At 1 p.m. Saturday, a new champion of Southwestern Athletic Conference football will be crowned.

After a three-year hold on the title by the Southern University Jaguars, and after a five-year domination by the Jaguars and rival Jackson State University, either Alabama A&M University or Grambling State University will be the first team other than Southern or Jackson State to win the SWAC championship since Grambling State and Alcorn State shared the crown back in 1994.

Saturday's HealthSouth SWAC Championship will be held for the second straight season at Legion Field in Birmingham. More than 50,000 fans are expected. Tickets remain on sale at $10 and $20 at all TicketMaster outlets, SWAC-member universities, the Legion Field Box Office and at the Alabama Sports Foundation.

The Alabama A&M Bulldogs will enter the championship as the representative of the league's Eastern Division. AAMU finished the regular-season with records of 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Bulldogs are aiming for the conference title in just their second year as a full member of the league.

The Grambling State Tigers will enter Saturday's game as the representative of the SWAC's Western Division. The Tigers, who've been a perennial power in SWAC football since joining the conference in 1958, are aiming for their 18th SWAC championship.

In last year's inaugural HealthSouth SWAC Championship, Southern registered a thrilling 31-30 come-from-behind victory over Jackson State.

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