SWAC resolves scheduling issues
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Vowels' directive, which was approved by the conference's Council of Presidents and Chancellors in April, brings an end to months-long discussions about how to alter the schedule to accomodate conflicts this season. Those discussions, according to sources close to the situation, had involved athletic directors and school presidents and included allegations of mis-communication and threats of pulling out of the conference.
The SWAC was preparing to go to a schedule this year where all ten conference schools would play each other. East and West Division champions were to be chosen from a seven-game schedule of four games within the division and three games against the top finishers from 2003 in the other division. Southern, Grambling State and Texas Southern were the top finishers in the West last season. Alabama State, Alcorn State and Alabama A&M were the top teams from the East.
Several scheduling snafus caused that plan to be altered.
Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, both members of the West Division, had problems with their Sept. 25 date in St. Louis this season at The Gateway Classic. Efforts to move the game to Oct. 2 or to Nov. 20, a week before Southern's big game vs. Grambling in the Bayou Classic, also could not be agreed upon.
The inability to agree on a date for the Southern/UAPB game may have been the trigger for a host of related scheduling problems that involved at least four other schools. The resultant schedule in the directive reflects the inability of the parties to resolve the problems using the original plan.
As it stands for this season, Southern and UAPB will not play each other. Instead, both schools' games against Jackson State will count on their division record. Jackson State's game against UAPB will now count on its division record. Texas Southern and Jackson State will not play each other.
Finally, UAPB and Alcorn State will also not face each other. UAPB will count its game vs. Mississippi Valley State on its division ledger.
The adjusted schedule is available on-line at the SWAC website at http://www.swac.org/03-04/football/04fbguidelines.htm.
The press release containing the directive says the conference will "develop principles," and "proposed schedules" beginning with the 2005 season.
The details of the commissioner's directive are included here:
In a memorandum sent to member institutions the Commissioner stated;
After discussing the 2004 Conference football schedule with member institutions over the past several months, the Conference office has formulated the following guidelines which will bring this issue to closure.
1. For the 2004 season, the Conference will follow the mandated 7-game divisional schedule format approved by the Council of Presidents and Chancellors during the Tuesday, April 28, 2004 conference call. This format will allow all members to be eligible to compete for the 2004 Conference championship.
2. The games listed below have been designated by the Conference office as games that will count towards this year's Conference standings.
3. Starting with the 2005 season the Conference office will develop football scheduling principles and proposed schedules with the assistance of the Conference members.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.