Editing Southwestern Athletic Conference (section)

===Football===
Prior to splitting into divisions and using a postseason [[SWAC Championship Game|championship game]] to decide its overall champion, the SWAC determined its champions by winning-percentage against conference opponents in regular season play.

In 1933 Langston appeared to win the title outright with a 4–0 conference record after the regular season, while Wiley finished 4–1, and Prairie View A&M finished 3–1. Langston was invited to the Prairie View Bowl, which was won by Prairie View. The Panthers subsequently declared themselves SWAC champions even though their claim was based on a postseason game. The SWAC seems to acknowledge both schools' claims to the title in the conference's football media guide,<ref name="issuu.com">{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/swac/docs/covers_swac-2015fbmg |title=2015 SWAC Football Media Day by SWAC |website=Issuu.com |date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref> although some other sources<ref name="gsutigers.com">{{cite web|url=http://gsutigers.com/documents/2010/9/7/2010__GSU_FB_Media_Guide_Final.pdf|title=Grambling State University Tigers|website=Gsutigers.com|access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> including Michael Hurd's ''Black College Football, 1892–1992: One Hundred Years of History, Education, and Pride'' (1993) also list Wiley as an additional co-champion, apparently since all three schools had 4–1 records against conference opponents if the postseason game is incorporated into the regular season conference standings.

Prairie View vacated<ref name="gsutigers.com"/> its 1941 championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1532&dat=19411213&id=R6w7AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6SkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1800,21068718&hl=en|title=The Afro American - Google News Archive Search|website=News.google.com|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref> No championship was awarded in 1943 due to World War II.<ref name="gsutigers.com"/> Grambling vacated its 1975 championship due to a violation of SWAC rules for scheduling opponents.

{{Main|SWAC Championship Game}}
Games from 1999 to 2012 were played at [[Legion Field]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. The conference moved the game in 2013 to [[NRG Stadium]] in [[Houston, Texas]]. Starting in 2019, the game will officially be played at the first place team's home. Since 2015, the winner of the SWAC plays the winner of the MEAC conference in an overall HBCU championship bowl game called the [[Celebration Bowl]] in [[Mercedes-Benz Stadium]]. The MEAC gave up its automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs for this game.

Texas Southern vacated its 2010 championship due to violations of NCAA rules.<ref name="mobile.businessinsider.com">{{cite web|url=http://mobile.businessinsider.com/texas-southern-faces-2013-and-2014-postseason-ban-2012-10|title=Texas Southern Faces 2013 & 2014 Postseason Ban|author=TheMatadorSports|date=October 9, 2012|work=Business Insider|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>

The 2020–21 football season was played during Spring 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Champion
!Runner-up
!Score
|-
|1999
|[[1999 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[1999 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|31–30
|-
|2000
|[[2000 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2000 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|14–6
|-
|2001
|[[2001 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2001 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|38–31
|-
|2002
|[[2002 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2002 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|31–19
|-
|2003
|[[2003 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2003 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|20–9
|-
|2004
|[[2004 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|[[2004 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|40–35
|-
|2005
|[[2005 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2005 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|45–6
|-
|2006
|[[2006 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|[[2006 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|22–13
|-
|2007
|[[2007 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|[[2007 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|42–31
|-
|2008
|[[2008 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2008 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|41–9
|-
|2009
|[[2009 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|[[2009 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|30-24
|-
|2010
|[[2010 Texas Southern Tigers football team|Texas Southern]] (vacated)
|[[2010 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|11–6
|-
|2011
|[[2011 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2011 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|16–15
|-
|2012
|[[2012 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|[[2012 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|24–21
|-
|2013
|[[2013 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2013 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|34–27
|-
|2014
|[[2014 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|[[2014 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|38–24
|-
|2015
|[[2015 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|[[2015 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|49–21<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/gsu/2015/12/05/turnovers-kill-grambling-alcorn-captures-swac-title/76841814/ |title=Turnovers kill Grambling as Alcorn captures SWAC title |website=Thenewsstar.com |date=December 6, 2015 |access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|2016
|[[2016 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2016 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|27–20
|-
|2017
|[[2017 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2017 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|40–32
|-
|-
|2018
|[[2018 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|[[2018 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|37–28
|-
|2019
|[[2019 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|[[2019 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|39–24
|-
|2020
|[[2021 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|[[2021 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|40–33
|-
|2021
|[[2021 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|[[2021 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|27–10
|-
|2022
|[[2022 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|[[2022 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|43–24
|-
|2023
|[[2023 Florida A&M Rattlers football team|Florida A&M]]
|[[2023 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|35–14
|-
|2024
|[[2024 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|[[2024 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|41-13
|}

Since splitting into western and eastern divisions and using a postseason [[SWAC Championship Game|championship game]] to decide its overall champion, the SWAC determines its division champions by winning-percentage against conference opponents in regular season play. For the 1999 season only, inter-divisional conference games did not count in the conference standings. Each division's outright champion or top-seeded co-champion advances to the championship game.<ref name="issuu.com"/>

Texas Southern vacated its 2010 division championship due to violations of NCAA rules.<ref name="mobile.businessinsider.com"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Western Division champion(s)
!Eastern Division champion(s)
|-
|1999
|[[1999 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[1999 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2000
|[[2000 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2000 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]*<br />[[2000 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|-
|2001
|[[2001 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2001 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|-
|2002
|[[2002 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2002 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|-
|2003
|[[2003 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]*<br />[[2003 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2003 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]*<br />[[2003 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2004
|[[2004 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2004 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|-
|2005
|[[2005 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2005 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|-
|2006
|[[2006 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|[[2006 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|-
|2007
|[[2007 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2007 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2008
|[[2008 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2008 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2009
|[[2009 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|[[2009 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|-
|2010
|[[2010 Texas Southern Tigers football team|Texas Southern]]* (vacated)<br />[[2010 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2010 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]*<br />[[2010 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2011
|[[2011 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2011 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]*<br />[[2011 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]<br />[[2011 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]**
|-
|2012
|[[2012 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|[[2012 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]*<br />[[2012 Alabama State Hornets football team|Alabama State]]
|-
|2013
|[[2013 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2013 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2014
|[[2014 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2014 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2015
|[[2015 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2015 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2016
|[[2016 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2016 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2017
|[[2017 Grambling State Tigers football team|Grambling]]
|[[2017 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2018
|[[2018 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2018 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2019
|[[2019 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2019 Alcorn State Braves football team|Alcorn State]]
|-
|2020
|[[2020 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team|Arkansas–Pine Bluff]]
|[[2020 Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team|Alabama A&M]]
|-
|2021
|[[2021 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|[[2021 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2022
|[[2022 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]*<br />[[2022 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|[[2022 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|-
|2023
|[[2023 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team|Prairie View A&M]]
|[[2023 Florida A&M Rattlers football team|Florida A&M]]
|-
|2024
|[[2024 Southern Jaguars football team|Southern]]
|[[2024 Jackson State Tigers football team|Jackson State]]
|}
Note: an asterisk denotes the division's top-seeded co-champion and representative in the SWAC Championship Game; a double-asterisk denotes that the division's co-champion was ineligible for the SWAC Championship Game due to a violation of SWAC rules that were in effect from 2011 to 2014 concerning [[Academic Progress Rate]] (APR) scores.<ref name="usatoday.com">{{cite news |title=Ineligible Jackson St predicted to win SWAC East |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-07-19-3185056941_x.htm |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=July 19, 2011 |access-date=April 9, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="pbcommercial.com">{{cite web|first=I.C.|last=Murrell|url=http://pbcommercial.com/sports/uapb/despite-apr-golden-lions-still-eligible-swac-football-title |title=Despite APR, Golden Lions still eligible for SWAC football title &#124; Pine Bluff Commercial |website=Pbcommercial.com |date=May 14, 2014 |access-date=April 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425213444/http://pbcommercial.com/sports/uapb/despite-apr-golden-lions-still-eligible-swac-football-title |archive-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

Starting with the 2021 season with the additions of both Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, the football schedule is as follows:

* Each school plays eight conference games (five divisional, three non-divisional) and rotates three teams from the opposite division every two years.
* The best team in the SWAC gets to host the SWAC championship game. 
* The SWAC champion advances to the Celebration Bowl versus the MEAC champion. The loser ends its season.