Southwestern Athletic Conference

[gtapp]

Why doesn’t the SWAC participate in the FCS playoffs?

[TomCat88]

Why doesn’t the SWAC participate in the FCS playoffs?

They used to many moons ago. I think they have some kind of bowl game — Celebration Bowl — mid-December.

I guess they can still get an at-large. Florida AM was in 2021 playoffs

[luckyirishguy25]

Why doesn’t the SWAC participate in the FCS playoffs?

They used to many moons ago. I think they have some kind of bowl game — Celebration Bowl — mid-December.

I guess they can still get an at-large.

as long as its a team that didn't participate in the bowl game.

[MSU01]

Why doesn’t the SWAC participate in the FCS playoffs?

Their own postseason bowl game makes them way more money. A couple years ago Florida A&M didn't make that game but was still selected as an FCS at-large team for the playoffs.

[damnyoutuesday]

The HBCU's get way more money from ESPN for doing their own thing than participating in the playoffs. The SWAC specifically has two divisions (East and West) that compete in the SWAC Championship game, then the winner of that competes in the Celebration Bowl vs the winner of the MEAC (the other FCS HBCU conference). These games pay out more to the SWAC and MEAC than playing in the playoffs will ever get them.

You will occasionally see a SWAC team that came in second in their division make the FCS playoffs (I think Florida A&M was the last a few years ago?) as an at-large, but they normally get their doors blown off during the first round