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SWAC Tournament - Day One: Underdogs Advance with a Pair of Favorites

The 2026 SWAC Basketball Tournament opens with a slate of two women's and two men's games.
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BCU Opens SWAC Tournament Against Texas Southern
BCU Opens SWAC Tournament Against Texas Southern | BCU Athletics

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Bethune-Cookman WildcatsTexas Southern TigersGrambling State TigersMississippi Valley State Delta DevilsAlcorn State BravesAlabama State Hornets

The Gateway Center Arena opened the 2026 Pepsi SWAC Basketball Tournament on Monday with both women's and men's first-round action, as 24 teams (12 women and 12 men) from the Southwestern Athletic Conference compete for conference championships and automatic bids to the NCAA Division I Tournament.

The six-day tournament, running through March 14, is being held at the 5,000-seat arena in College Park and will be broadcast on ESPN+ throughout, with both championship games airing on ESPNU.

SWAC TOURNAMENT - DAY ONE

Women's First Round

On the women's side, Monday produced two notable results. In Game 1, No. 11 seed Bethune-Cookman upset No. 10 seed Texas Southern, 66–62, earning a second-round matchup against No. 8 Florida A&M. In Game 2, No. 9 seed Mississippi Valley State edged No. 12 seed Prairie View A&M, 63–49, advancing to face No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the second round.

A look into the second round on the women's side: Game 3 pits No. 8 Florida A&M against Bethune-Cookman (winner of Game 1) at 11:00 AM EST, while Game 4 sends No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff against Mississippi Valley State at 5:30 PM EST. All games air on ESPN+.

Men's First Round

In Game 1, No. 11 seed Alcorn State knocked off No. 10 seed Alabama State convincingly, 77–65, advancing to face No. 8 Prairie View A&M in the second round. In Game 2, No. 9 seed Grambling State dominated No. 12 seed Mississippi Valley State, 77–52, to advance and set up a second-round clash with No. 7 Jackson State.

A look into the second round on the men's side: Game 3 features No. 8 Prairie View A&M vs. No. 11 Alcorn State at 2:00 PM EST, followed by Game 4 with No. 7 Jackson State vs. No. 9 Grambling State at 8:30 PM EST.

What's Ahead

The quarterfinals begin Wednesday, March 11, when the top seeds enter the fray. On the men's side, No. 1 Bethune-Cookman (14–4 in conference play) and No. 2 Florida A&M await their opponents, while No. 1 Alabama A&M (a dominant 17–1 in SWAC play) headlines the women's quarterfinals as the heavy favorite. The championship games for both tournaments are slated for Saturday, March 14 on ESPNU.

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