SWAC TV Reveals 2026 HBCU Football Broadcast Schedule: Every Game, Week by Week

The SWAC released its 2026 SWAC TV football schedule, 50 games from Week 0 on Aug. 29 through the Turkey Day Classic, after ESPN claimed the conference's classics.

Andrew Body | ASU Athletics

HOUSTON -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced that it will broadcast HBCU football on SWAC TV for the 2026 season, from Week 0 in late August through the Turkey Day Classic on Thanksgiving Day. 2026 SWAC Football has the makings of being one of the most competitive and compelling seasons for fans.

Despite ESPN cherry-picking quite a few of the conference's classics and rivalries this season, the SWAC TV slate still carries league crossovers and division matchups, along with non-conference home tests and other contests in the platform's second season. The digital platform games remain separate from the contests ESPN claimed for its linear networks.

Last week, the conference released its 2026 ESPN television schedule, which locked in the national-window classics, including the Orange Blossom Classic, the Labor Day Classic, the Boom Box Classic, the State Fair Classic, the Magic City Classic, and the Florida Classic.

Surprisingly, more non-conference opponents will fill the spectrum of contests with Morehouse facing a SWAC program, a first in years for the Maroon Tigers under new head coach, Brad Sherrod.

The SWAC TV slate fills in the remaining games, and 2026 shapes up as a pivotal year for the platform. The conference must prove to subscribers that the SWAC product is worth supporting and tuning into each week. A strong season also gives potential advertisers a preview ahead of the 2026-27 New York upfronts, positioning SWAC TV as a highly respected broadcast platform for their brands.

2026 SWAC TV Schedule

Saturday, Aug. 29

• Clark Atlanta at Grambling State
• Albany State at Florida A&M
• Morehouse vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Miles at Alcorn State

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Miles at Alabama A&M
• Lane at Alabama State
• Central State at Grambling State
• Kentucky State at Southern

Saturday, Sept. 12

• Tennessee State at Alabama A&M
• Lincoln vs. Mississippi Valley State
• Stetson at Bethune-Cookman

Saturday, Sept. 19

• Stephen F. Austin at Prairie View A&M
• Bowie State at Alabama A&M
• Tuskegee at Jackson State
• Delta State at Mississippi Valley State
• Louisiana Christian at Southern
• Virginia Lynchburg at Bethune-Cookman
• Central State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Saturday, Sept. 26

• Texas Southern at Alcorn State
• Alabama A&M at Florida A&M
• Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State

Saturday, Oct. 3

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Southern
• Alcorn State at Grambling State
• Alabama State at Bethune-Cookman
• Prairie View A&M at Mississippi Valley State
• Jackson State vs. Alabama A&M

Saturday, Oct. 10

• Bethune-Cookman at Alabama A&M
• Southern at Prairie View A&M
• Arkansas Baptist at Alcorn State
• Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern
• Jackson State at Grambling State

Saturday, Oct. 17

• Southern at Texas Southern
• Bethune-Cookman at Mississippi Valley State
• Alabama State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Grambling State at Alabama A&M

Saturday, Oct. 24

• Jackson State at Bethune-Cookman

Saturday, Oct. 31

• Bethune-Cookman at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State
• Grambling State at Texas Southern

Saturday, Nov. 7

• Bethune-Cookman at Southern
• Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M
• Alabama State at Texas Southern
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State
• Florida A&M at Alcorn State

Saturday, Nov. 14

• Grambling State at Bethune-Cookman
• Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Mississippi Valley State at Florida A&M
• Texas Southern at Alabama A&M

Saturday, Nov. 21

• Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State

Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving Day)

• Tuskegee at Alabama State

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10 Key Games to Watch

1. Jackson State at Grambling State  (Revenge Game)
2. Southern at Prairie View A&M (A must-win for Coach Faulk’s Jags?; Coach Jackson to show dominance)
3. Alabama State at Bethune-Cookman  (Could be a shootout)
4. Stephen F. Austin at Prairie View A&M (2nd FCS opponent in TX to battle the Panthers)
5. Tennessee State at Alabama A&M (Both squads must show improvement; should be competitive)
6. Alabama State at Texas Southern (Andrew Body returns to where it all began in H-Town!)
7. Albany State at Florida A&M (Dubbed "The Coach Gray Classic")
8. Southern at Texas Southern (2nd trip to Texas in 2 weeks)
9. Grambling State at Texas Southern (Two coaches in a pivotal season)
10. Alcorn State at Mississippi Valley State (A much-improved clash)

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My Team Has How Many Games?

• Alabama A&M leads at 10 games on SWAC TV with three non-conference home dates (Miles, Tennessee State, Bowie State).
• Florida A&M and Jackson State sit lowest at 4 each. The Rattlers and Tigers are heavily booked on ESPN linear networks with FAMU's Orange Blossom and Florida Classics, JSU's Boom Box Classic, and the Alabama State East showdown.  
• The non-conference opponents that recur are Miles, Central State, and Tuskegee, who each appear twice.  
• Non-conference visitors that are appearing once: Clark Atlanta, Albany State, Morehouse, Lane, Kentucky State, Tennessee State, Lincoln, Stetson, Stephen F. Austin, Bowie State, Delta State, Louisiana Christian, Virginia Lynchburg, and Arkansas Baptist.

How many times?

• Alabama A&M -- 10
• Bethune-Cookman -- 9
• Mississippi Valley State -- 9
• Grambling State -- 8
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff -- 7
• Alabama State -- 6
• Alcorn State -- 6
• Southern -- 6
• Texas Southern -- 6
• Prairie View A&M -- 5
• Florida A&M -- 4
• Jackson State -- 4

That totals 80 SWAC-team slots across the 50 games being broadcast this season on SWAC TV.  It looks to be a great season of broadcasting in the Southwestern Athletic Conference!

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