A new age in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) baseball has started. Both Bethune Cookmen and Florida A&M baseball programs have left behind the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and officially transitioned to the SWAC effective July 1st. The move represents a step forward for the programs and will increase recruiting, strengthen competition, and provide a greater revenue stream for the conference.
With the addition of Bethune Cookman and Florida A&M, the conference expands its presence in the southern region.
The adoption of BCU and FAMU will reduce travel costs for both schools and creates new regional and conference rivalries amongst member schools.
The move helps the conference take steps for growth as a more competitive mid-major baseball conference. The entrance into the league is a tremendous opportunity to elevate athletics, competition, and keep natural rivalries and start new ones is more than exciting.
The MEAC is in a state of flux. In addition to the two Florida schools, North Carolina A&T departs the conference this upcoming school year and North Carolina Central University officially terminated its baseball program after the conclusion of this past season. The membership is now down to four baseball playing schools.
If the MEAC cannot sponsor six or more college baseball programs by the end of the 2022 academic year it will lose an automatic qualifying berth into the NCAA Division I Baseball post-season tournament that was first granted in 1994.
Combined, both Bethune Cookman and Florida A&M have won 27 conference titles since 1972. Bethune’s tenure in the MEAC saw the Wildcats rise to become one of the top athletic programs in the league. BCU has captured a total of 19 conference championships over its 39-year MEAC history and aims to bring that high standard of athletic competition and academic performance into the SWAC. FAMU has won 8 conference championships.
Bethune Cookman and FAMU will compete in the SWAC East Division as new members with the current divisional powerhouses Alabama State and Jackson State. The divisional realignment moves Alcorn State to the West Division to start the 2022 season.
| East Division | West Division |
|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Alcorn State |
| Alabama State | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| Bethune-Cookman | Grambling State |
| Florida A&M | Prairie View A&M |
| Jackson State | Southern |
| Mississippi Valley State | Texas Southern |