SWAC Championship Game history

By Steven J. Gaither

Posted on December 1, 2017

Southern 3-4

Southern holds the distinction of winning the first-ever SWAC Championship Game back in 1999, edging out Jackson State. The Jags have five appearances in the big game, beating Alabama State in 2003 and Jackson State in 2013. It got back to the title game in 2018 after a three-year Grambling run, but couldn’t knock off the hometown Alcorn State squad.

Alcorn State 4-2

Alcorn was the last team from the SWAC East to make the championship game, but it has had the most success so far. Fifteen years after the SWAC went to the championship game format, ASU finally got there in 2014. It dethroned defending champ Southern in 2014 and then spanked Grambling in 2015 en route to the inaugural Celebration Bowl.

After suffering back-to-back losses to Grambling in 2016 and 2017, Alcorn State took home back-to-back crowns in 2018 and 2019, defeating Southern on its home field.

Grambling 8-2

Would it really make sense for anyone else to be on top of this list? After Southern won the first SWAC championship, GSU went to three straight title games, winning them all under the guidance of Doug Williams. Williams is one of five Grambling coaches who have won SWAC titles at Grambling, including Melvin Spears (2005), Rod Broadway (2008) and Broderick Fobbs (2016), with another win himself in 2011 after returning. Broderick Fobbs led his team to back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

Grambling’s eight championship game wins are twice as much as the next closest team, Southern) and more than eight other teams combined.

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