Prairie View A&M clinched the SWAC West championship and a trip to the conference title game on Saturday.
However, there wasn’t much celebrating going on.
“There wasn’t a lot of celebrating on Saturday,” said Panthers head coach Tremaine Jackson on Monday. “The trainers and cheerleaders took more pictures of the trophy than we did. We did what we did and went right back to work, because we know we’re not done. We’ve got a really good team coming in this week, then a bye, and then it’s time to put it on the line again.”
The lack of exuberant postgame joy might be rooted in the notion that, despite Prairie View operating under a first-year head coach and roster turnover, Jackson expected the program to be in this position.
“We just got a different way of doing things, and the difference is we actually believe in that,” Jackson said. “I didn’t make any promises. I just told people what was going to happen. We’ve been here before, and it’s no disrespect to anybody. We just really believe in what we believe in.”
The Panthers went 5-0 in conference play for the first time since 2009 — something that would have been hard to fathom prior to Jackson’s arrival.
“It’s shocking to me, just like it’s shocking to some people that we said what we said,” he continued. “It’s shocking to me that people don’t believe us. We just have to play the game the way that we play. This is a really good conference with really good coaches — guys who have coached at places I’ve only dreamed of. But the calling on my life is special, and I believe in it.”
History in the Making. Job’s Not Done.#DOG | #WTW | #PVAMUFootball pic.twitter.com/gvvgFeDAN5
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) November 16, 2025
The head coach, who took Valdosta State to the Division II national championship game a season ago, emphasized the impact of mentorship and culture in shaping Prairie View’s identity.
“We mentor kids, and we get great messages from guys who come back to see us here at Prairie View,” Jackson said. “People are excited, and they should be, because our institution is elite.”
As Prairie View A&M pushes deeper into the season, Jackson made clear that the foundation of the program remains rooted in belief — one that he says doesn’t require promises, only proof on the field.