SWAC women’s basketball opens the new year with a packed conference slate in what should be another competitive season.
TV spotlight matchups
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Prairie View A&M’s trip to Southern and Texas Southern’s visit to Grambling State will serve as the first women’s basketball broadcasts of the 2025-26 SWAC TV schedule on Thursday, giving both Louisiana programs a chance to make a statement at home to a league-wide audience.
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On Saturday, Alcorn State’s visit to Jackson State and Prairie View’s second road test at Grambling round out a three-game SWAC TV window that should offer an early look at which rosters are ready to contend in March.
Florida Classic goes to hardwood
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The women’s version of the Florida Classic rivalry takes center stage Saturday in Daytona Beach, when Florida A&M visits Bethune-Cookman in the lone women’s matchup on HBCU GO’s opening weekend doubleheader.
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With the men’s and women’s games slotted back-to-back on the network, both programs get a national stage to showcase backcourt play and depth in what is usually one of the league’s more physical, emotional contests.
SWAC play starts TODAY 🏁
Here’s a look at this week’s conference schedule. @starry#SWACMBB | #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/QVpiy85Mxz
— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) January 1, 2026
Early tone-setters in Alabama, Mississippi
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Alabama A&M and Alabama State both open league play on the road Thursday, with the Bulldogs visiting Mississippi Valley State and the Hornets heading to Arkansas–Pine Bluff in games that should immediately test their poise in hostile environments.
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The travel grind continues Saturday as Alabama State flips to Valley and Alabama A&M heads to UAPB, creating an early “mini-round robin” that could loom large in tiebreakers down the line.
What’s at stake this weekend
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For programs like Jackson State and Southern, which are accustomed to sitting near the top of the standings, protecting home court on opening weekend is crucial to maintaining their status as the measuring stick for the rest of the league.
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For road-heavy groups such as Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern, splitting or sweeping tough trips could provide confidence and separation in what has historically been a tightly packed middle of the SWAC table.
How SWAC fans can watch
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SWAC TV will stream Prairie View at Southern and Texas Southern at Grambling on Thursday, then return Saturday with Alcorn State at Jackson State and Prairie View at Grambling as part of its 2026 women’s basketball package.
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HBCU GO opens its women’s slate with Florida A&M at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon, giving fans another free, over-the-air option to follow SWAC women’s hoops as conference play tips off in earnest