SWAC Athletic Facilities


Yes BCU is landlocked...it’s hard to find a spot to build an on campus stadium.

The stadium they currently play at just lost the 5A-8A FHSAA State Championship games because the facility was unable to facilitate the large crowd...Miami Northwestern vs Jones (Orlando) brought a bigger a crowd than most BCU home games outside of their homecoming. Fans didn’t make it through traffic until after halftime in some cases

and it’s in the woods ironically lol

what they’ve done with what they have is amazing though. No real practice field (not 100 yards), no track (just a piece of track), no baseball field, off campus softball in the hood, etc.
 
and it’s in the woods ironically lol

what they’ve done with what they have is amazing though. No real practice field (not 100 yards), no track (just a piece of track), no baseball field, off campus softball in the hood, etc.
Yeah, it really is remarkable when you think about. They’re competitive/near the top of the MEAC standings in every sport.
 
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Yeah, it really is remarkable when you think about. They’re competitive/near the top of the MEAC standings in every sport.

But it helps they’re in the Florida and can play all year round while northern teams have to thaw out and are a step slower when the season starts in spring
 
Shoot everyone gym is better than Vanderbilt's for sure. lol

man I’m willing to say we had the best arena in the entire state. I know Auburn just got a new one a few years ago. But I don’t watch or support them, so I have no idea what it looks like
 
I haven't researched but do you think being a private school decently limits what they are capable of doing and growing/funding athletically?

Perhaps BCU is giving us currents a glimpse of the athletic issues in the past when the SWAC experienced attrition of its founding member private schools and the ascension of its state public schools?

Just something to ponder.

You know, I didn't think about that! But that could very well be the case! Early SWAC attrition saw the private/parochial schools bow out as they could not compete with the government-funded public universities. UAPB, as Arkansas' only public hbcu, entered, then left, but returned again, while the founding church-affiliated schools never did return. But BCU is obviously different than the Paul Quinns, Wileys, and Bishops of the world, as it appears to have withstood the test of time, and enters its new future conference home with a $15M athletic budget that would be the third largest in SWAC. I've got a feeling BCU will soon be announcing plans to erect a new convocation/assembly center on its campus.
 
But it helps they’re in the Florida and can play all year round while northern teams have to thaw out and are a step slower when the season starts in spring

They can also admit players that other schools can’t. I know we had a few kids who tried to transfer our way, couldn’t get in and headed to BCU. They stay quiet, yet loaded, on the beach.
 
Average Football Seating Capacity
SWAC 23,300
MEAC 15,100
BS 7,500

Not only are SWAC facilities larger, but they are also nicer playing venues. I had no idea the Big South's stadiums were so small, with the largest seating approximately14,000 and the smallest 4,000. I believe that more than one of their stadiums seated around 4000. This illustrates to me that this is a really small-time conference looking to boost their fortunes with the addition of a distinguished hbcu athletic program such as A&T, with a football stadium seating capacity of 21,500. A&T elevates their conference and not the other way around. I cannot believe NCAT left the MEAC for a conference on this football level. Even FAMU, why would it select a conference in the form of MEAC, whose football and basketball facilities were so inferior to its own.
 
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Average Football Seating Capacity
SWAC 23,300
MEAC 15,100
BS 7,500

Not only are SWAC facilities larger, but they are also nicer playing venues. I had no idea the Big South's stadiums were so small, with the largest seating approximately14,000 and the smallest 4,000. I believe that several of their stadiums seated around 4000. This illustrates to me that this is a really small-time conference looking to boost their fortunes with the addition of a distinguished athletic program such as A&T, with a football seating capacity of 21,500. A&T elevates their conference and not the other way around. I cannot believe NCAT left the MEAC for a conference on this football level. Even FAMU, why would it select a conference in the form of MEAC, whose football facilities were so inferior to its own.

Before A&T, most of the Big South are private schools so A&T really gets to be a big dog in a small pond outside of KSU and (at least for now) Monmouth. As others have said, just look at their AD and their push to shed the HBCU "stigma" with diversification.

Even if the Big South becomes a part of the A-Sun super conference (which is expected once the A-Sun adds football, they really gave up HBCU rivalries and the Celebration Bowl for Campbell and Charleston Southern in football in the immediate future and multiple trips back to FL if the A-Sun adds football (if FGCU adds football and doesnt go straight to FBS, they are in the A-Sun and way further south than Daytona is so the "travel" excuse for leaving the MEAC is moot)
 
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The problem (and I use that term loosely) is that the vast majority of people equate all HBCUs to be on the same level as far as facilities... no matter whether D1, D2, or NAIA. When we speak about HBCUs we often do so speaking on all HBCUs, but that shouldn't carry over into athletics. Whenever I get into discussions like this (even with fellow HBCU alums) they do the same thing until I show them pictures and evidence that their argument is based on ignorance and perception. Not just that, but all HBCUs are NOT on the same level. That's why I've always hated us bragging about the mythical Black College Football Championship. It compares us and competes us against lower division competition. How does that make any sense from a marketing strategy? There are high school stadiums in DC that are better looking, larger, more advanced than Howard's football stadium. But Howard gets a lot more publicity than most other HBCUs, and as a result are the standard bearers for all other HBCUs. That obviously isn't the standard at SWAC stadiums where our facilities rival FBS G5 conference facilities.

We (SWAC) have to do a better job of marketing ourselves to the general public, because we compete at the same level as the Alabama's, Clemson's, USC's, UCLA's, Notre Dame's, Texas' in every sport other than football, but if you ask most recruits or general public to tell it, we compete on a lower level than those schools.

When people think of HBCU facilities they're more than likely picturing some dilapidated structure being held together by duct tape and rust, and not stadiums and arenas that are in the SWAC. We need to change that narrative, and the best way to do that is through improving our marketing and national TV exposure in our home stadiums playing marquee games.

Wonderful and VERY Thoughtful statement!!!!!!!!!
 
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I think we will eventually get the field turf (and it won't be because of the AD but the V Club) as well as the video board (if not this year definitely next season).

Now upgrading/moving back to the original home side (the big side) is still in the air. I will have to pitch about filling in the north end zone with seats (where the scoreboard is now) as well. The home side (which will become the visitor's side) could be expanded at well similar to how Alcorn/UAPB have theirs but there is supposed a gas line on that side (allegedly) so it might be issues if that is true
 
I think we will eventually get the field turf (and it won't be because of the AD but the V Club) as well as the video board (if not this year definitely next season).

Now upgrading/moving back to the original home side (the big side) is still in the air. I will have to pitch about filling in the north end zone with seats (where the scoreboard is now) as well. The home side (which will become the visitor's side) could be expanded at well similar to how Alcorn/UAPB have theirs but there is supposed a gas line on that side (allegedly) so it might be issues if that is true

Y'alls stadium wouldn't be bad if they upgraded the pressbox side like the other side and also expand the fieldhouse.
 
Y'alls stadium wouldn't be bad if they upgraded the pressbox side like the other side and also expand the fieldhouse.

That is/was supposed to be done once the $4 million was raised to do that and renovate the home side back to being a visitor's side

But.... (sorry) AD....

Gonna have to make that a priority again
 
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