Alcorn State opts out of spring football

February 17, 2021 by SWAC.org

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Over the past two weeks, the Southwestern Athletic Conference was formally notified of Alcorn State University’s intent to opt-out of the spring 2021 football season slated to start on February 21.

As a result, the Conference office attempted to reschedule games that were subsequently lost due to this decision; but based upon the uniqueness related to the spring season scheduling model, the league was unable to reschedule any of the contests that were impacted. Consequently, the Conference office applied the previously agreed-upon football policies related to game cancellations and rescheduling.

In order to ensure overall equity and cohesiveness with the spring football schedule, all Alcorn State conference games for the spring season will be considered no contest forfeitures with wins being awarded to Alcorn State’s scheduled opponents. Conference policy states that a member institution that is unable to participate in all or in part of the designated Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule, shall forfeit all impacted games.

To properly rank the teams still playing. Alcorn State had forecast by the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com to finish 5-1 in its regular season. That would have put the Braves in the SWAC Championship game where they were predicted to lose to Southern. The computer rankings will exclude Alcorn State and NOT include wins or losses awarded by the league's "no contest" rule. With the re-worked math, and forfeits applied, the computer now projects Prairie View A&M to defeat Alabama A&M in the SWAC title game.