2020-21 SWAC All-Sports Awards

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized Prairie View A&M University as the winner of the 2020-21 James Frank Commissioner’s Cup Award. The James Frank Commissioner’s Cup and all-sports awards are determined by team finish in respective sports.  Each finish is awarded a point value and the schools with the highest point totals at the end of the athletic season are subsequently awarded.

Prairie View A&M also won the C.D. Henry Award after accumulating 70 total points on the men’s side. This marked the second-consecutive year in which PVAMU claimed the male all-sports award.
 
In total the Panthers won five SWAC championships this past athletic year (151.5 total points) claiming league titles in the sports of Women’s Bowling, Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Men’s Basketball, Men’s Golf and Men’s Outdoor Track and Field.

Alabama State won the Sadie Magee/Barbara Jacket Award finishing with 90 total points in the women’s final standings. The Lady Hornets brought home women’s titles in the sports of Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Golf, Women’s Outdoor Track and Field and Softball.

“The Southwestern Athletic Conference would like to congratulate Prairie View A&M University and Alabama State University for exemplary competition during an extremely unique athletic season,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.

“This past year both programs exemplified a high level of consistency along with unwavering dedication and resilience across a multitude of competing sports. We’re extremely pleased to recognize the impressive achievements of the student-athletes and athletic support staffs at both institutions.”     
 
A complete listing of final standings and individual program point totals for the three awards can be found at the link above.

About the Dr. James Frank Commissioner’s Cup Award
The Commissioner’s Cup, named for former league commissioner James Frank who led the SWAC from 1983 through 1998, is awarded to the university compiling the highest combined total of men’s and women’s all-sport points.
 
From 1983 until his retirement in 1998, Dr. Frank served as Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He returned to the position as Interim Commissioner in April 2001, where he served for 20 months. During his guidance, the conference evolved to rank among the elite in the nation.
 
Dr. James Frank was one of a few individuals who elevated through the collegiate ranks as a student-athlete, coach, educator, college president, and conference commissioner. During a long and distinguished career of over 50 years, Frank's efforts and influential leadership touched the lives of countless people and resulted in positive changes in the many organizations he served.

About the Magee/Jacket Award
The Magee/Jacket Award is presented to the top women’s athletic program in the SWAC. It is named after former Jackson State women’s basketball coach Sadie Magee and former Prairie View A&M track and field coach Barbara Jacket.

Magee was the first women’s basketball coach at Jackson State, compiling four SWAC regular season titles and three-straight National Association of Women’s Sports National Championships from 1978-1980.

Jacket led the Prairie View A&M to eight cross country, nine indoor and five outdoors SWAC titles from 1965 to 1991. She was also the head coach of the 1992 U.S. Women’s Olympic Track team that brought home four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals from Barcelona, Spain.

About the C.D. Henry Award
The Henry Award is presented to the top men’s athletic program in the SWAC. The award is named for C.D. Henry, former Grambling State chairman of the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department from 1958-74, as well as serving as the executive officer and secretary-statistician for the SWAC in 1968-73.

Henry became the first African American assistant commissioner of any conference office when he joined the Big Ten Conference in June of 1974.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
 
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.

Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.