BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference recently held its annual SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors spring meeting. Several key items of proposed legislation were included on the agenda with the league set to implement new leadership and policies in preparation for the 2021-22 academic year.

The Spring 2021 meetings also marked the end of an era as Alabama A&M University President Dr. Andrew Hugine officially concluded his position as chair of the group. He is slated to retire this fall capping off a historic tenure as chairman for the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors.

“The Southwestern Athletic Conference undoubtedly owes President Hugine a huge debt of appreciation and gratitude for his outstanding leadership during his time serving as the chair for the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.

“President Hugine’s visionary leadership has taken our conference to great heights while also charting a path that many may not have believed just several years ago. The Southwestern Athletic Conference’s growth and current upward trajectory could not have been achieved without his leadership and guidance during this transitional point in collegiate athletics.”

The Southwestern Athletic Conference experienced historic growth and progression under the leadership of Hugine while serving as chair of the council. Two significant highlights of his tenure include the purchasing of the new conference office headquarters in Birmingham, along with league membership expansion.

The Conference Office purchased a 16,000 square feet corporate office building located near downtown Birmingham in the Spring of 2020. The league’s new headquarters serves as the primary location for conference operations and annual business meetings. The three-story structure is equipped with over 40 individual offices, two large conference rooms, a walk-in reception/waiting area, and over 30 parking spaces.

Conference expansion was also a significant highlight of Hugine’s tenure. During the Summer of 2021 the SWAC welcomed Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University as full members to the conference.

With the additions of Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, the Southwestern Athletic Conference has a total of 12 member institutions with three members based in Mississippi (Alcorn State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State), two in Alabama (Alabama A&M, Alabama State), two in Louisiana (Grambling State, Southern), two in Texas (Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern), one in Arkansas (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), and two in Florida (Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman).  

University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Chancellor Dr. Laurence Alexander is slated to serve as the next chairman of the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors beginning Fall 2021.

“The Southwestern Athletic Conference is excited to welcome Chancellor Alexander as the new chairman of the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors,” said McClelland.

“Over the course of his leadership, Chancellor Alexander has shown a steadfast commitment to the forward progression and advancement of our student-athletes and league membership. We look forward to working with him to further enhance our brand in all facets while simultaneously improving the overall quality of experiences for all of our student-athletes in the 18 sports in which we currently sponsor.”

Alexander most recently served as Vice-Chairman of the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors. In addition, he was selected as a member of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum this past Fall 2021.

This past week Alexander was named Vice-Chairman of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum. The Presidential Forum is comprised of one president or chancellor from each of the 32 Division I Conferences.

The purpose of the forum is to assist the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in accomplishing its strategic mission in the Division I governance structure and help ensure that the NCAA core value involving presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference and national level is achieved.

Dr. Alexander is currently in his eighth year as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Since joining UAPB, Alexander has promoted institutional excellence through initiatives that targeted improved student success outcomes, fostered greater innovation through institutional collaboration, increased research and grant activity, expanded partnerships with business and industry, encouraged efficiency and productivity, cultivated strong connections with alumni and friends, and championed student development and experiential learning.

The Conference Office also announced members of its SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors Executive Committee. Southern University Chancellor Dr. Ray Belton and Alcorn State President Dr. Felicia Nave will join Chancellor Alexander on the committee effective the start of 2021-22 academic year.   

Other legislative items determined at the spring meetings included the elimination of the league’s intra-conference transfer policy. That decision was made with a unanimous vote of approval from league membership.

2021-22 Southwestern Athletic Conference Executive Committee
Dr. Laurence Alexander (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
Dr. Ray Belton (Southern)
Dr. Felecia Nave (Alcorn State)

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.