PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- For the first time in seven years, Prairie View A&M will participate in March Madness. 
 
The Panthers earned the NCAA Tournament automatic bid with a SWAC Tournament championship win over Southern on Saturday in Atlanta, winning 72-66.
 
PVAMU (18-17) will play in the First Four round in Dayton on Wednesday against Lehigh, champions of the Patriot League.

PVAMU's last appearance in the Dance came in 2019 following a win over Texas Southern in the SWAC tournament championship game. This will be the Panthers third trip to the tournament dating back to 1998, the program's first-ever appearance.
 
That year, the Panthers faced Kansas in the first round of the Midwest Regional in St. Louis. PVAMU made the NCAA Tournament again in 2019 but was eliminated by Fairleigh Dickinson in the First Four. 
 
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on truTV at 6:40 p.m. EST. Should the Panthers win, they will face No. 1 Florida on Friday, March 20 in Tampa, Florida.
 
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.