Jackson State, Southern lead SWAC predicted-order-of-finish

Following SWAC Media day, it's clear that both Jackson State and Southern are expected to be considerable threats in the conference for a second consecutive year. The two bitter rivals found themselves atop the SWAC's predicted-order-of-finish for the East and West divisions o the conference. As Jackson State looks to defend its hard-fought SWAC Championship title, Southern looks to continuously remain competitive in a division that is seeing new coaches that look to make their respective mark in the conference.

Jackson State ran the gamut in the SWAC in 2024. The Tigers finished the season 12-2 and 8-0 in conference. The only FCS loss Jackson State suffered was to Grambling State University on September 21st, but the game was considered a non-conference contest. Jackson State won the SWAC Championship in dominant fashion over Southern and then secured a wire-to-wire victory over South Carolina State University in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

Meanwhile, Southern found their groove under first-year head coach Terrance Graves. After an early-season non-conference loss to Jackson State, they proceeded to finish the season 7-1 with their sole loss in their conference slate coming against Florida A&M. They established a strong identity as the season progressed and ultimately found themselves winners of the SWAC West crown as well as finalists in the SWAC Championship game.

Both conferences will see teams that look to take the crown from Jackson State and Southern, respectively. Florida A&M and Alabama State will continue to be contenders in the SWAC East, which has been a narrow race over the past few years. Meanwhile, Alcorn looks to reclaim its traditional dominance in the conference, and Tremaine Jackson looks to ensure that his Prairie View A&M Panthers make their presence felt as contenders.

The full predicted order of finish is below.