Bethune-Cookman Women's Tennis Opens SWAC Tournament

Wildcats face Alabama A&M Bulldogs in first round matchup

Apr. 17, 2026 at 12:39am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic action of a women's tennis match, with the contrasting colors of the Bethune-Cookman and Alabama A&M teams clashing across the fragmented canvas.The SWAC Tournament matchup between Bethune-Cookman and Alabama A&M promises an intense battle as the Wildcats look to upset the favored Bulldogs.New Orleans Today

The Bethune-Cookman women's tennis team will begin postseason play in the SWAC Tournament, taking on the second-seeded Alabama A&M Bulldogs at the Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans. The match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST start and will be streamed live on SWAC TV.

Why it matters

The SWAC Tournament represents a crucial opportunity for the Bethune-Cookman women's tennis team to compete for a conference championship and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the lower seed, the Wildcats will look to pull off an upset against the favored Bulldogs.

The details

Bethune-Cookman earned the right to face Alabama A&M in the first round of the SWAC Tournament after finishing the regular season with a conference record of 8-4. The Wildcats will need to rely on their top players to compete with the more highly-touted Bulldogs, who finished the regular season 12-2 in SWAC play.

  • The SWAC Tournament match between Bethune-Cookman and Alabama A&M is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST on April 17, 2026.

The players

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

The women's tennis team from Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black university located in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Alabama A&M Bulldogs

The women's tennis team from Alabama A&M University, a historically Black university located in Huntsville, Alabama.

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What’s next

The winner of the Bethune-Cookman vs. Alabama A&M match will advance to the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament, bringing them one step closer to an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This first-round SWAC Tournament matchup between Bethune-Cookman and Alabama A&M represents an opportunity for the Wildcats to pull off an upset and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, while the Bulldogs look to defend their status as one of the top teams in the conference.