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Prairie View Today
By the People, for the People
How Six Texas HBCUs Built the Pioneering SWAC Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference's founding in 1920 created a structure and identity for Black college sports that endures today.
Apr. 2, 2026 at 2:08pm
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In 1920, six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Texas came together to establish the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), laying the foundation for a conference that would become a pioneering force in college athletics. Facing exclusion and limited resources, these 'Super Six' institutions - Bishop College, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M, Samuel Huston College, Texas College, and Wiley College - built their own system of organized competition, rules, and recognition, paving the way for the SWAC's growth and influence over the decades.
Why it matters
The SWAC's founding represented a crucial moment of self-determination for Black colleges and universities, who created their own pathways to structure, legitimacy, and visibility in a segregated America that offered them little access. The conference's evolution, from its Texas roots to a regional powerhouse, reflects the changing dynamics of higher education and college sports, as public, state-supported HBCUs gradually overtook the smaller, private institutions that started the SWAC.
The details
The SWAC held its first official football championship in 1921, with Wiley College claiming the inaugural title. Over the following decades, the conference expanded beyond its Texas origins, adding members like Langston University, Southern University, Grambling State, and Jackson State. This growth elevated the SWAC's level of play and reach, though it also led to the departure of some smaller private schools that struggled to keep pace financially and competitively with the public, state-supported institutions.
- The SWAC was founded on September 10, 1920 in Houston, Texas.
- The conference held its first official football championship in 1921.
- Paul Quinn College left the SWAC in 1929, the first charter member to depart.
- Samuel Huston College exited the SWAC in 1954.
- Bishop College departed in 1956, followed by Texas College in 1962 and Wiley College in 1968.
The players
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
A college athletic conference founded in 1920 by six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Texas, including Bishop College, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M, Samuel Huston College, Texas College, and Wiley College. The SWAC has grown to become one of the most culturally significant conferences in college sports.
Prairie View A&M University
The only remaining charter member of the SWAC, having been part of the conference since its founding in 1920.
What’s next
The article is the first in a series exploring the history of the SWAC, with additional features planned for the months of April and May.
The takeaway
The founding of the SWAC in 1920 by six Texas HBCUs represents a pivotal moment of self-determination and institution-building for Black colleges and universities, who created their own pathways to structure, legitimacy, and visibility in a segregated America. The conference's evolution over the decades reflects the changing dynamics of higher education and college sports, as public, state-supported HBCUs gradually overtook the smaller, private institutions that started the SWAC.
