SAN FRANCISCO – The historic partnership between the Pac-12 and Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) Conferences is in full swing, as Oregon men’s basketball hosted Florida A&M to tip off the Legacy Series earlier this week and an educational webinar featuring both leagues and the Equal Justice Initiative took place yesterday, Wednesday, Nov. 9.  

Ten of the remaining Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series matchups will air on linear television via Pac-12 Networks, with several games also simulcast on ESPN+. 

About the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series

Announced in Sept. 2021, the allyship between the Pac-12 and SWAC is the first of its kind pertaining to basketball scheduling between Autonomy 5 and HBCU leagues, but also places crucial emphasis on raising awareness for anti-racism and social justice initiatives.

“Finally, one of the true highlights of the upcoming season… is the inaugural edition of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series,” said Pac-12 Deputy Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich, speaking at the league’s men’s basketball media day on Oct. 26. “A year ago we stood at this podium and announced the first-time partnership between [an Autonomy 5] Conference and HBCU, the goal of which is not only creating a forum for basketball competition, but more importantly creating meaningful educational opportunities for our coaches, student-athletes and administrators in the existentially important area of social justice, which has become and is still today so important for all of us.”

Men's Basketball – Florida A&M at Oregon

The Legacy Series opened this past Monday evening with Oregon hosting Florida A&M at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks secured an 80-48 win to kick off their season and boasted four double-digit scoring performances, including a 16-point outing from center N’Faly Dante.

In his postgame press conference, Ducks head coach Dana Altman praised the opportunities afforded by the league’s partnership with the SWAC, noting, “I think all our guys benefit from learning about different experiences.” Notably, Florida A&M head coach Robert McCullum was a former assistant coach with Altman at Oregon from 2014-17. Ahead of Monday’s matchup, McCullum presented a seminar to Oregon’s men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes on race relations, the importance of HBCU campuses, and his personal life experiences. 

Educational Opportunities

A critical component of the Legacy Series is ongoing educational opportunities for student-athletes featuring community leaders and expert Conference alumni. On Wednesday, Nov. 9, leaders from the Pac-12 and SWAC joined Equal Justice Initiative founder and Executive Director, Bryan Stevenson, for an educational webinar to discuss the groundbreaking games and ongoing goals of the partnership.

“It’s a very polarizing time in America,” said Stevenson in his address to attendees. “I think it’s incredibly important, in this moment, that some group of people model something else, model something that is rooted in a vision of equality and justice and coming together. That’s what I see coming through this historic and important collaboration between the Pac-12 and the SWAC.”

This event comes on the heels of this past summer’s Pac-12 ImPACt experience in Selma and Montgomery, Ala., in which conference student-athletes and administrators journeyed to the center of the civil rights movement.

Travel to SWAC Campuses

Another central element of the Legacy Series is the opportunity for Pac-12 programs to travel and play true road games against SWAC opponents, enabling Conference student-athletes and coaches to visit campuses and cultural sites they may not have experienced otherwise. Ahead of the Buffaloes’ trip to Louisiana to face Grambling State on Thursday evening, Colorado men’s basketball head coach Tad Boyle spoke with Pac-12 basketball insider Andy Katz about the significance of CU’s travel opportunity: 

“It’s great for our players to learn, it’s a different part of the country,” said Boyle. “It’s one thing to take a trip to Italy or Spain or Costa Rica and learn about a different culture. Guess what, there are a lot of different cultures in our country that our players haven’t experienced.”

Remaining 2022 Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series Matchups

The Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series features 11 more games across men’s and women’s basketball in 2022, including five taking place through the end of this upcoming weekend. Next on the men’s schedule is a matchup today, Thursday, Nov. 10, between USC and Alabama State in Los Angeles, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network. The first game in the women’s series will feature Arizona State and Grambling State on Friday, Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. MT.

A full schedule of the remaining games in the Legacy Series can be found below.

Men’s Basketball (subject to change)

Women’s Basketball (subject to change)