Scheduling partnership is the first of its kind between Autonomy 5 and HBCU leagues
SAN FRANCISCO
The historic partnership between the Pac-12 and Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) Conferences is in full swing, as
Oregon
mens 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 leagues mens 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
NFaly Dante
.
In his postgame press conference, Ducks head coach
Dana Altman
praised the opportunities afforded by the leagues 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 Mondays matchup, McCullum presented a seminar to Oregons mens and womens 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.
"Its a very polarizing time in America," said Stevenson in his address to attendees. "I think its 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. Thats 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 summers
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
mens basketball head coach
Tad Boyle
spoke with Pac-12 basketball insider
Andy Katz
about the significance of CUs travel opportunity:
"Its great for our players to learn, its a different part of the country," said Boyle. "Its 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 havent experienced."
Remaining 2022 Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series Matchups
The Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series features 11 more games across mens and womens basketball in 2022, including five taking place through the end of this upcoming weekend. Next on the mens 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 womens 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.
Mens Basketball
(subject to change)
Date
|
Game
|
Time
|
Where to Watch
|
Thursday, Nov. 10
|
Alabama State at USC
|
8p PT / 9p MT
|
Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now app
|
Friday, Nov. 11
|
Southern at Arizona
|
6p PT / 7p MT
|
Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now app
|
Friday, Nov. 11
|
Colorado at Grambling State
|
5p PT / 6p MT
|
Pac-12 Los Angeles, Pac-12 Now app, ESPN+
|
Sunday, Nov. 13
|
Arizona State at Texas Southern
|
12p PT / 1p MT
|
Pac-12 Arizona, Pac-12 Now app, ESPN+
|
Tuesday, Nov. 15
|
Washington State at Prairie View A&M
|
4p PT / 5p MT
|
Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now app, ESPN+
|
Womens Basketball
(subject to change)
Date
|
Game
|
Time
|
Where to Watch
|
Friday, Nov. 11
|
Grambling State at Arizona State
|
1:30p PT / 2:30p MT
|
Pac-12 Now app
|
Sunday, Nov. 13
|
Prairie View A&M at Washington State
|
12p PT / 1p MT
|
Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now app
|
Monday, Nov. 14
|
Oregon at Southern
|
4:30p PT / 5:30p MT
|
Pac-12 Oregon, Pac-12 Now app, ESPN+
|
Thursday, Dec. 1
|
Utah at Mississippi Valley State
|
3:30p PT / 4:30p MT
|
Pac-12 Mountain, Pac-12 Now app, ESPN+
|
Wednesday, Dec. 14
|
Texas Southern at Arizona
|
6p PT / 7p MT
|
Pac-12 Arizona, Pac-12 Now app
|
Sunday, Dec. 18
|
Florida A&M at California
|
12p PT / 1p MT
|
Pac-12 Bay Area, Pac-12 Now app
|