Alabama A&M

Alabama A&M's football history runs through the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, where the Bulldogs won 12 titles between 1947 and 1997 under coaches like all-time wins leader Louis Crews (94-52-3). After moving to the SWAC in 1998, the program won its first conference title in 2006 under Anthony Jones, then delivered its signature achievement in 2020: a perfect 5-0 season (3-0 SWAC), played in a COVID-delayed spring 2021 schedule, capped by a 38-14 win over rival Alabama State in the Magic City Classic and a 40-33 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff for the SWAC title. On May 3, 2021, the Bulldogs were voted consensus HBCU national champions by the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Polls — quarterback Aqeel Glass won the Deacon Jones Trophy as the sport's top player.

The program has not sustained that peak. Alabama A&M went 15-19 over the next four seasons, and coach Connell Maynor — who led the 2020 title run — was fired on December 2, 2024, after a 6-6 season. Alabama A&M hired Sam Shade, a former Alabama defensive back and eight-year NFL safety, as its 22nd head coach; his first season opened 3-1 before a wave of injuries took hold, and the Bulldogs finished 4-8 (1-7 SWAC), last in the SWAC East, including a 56-13 loss to Alabama State in the 2025 Magic City Classic.

That rivalry — first played in 1924 and contested annually at Birmingham's Legion Field since 1945 — is the biggest HBCU sporting event in the country by attendance (69,372 in 2025) and remains close to even all-time: Alabama A&M leads 44-43-3 despite Alabama State's current four-game winning streak. The program's alumni roll includes Pro Football Hall of Famer John Stallworth and Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor pass rusher Robert Mathis. Heading into 2026, the question is whether a healthier roster under Shade can start closing the gap between the 2020 standard and the SWAC East's bottom, where the Bulldogs finished in 2025.