NCAAM teams
Andy Katz, ESPN Senior Writer 10y

NCAA gives SWAC exemption

Men's College Basketball, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Grambling Tigers, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, Southern Jaguars, Alabama A&M Bulldogs, Alabama State Hornets, Alcorn State Braves, Texas Southern Tigers, Jackson State Tigers, Prairie View Panthers

The SWAC received a special exemption from the NCAA men's basketball selection committee to adjust which team earns its automatic berth to the tournament, the NCAA announced Saturday.

The SWAC is in a unique situation where four teams are ineligible for the postseason because of poor APR scores -- Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Grambling and Mississippi Valley State and Southern -- but all will still be allowed to compete in the conference tournament at the Toyota Center in Houston March 11-15.

The other six teams eligible are Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn, Texas Southern, Jackson State and Prairie View.

If one of the four ineligible teams wins the tournament, then the team among the six eligible teams that advances the furthest in the tournament would receive the NCAA tournament bid.

If there is a tie among those six teams then the bid will go to the highest seed among those tied teams.

The SWAC is likely competing for a 15 or 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The NCAA said this amendment with the SWAC is only for the 2014 NCAA tournament.

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