PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas

Prairie View A&M University's suspension has been put on hold.

One day after suspending the entire Prairie View athletic department because of the historically Black institution's defiance regarding earlier sanctions against its marching band, the Southwestern Athletic Conference reversed course and "agreed to place the suspension in abeyance until further review," according to the SWAC.

The whole situation stemmed from a September 19 halftime brawl between the marching bands of Southern University and Prairie View. Several band members were injured and both schools incurred damage to uniforms and instruments. Afterwards, Prairie View officials said the university would no longer compete against Southern. The SWAC immediately suspended both bands for two football games (see Black Issues, October 15).

Prairie View's band sat out the September 26 game against Langston University, which was the school's first football victory since 1989. But the band returned the following week for a game against Grambling University. That sparked the league's anger, and SWAC Commissioner Rudy Washington suspended the entire Prairie View athletics program from conference competition.

SWAC released a statement from the conference's Council of Presidents that unanimously upheld the decision by Washington to suspend Prairie View athletics. But Washington decided to lift the suspension for now.

"Placing the matter in abeyance means that although the commissioner's ruling was unanimously approved, ... the immediate imposition of sanctions against the university has been delayed until the review process has been completed," the release said.

As part of the reprieve, Prairie View agreed to withdraw its refusal to play Southern in any athletic event. That refusal played a key role in Washington's decision to suspend the entire Prairie View athletics program.

Alabama State President Dr. William H. Harris, president of the SWAC Council of Presidents, said the matter is not over.