Southland Conference adds Texas A&M-Commerce to membership

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FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference, following unanimous approval from its presidential Board of Directors, extended an invitation for membership to Texas A&M-Commerce Tuesday morning. The league’s addition comes off the multi-month search for new members in the wake of losing five long-standing members this summer.

A&M-Commerce is a Division II power that’s located an hour east of Dallas. The school will officially join the Southland on July 1, 2022, and begin a four-year transition into Division I at the same time.

“The presidents of the Southland Conference welcome Texas A&M-Commerce to the league and look forward to the university becoming a valued member of NCAA Division I,” McNeese State President and Southland Board of Directors Chair Dr. Daryl Burckel said. “From the beginning of our review, the Board of Directors quickly recognized the dynamic leadership of President Rudin, the institution’s strong academic record and its consistent athletic successes. Further, the university’s administrators, head coaches, staff and student-athletes have exhibited a consistent alignment in their views of this outstanding university and its Division I future in athletics.”

A&M-Commerce is one of numerous expected replacements for the Texas Four and UCA. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin departed for the WAC and Central Arkansas bolted for the ASUN in July.

That leaves only eight Southland members and six football schools in Houston Baptist, McNeese, New Orleans, Nicholls, Northwestern State, Southeastern, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UIW.

The Lions’ addition should come as no surprise despite SLC Commissioner Tom Burnett’s comments Tuesday when he said that the league was looking to add fellow Division I institutions. The SLC has targeted Division II schools previously like Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian the last time it expanded in 2013.

Burnett also said Tuesday that A&M-Commerce didn’t feel like a Division II school.

“It is a tremendous honor and opportunity to welcome Texas A&M University-Commerce, a noted institution of higher education with an outstanding athletic history, into the Southland Conference,” Burnett said. “We have every expectation that A&M-Commerce will become an outstanding member of NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference, continuing its long championships tradition of competing for league titles and national tournament berths.”

The Lions’ athletics features sponsorship of 14 varsity sports, including men’s sports of football, basketball, golf, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field.

The Lions have seen success in recent years, including winning the 2017 NCAA Division II Football National Championship. The title run highlighted five consecutive postseason football berths since 2015. Overall, 53 A&M-Commerce athletic teams have earned NCAA postseason bids since 2015, including a record 11 teams in 2018-19.

In addition to its 2017 NCAA title, the Lions’ football program also won the 1972 NAIA national championship. Other national championships have included men’s basketball (NAIA 1954-55), men’s golf (NAIA 1965) and men’s tennis (NAIA 1972 and 1978).