"It is a distinct honor to join the Southland Conference," Texas A&M-Commerce President Mark J. TAMU-Commerce will begin its four-year transition to Division I on July 2, 2022. Texas A&M-Commerce and the Southland Conference confirmed the Lions' move to NCAA Division I on Tuesday. Report: Texas A&M-Commerce to join the Southland Conference Texas Children's Training Staff Superstars Award.San Antonio Student Trainer Program Spotlight.San Antonio Inspirational Coach of the Week.Ozarka Fueled by Nature Team of the Week.North Texas Dance Team Spotlight presented by Children's Health.Community Connector School Program presented by Optimum.College Football Transfer Portal Tracker.Membership in the Southland is shrinking, while SWAC membership is expanding.
The Southland Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference are currently trending in two different directions. While the individuals HBCU Sports spoke with agreed that joining the SLC would reduce travel costs, they couldn’t point to any other benefits that would warrant consideration to make a move at this time. “But SWAC schools can’t get those same type of crowds when we play those Southland teams on our campuses.” “The Southland schools always produce higher attendance numbers, if not attendance records, when our schools play on their campuses,” the source stated. “With the addition of FAMU and BCU joining the conference and all the other things the SWAC is doing right now, leaving the SWAC to join the Southland would not be in our best interest.”Īnother source familiar with the situation referred to the attendance of past nonconference home-and-home football contests involving SWAC versus Southland opponents.
“The unfortunate death of George Floyd has resulted in HBCUs receiving a level of attention and awareness that we’ve never seen before,” said another source in a text message. One source, in particular, even labeled the matter “a non-issue.” Multiple sources affiliated with the SWAC institutions being targeted by the Southland have informed HBCU Sports that a move to switch conferences is unlikely. The report further added that the league’s primary focus is to target current D1 institutions, but it isn’t “in a hurry to get a replacement plan in place … but at the same time it’s something that will be done, and needs to be done, sooner rather than later.”Īlso read: Kentucky State, Virginia State considering move up to Division I to join MEAC It’s probably what they needed to do in the first place.” With Southern A&M as the other potential addition from Louisiana, the Southland could “all of a sudden become a giant Louisiana league, which is fine.
And as other sources have put it, the SWAC and Southland footprints are “on top of each other, forget just overlapping.”įinally, four other members of the University of Louisiana System, of which Grambling State is a member, are current Southland members: McNeese State, Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, and New Orleans. This is not the first time the SLC has targeted PV and TSU as possible league members, but according to the report, there are some unique circumstances at Grambling and Southern that give Southland officials reason to be optimistic in pursuing both Louisiana institutions.Įspecially now, as Grambling State is in the midst of its search to replace AD David Ponton, “it’s just an easier transition” for the next AD to also help the Tigers step into the Southland. Prairie View and Texas Southern, located in Texas Grambling and Southern, located in Louisana align perfectly with the Southland Conference’s geographic footprint.
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