12 Schools•Division I•Est. 1963
The Southland Conference was founded in 1963 by Abilene Christian, Arkansas State, Arlington State, Lamar State College of Technology and Trinity University. The league office sits in Frisco, Texas, and the membership stretches across Texas and Louisiana, packed tightly enough that the conference calls itself the Gas Tank League. The Southland sponsors 18 sports, eight for men and 10 for women, and plays football in the Championship Subdivision.
Football carries the calendar. The league helped found the Independence Bowl and sent its champion there as the automatic home team from 1976 through 1980. McNeese reached the national championship game in 1997 and in 2002. Since 2011 the Southland has served as host conference for the FCS national championship game in Frisco, and in 2014 it became the first league in the subdivision to commit to instant replay at every home game. Cole Kelly of Southeastern and Lindsey Scott Jr. of Incarnate Word have both won the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in FCS.
Basketball delivers the March moments. Northwestern State, seeded 14th, beat third seeded Iowa 64 to 63 in 2006. Stephen F. Austin, seeded 12th, ran off 29 straight wins and knocked out Virginia Commonwealth 77 to 75 in 2014. Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Andrew Toney and Thomas Walkup all played in the league.
Rivalries anchor the schedule. McNeese and Lamar meet in the Battle of the Border. Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana play the River Bell Classic. Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State square off for Chief Caddo.
Official Website
The Southland Conference was founded in 1963 by Abilene Christian, Arkansas State, Arlington State, Lamar State College of Technology and Trinity University. The league office sits in Frisco, Texas, and the membership stretches across Texas and Louisiana, packed tightly enough that the conference calls itself the Gas Tank League. The Southland sponsors 18 sports, eight for men and 10 for women, and plays football in the Championship Subdivision.
Football carries the calendar. The league helped found the Independence Bowl and sent its champion there as the automatic home team from 1976 through 1980. McNeese reached the national championship game in 1997 and in 2002. Since 2011 the Southland has served as host conference for the FCS national championship game in Frisco, and in 2014 it became the first league in the subdivision to commit to instant replay at every home game. Cole Kelly of Southeastern and Lindsey Scott Jr. of Incarnate Word have both won the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in FCS.
Basketball delivers the March moments. Northwestern State, seeded 14th, beat third seeded Iowa 64 to 63 in 2006. Stephen F. Austin, seeded 12th, ran off 29 straight wins and knocked out Virginia Commonwealth 77 to 75 in 2014. Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Andrew Toney and Thomas Walkup all played in the league.
Rivalries anchor the schedule. McNeese and Lamar meet in the Battle of the Border. Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana play the River Bell Classic. Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State square off for Chief Caddo.
Official Website