THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE ell into its sixth decade of service, the and Stephen F. Austin). in 119 Division I playoff games in 34 years, winning WSouthland Conference continues to be The Southland sponsors 17 full championship 59 of the contests. a model of innovation, stability and consistent sports, all at the NCAA Division I level. The eight Historically, the Southland’s successful football achievement as it celebrates the academic and athletic men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross heritage has sustained itself through numerous accomplishments of its member institutions and country, football, golf, tennis, and indoor and membership and classification changes. The Southland approximately 4,200 student-athletes. outdoor track and field. The women compete for nine joined the NCAA College Division in 1964, and Having commemorated its 50th anniversary in championships in basketball, cross country, golf, was designated as NCAA Division II in 1973 before 2013, the Southland Conference has transformed soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and joining Division I in 1975. The Southland was an itself into a dynamic and respected consortium of 13 field, and volleyball. The conference earns automatic NCAA Division I-A league from 1978-81, before member universities in three states. Beginning with qualification to NCAA championships in baseball, joining the ranks of FCS in 1982, its home ever since. a historic meeting of five institutions in Dallas on men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s During its tenure as a Division I and I-A March 15, 1963, the Southland Conference set on an cross country, football, men’s and women’s golf, conference, the Southland Conference initiated the extraordinary course that has proven successful well women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, startup of the Shreveport, La.-based Independence into the 21st Century. and volleyball. The Southland Bowling League, an Bowl in 1976. The Southland representative served as The successful transformation continues, as the affiliated Conference sport, originated in 2015, and the host team of the bowl until 1980, compiling a 2-3 Southland Conference welcomed four additional four of its members filled out half of the eight-team record in those contests. members in 2013: Abilene Christian University, NCAA Championship bracket, with Stephen F. Austin The Conference can lay claim to five national Houston Baptist University, the University of winning the national championship in 2016. championships, including College Division Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and the University of The Southland enjoys multiple national and championships through former members Arkansas New Orleans. regional television broadcast agreements and State (1970, UPI) and Louisiana Tech (1972, National In addition to its newest members, the Southland relationships with ESPN Networks, the American Football Foundation). Louisiana Tech also won the also consists of the University of Central Arkansas, Sports Network, Cox Sports Television, Root Sports first NCAA-sanctioned national title, winning the Lamar University, McNeese State University, Nicholls Southwest, Fox College Sports and Time Warner Division II playoffs in 1973. Tech followed that with State University, Northwestern State University, Sam Cable Sports Channel. In 2016-17, the conference the UPI’s Division II national championship in 1974. Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana and its institutions were featured in an unprecedented Louisiana-Monroe won the 1987 Division I-AA University, Stephen F. Austin State University and 170 telecasts on these networks. In recent years, the national championship. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Conference has won numerous broadcast awards for McNeese, winner of a record 14 Southland football An original Southland member from 1963- titles, has made 16 appearances in the 73, Abilene Christian rejoined the league as NCAA Division I playoffs, while Sam one of the most decorated athletic programs Houston State has earned nine trips to in NCAA history, and the addition of Houston the football playoffs. Stephen F. Austin Baptist, UIW and New Orleans gives the played in the 1989 NCAA title contest Southland a regular competitive presence in and has seven total playoff appearances, the key metropolitan areas of Houston, San most recently in 2014. Northwestern State Antonio and New Orleans. Southland cities has advanced to the NCAA playoffs six encompass approximately 14 million people, times, Nicholls has participated three times and six of its television markets rank among in postseason, Southeastern Louisiana the top 100 in the U.S. played in the 2013 and 2014 NCAA All told, the membership of the Southland Championships, and Central Arkansas encompasses nearly 140,000 current students made consecutive playoff appearances and an alumni base of nearly 800,000. Famous in 2011 and 2012. On six occasions, the alums from current Southland Conference Southland has placed three teams in the schools include former CBS news anchor Dan NCAA playoffs. Rather (Sam Houston State), NBA executive The Southland has produced 181 first- Joe Dumars (McNeese), ABC news anchor Robin its quality of production. team football All-Americans during its history and in Roberts (Southeastern Louisiana), Major League The Southland Conference, in conjunction with 2010, Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses Baseball star Wade Miley (Southeastern Louisiana), the city of Frisco, Texas, and Hunt Sports Group, also became the first player in Southland history to receive NBA legend Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas), and serves as the host to the NCAA Division I Football the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually track and field Olympians Kenta Bell (Northwestern Championship Game in Frisco, which has been home to the most outstanding football player at the FCS State), and Bobby Morrow and Billy Olson (both to the conference headquarters since 2006. The game level. Abilene Christian). is played at Frisco’s Toyota Stadium, and after a pair The Southland is one of five FCS conferences with Other notable alums from current members include of successful three-year agreements, the Southland at least 200 selections (211) in the National Football Grammy Award-winning musicians Frank Ocean and its partners were rewarded with a four-year League draft. There have been 31 Southland players (New Orleans), Don Henley and Rodney Crowell renewal to serve as the national championship host taken in the draft since 2000, including Southeastern (both Stephen F. Austin), and Ronnie Dunn (Abilene site through the 2020 season. Louisiana defensive back Robert Alford, who was Christian), television personality and actress Ellen Southland Conference football ranks among the picked as the first FCS player in the second round DeGeneres (New Orleans), current NFL standouts best Football Championship Subdivision leagues of the 2013 draft. There are more than 24 former Lardarius Webb (Nicholls), professional golfers in the nation, and enjoys an annual expectation Southland players on NFL rosters heading into the Shawn Stefani and Chris Stroud (both Lamar) and of competing for the national championship with 2016 season. Colin Montgomerie (HBU), award-winning filmmaker multiple teams advancing to the NCAA playoffs each Southland Conference alums in the NFL include Richard Linklater (Sam Houston State), American year. In 2015, two Southland teams – McNeese and Cleveland’s Josh McCown (Sam Houston State), Idol winner Kris Allen (Central Arkansas), NFL Sam Houston State– both qualified for the NCAA who has been in the league for the last 13 seasons, Hall of Famer Jackie Harris (Northwestern State), Division I Football Championship, with the Bearkats and Baltimore’s Lardarius Webb, who is currently former NFL standouts Bobby Hebert (Northwestern reaching the national semifinals for the fourth time in the second-longest tenured player with seven seasons State), Gary Barbaro (Nicholls), Wilbert Montgomery five years. In 2011 and 2012, Sam Houston advanced of experience. Other recent NFL additions from the (Abilene Christian) and Gary Reasons (Northwestern to the national championship game. Also, in 2002 and Southland include New England’s Kevin Hughes State), former MLB star Kevin Millar (Lamar), NCAA 2003, McNeese finished the regular season ranked (Southeastern Louisiana), Dallas’ Dax Swanson (Sam football coach Charlie Strong (Central Arkansas), No. 1 in the nation, and advanced to the 1997 and Houston State), Seattle’s Jeremy Lane (Northwestern actors John Larroquette (New Orleans), Ricardo 2002 national championship contests. The conference State), Tennessee’s Josh Aubrey (Stephen F. Chavira (UIW) and Jesse Borrego (UIW), and the late has been represented in eight national championship Austin) (McNeese State), Atlanta’s Robert Alford NFL coaching legend O.A. “Bum” Phillips (Lamar games since the league joined the FCS (formerly (Southeastern Louisiana) and Buffalo’s Dezmin Lewis I-AA) in 1982. All told, Southland teams have played (Central Arkansas). 42 2016 NICHOLLS FOOTBALL THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE The Southland has seen former Nicholls players Southland teams reached the postseason, and in 2013, since 1995, including McNeese State’s win at No. win Super Bowl rings in recent seasons, as former four women’s squads earned postseason berths. A 1 Arizona State early in the 2012 season. In 2013, Colonel Antonio Robinson was a member of the Green Southland team has played in the WNIT 15 times, the league had six