Southland Conference
The Southland Conference was founded in 1963. The 12 current full-time members have an average tenure of 25 years, providing remarkable stability. The Southland comprises 12 schools within driving distance of the states of Louisiana and Texas. The conference celebrates regionality in college athletics, the “Gas Tank League,” making it more accessible and manageable for family, friends, and fans to travel to away contests. Those 12 institutions include Houston Christian University, the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Lamar University in Beaumont, McNeese State University in Lake Charles, the University of New Orleans, Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas A&M University at Commerce, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, and the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.