Stephen F. Austin is returning to the Southland Conference.

The Lumberjacks will re-join the league effective July 1 and compete in all sports beginning this fall, including football.

The official announcement came Wednesday morning, as the school and conference ended weeks of rumors and speculation with a statement.

“It is a privilege to welcome a proven winner both athletically and academically in Stephen F. Austin to the Southland Conference,” Commissioner Chris Grant said. “As we continue to see a trending evolution in college athletics, we are proud to continue our upward momentum and build upon our rich geographic footprint with an institution that shares like-minded priorities that put the student-athlete first.”

The return of SFA just three years after the school helped lead a mass exit to the Western Athletic Conference is a huge win for both Grant and the Southland.

“We are in a dynamic, new era of college athletics,” said Michael McBroom, SFA Director of Athletics. “We need stability, but also bold and strategic thinking to ensure a bright future for SFA. 

“The SLC is a conference on the rise, with visionary leadership and a strategic plan that aligns with our own goals for our athletics program and the university. This was an easy decision for us in that the SLC offered us an opportunity to boldly move forward with confidence and excitement.”

Southland officials are working at redoing all schedules currently. New football schedules are expected to be released Thursday, according to sources. Look for some changes to the McNeese State schedule as SFA is expected to make a trip to Lake Charles in their return to the conference. 

SFA becomes the second team that will leave the crumbling Western Athletic Conference for the Southland this year, joining Texas-Rio Grande Valley which announced in April it was moving.

UTRGV will start playing football in 2025. The two additions will give the Southland 12 teams, 10 of which have football.

According to sources, WAC members Abilene Christian, Tarleton State and Texas-Arlington made overtures to SLC officials about possible movement recently. That came following Grand Canyon and Seattle bolting from the WAC for the West Coast Conference, leaving the WAC’s future in question.

That appears to be a non-starter presently as the Southland seems to be willing to play the waiting game when it comes to future expansion.

“I love the addition of SFA back to the Southland Conference,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It’s an established DI institution, a rival and is in our footprint. I think this addition truly solidifies our brand as a league.”

SFA will become the best-financed team in the Southland. SFA has a reported athletic budget of $23.2 million. Lamar is the current top spender in the league with an $18.3M.

By comparison, McNeese’s athletic budget last year was $13.6M but is expected to go up after this season’s successes.

The league is expected to stay at 20 conference basketball games on both the men’s and women’s sides. The number of teams making the postseason tournaments will remain at eight, meaning four instead of two will stay home.

SFA rejoins the league just three seasons after it helped lead three other Texas schools to jump from the SLC to the WAC. They were joined by Sam Houston State, Lamar and ACU.

Central Arkansas also left at that time, heading for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The moves left the Southland looking like its time was done, as the WAC tried to pouch McNeese State and Incarnate Word the following year. Both came close to leaving before ultimately staying in the SLC and keeping the league alive.

Lamar came back after just one season in the WAC. UTRGV spent just two seasons out West before moving to the SLC. Sam Houston left the WAC this season to join Conference USA.

“I love what Commissioner Grant has done since taking over,” Schroyer said. “We are a completely different conference than we were three years ago.”

Nothing states that fact more than the return of SFA.

Southland Conference Members

July 1, 2021

Southeastern

Nicholls

New Orleans

Incarnate Word

TAM-Corpus Christi

McNeese State

Houston Baptist

Nicholls

July 1, 2024

Southeastern

Nicholls

New Orleans

Incarnate Word

TAM-Corpus Christi

McNeese State

Houston Baptist

Lamar

TAM-Commerce

UT-Rio Grande Valley

Stephen F. Austin

Nicholls