Who is in southland conference

According to Matt Brown, writer of the Extra Points newsletter , the Southland originally prioritized adding D-I teams in its existing geographic footprint to fill those big shoes — mainly SWAC schools. To this point, the Southland has not been able to lure any of them.

In a press conference, Southland commissioner Tom Burnett almost seemed to indicate compromising one strategy for another:. However, it appears that Commerce would be by far the best fit: a high student enrollment, competitive sports programs, and location right in their existing geographic footprint.

And most importantly, it has a football team — one with a Division II title in The Southland could pursue other teams from the Lone Star conference if it wants, but there are only a handful of qualified candidates left.

Angelo State appears to be somewhat of a middle ground geographically and athletically. If the Southland fails to add any members within its current compact footprint, it will need to seek expansion further away.

It could also poach from another conference that lost marquee members of its own — the Ohio Valley, who after the departures and planned departures of core members Eastern Kentucky, Belmont and Austin Peay, is now down to just eight teams of its own. Should, say, the largest remaining brand name Murray State also decide to jump ship, it could potentially become open season on the remaining smaller programs as the OVC could easily fall apart at that stage.

Of course, the exact same fate could be awaiting the Southland if it takes too long to make a move. The consensus appears to be that no matter who else the Southland is able to pick up, if anyone, it will likely not be as highly regarded as it once was. But that may not be the goal right now — simply staying alive might be enough. Look again at the WAC. This partnership strengthens not only both football leagues, but the FCS overall with quality non-conference matchups.

Given the changing Division I landscape, this demonstrates ways that conferences can collaborate to support one another. We all appreciate the strong level of interest and cooperation between our two leagues. Facebook Twitter Email. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The planned collaboration will see institutions from each conference fill available non-conference dates on schedules in the next two years with a focus toward competitive balance and reasonable travel.

In addition to providing quality Division I FCS non-conference matchups, the alliance will allow increased visibility, exposure and branding for each Conference. More specific details, including game matchups in and , will be announced at a later date. This partnership strengthens not only both football leagues, but the FCS overall with quality non-conference matchups. Given the changing Division I landscape, this demonstrates ways that conferences can collaborate to support one another.