The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
The Lone Star Conference operates from the same headquarters complex in the Dallas suburb of Richardson as the American Southwest Conference.
History The conference was formed in 1931 when five schools withdrew from the old Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Charter members included East Texas State (now East Texas A&M), North Texas State (now University of North Texas), Sam Houston State, Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), and Stephen F. Austin. With East Texas A&M (then named Texas A&M–Commerce) starting its transition to Division I in July 2022, none of the five charter members remain in Division II or in the conference – all have moved up to Division I (in football as of 2024, North Texas, Sam Houston, and Texas State compete in NCAA Division I FBS, while Stephen F. Austin and East Texas A&M compete in NCAA Division I FCS).
Chronological timeline
Below is a timeline of the conference's history.Conference history
1931 - The conference was formed on April 25, 1931, at a meeting in Denton, Texas, when five schools withdrew from the old Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Charter members included East Texas State University (later Texas A&M University-Commerce, now East Texas A&M University), North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), Sam Houston State College (now Sam Houston State University), Southwestern State College (later Southwest Texas State University, then Texas State University-San Marcos, now Texas State University) and Stephen F. Austin State College (now Stephen F. Austin State University). The conference constitution required member schools to sponsor football, basketball, track & field and tennis. The 1931-32 basketball season was the first sport to be competed within the conference. At the first annual conference business meeting on December 12, 1931, Trinity University was admitted to the LSC, effective for the 1932-33 academic year. 1933 - Trinity announced that the school was withdrawing from the LSC to return to the Texas Conference, but would still compete in the LSC until the 1933-34 academic year. 1934 - At the annual LSC business meeting in December, conference presidents considered Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville), Sul Ross State Teachers College (later Sul Ross State College, now Sul Ross State University) and West Texas State Teachers College (later, West Texas State College, then West Texas State University, now West Texas A&M University) for admittance, but full membership was not granted at that time. 1938 - The Lone Star Conference joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 1940 - The LSC Faculty Athletics Representatives voted, upon recommendation of the LSC Directors of Athletics, to add golf as a conference sport with the first championship scheduled for May 17, 1941 (of the 1940-41 academic year). 1941 - At the annual meeting on December 13, 1941, six days after the beginning of World War II, LSC members went on record as favoring "continuing a full sports program as long as it does not interfere with the nation's all-out war effort". 1942 - At the December 12, 1942, conference meeting, the LSC faculty athletics representatives approved football and basketball as conference sports during the war as long as transportation was available. All spring sports, excluding track, were discontinued. 1945 - On November 9, 1945, and with the end of World War II, a called meeting of conference directors of athletics and faculty athletics representatives was held in Waco, Texas. Basketball, tennis, track, golf, and football were planned as conference sports for the 1946-47 academic year. An invitation for conference membership was extended to the University of Houston and Southwestern University of Georgetown, Texas. Houston expressed a desire to schedule tentative basketball and football schedules, pending action to its board of regents. In addition, Trinity University and Howard Payne College (now Howard Payne University) were also discussed as possible new members. 1945 - On December 8, 1945, the University of Houston was officially admitted to the LSC. 1946 - On April 23, 1946, at a conference spring meeting, Trinity was admitted to the LSC, effective in the 1946-47 academic year; therefore, rejoining the conference after a 12-year hiatus. 1946 - On December 7, 1946, at a conference winter meeting, a vote was taken to add baseball to the list of LSC sports, effective in the 1947 spring season. 1947 - On May 16, 1947, Texas A&I University applied for admission to the LSC, but was never admitted due to some geographic concerns. 1948 - On December 10–11, 1948, at a winter meeting, Hardin College (later Midwestern University, now Midwestern State University) was admitted to the LSC by unanimous vote. 1949 - North Texas State University, the University of Houston, Trinity University, and Hardin College withdrew from the LSC, effective June 1, 1949, to form the Gulf Coast Conference. 1950 - Sul Ross State and Lamar State College of Technology (now Lamar University) were admitted to the LSC. 1953 - On December 12, 1953, Texas A&I University was admitted to the LSC and began competition in the 1954 fall season of the 1954-55 academic year. 1956 - McMurry College (now McMurry University) applied for LSC membership, but was voted down. 1956 - Howard Payne College was admitted to the LSC, effective the 1956-57 academic year. 1958 - Conference members approved a motion that the LSC must follow NCAA rules for football instead of NAIA rules. 1959 - On May 12, 1959, the LSC Faculty Athletics Representatives rejected a motion that the LSC should be expanded to a nine-school league with the votes 6-2. 1960 - The conference members voted to accept an invitation by the new Great Southwest Bowl committee to have the LSC football champion as the host team each year for the game in Grand Prairie, Texas, in late December. Texas A&I defeated Arkansas Tech University 45-10 in the first such game on December 31, 1960. Bowl Chairman Cecil Owens said, "We hope the game will be a fine supplement to the Cotton Bowl". 1962 - On December 7, 1962, at the annual conference meeting in Dallas, the LSC Faculty Athletics Representatives rejected a motion to allow LSC members optional membership in the NAIA or the NCAA, and rejected a motion that the decision of acceptance or refusal of postseason, playoff, or championship events resided within the individual schools. A motion that LSC did not pledge its champions to the NAIA playoffs was also defeated. 1963 - On May 11, 1963, at the annual conference meeting in Brownwood, Texas, Lamar Tech withdrew from the LSC, effective September 1, 1965. 1964 - On May 9, 1964, McMurry College was admitted to the LSC with first participation scheduled for spring sports in the 1965 spring season of the 1964-65 academic year, followed by basketball (achieving full member status) in the 1965-66 academic year, and eventually football in the 1966 fall season of the 1966-67 academic year. 1964 - Also in 1964, San Angelo College (later Angelo State College, now Angelo State University) attempted to apply to the LSC, but was told that LSC membership is limited to schools which had recognized four-year collegiate standing. San Angelo College's president Dr. B.M. Cavness told the LSC faculty athletics representatives that his school would assume such status in September 1965. He was advised to reapply in December 1965. 1965 - At the annual fall meeting in Dallas, the LSC faculty athletics representatives voted in a secret ballot not to expand membership in the LSC. 1968 - After achieving the status requirements since the first attempt, Angelo State College was finally admitted to the LSC. Tarleton State College (now Tarleton State University) was also admitted to the LSC. 1972 - McMurry left the LSC. 1973 - Abilene Christian College (now Abilene Christian University) was admitted to the LSC. 1975 - Tarleton State withdrew from the LSC. 1976 - Sul Ross State withdrew from the LSC. 1982 - The Lone Star Conference became an NCAA Division II athletic conference, thus leaving the NAIA. 1983 - Southwest Texas State (now Texas State), Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin left the LSC. 1984 - The LSC Council of Presidents extended an invitation for LSC membership to West Texas State University, and the WTSU Board of Regents accepted the invitation to begin LSC competition in the 1986–87 academic year. Eastern New Mexico University was automatically admitted to the LSC. 1986 - The LSC Council of Presidents unanimously approved the membership of Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma) to establish the concept of a regional conference. Eventually, the school officially became a member of the LSC on July 1, 1987, effective beginning competition within the conference in the 1987–88 academic year. 1987 - Howard Payne withdrew from the LSC, effective after the 1986–87 academic year. 1988 - The LSC Council of Presidents approved the admittance of Texas Woman's University to the LSC; effective in the 1989-90 academic year. Cameron University was automatically admitted to the LSC. 1989 - The LSC entered into consulting agreement with the Southwest Conference, allowing the SWC to advise the LSC in eligibility cases, aid in arbitration of protests, and provide interpretations of NCAA rules, as well as administer the National Letter of Intent program. At the time, Shirley Morton of Angelo State University served as secretary/treasurer and Garner Roberts of Abilene Christian University served as news director of the LSC. 1989 - West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) dropped football and withdrew from the LSC, effective at the end of the 1989-90 academic year. 1990 - On November 30, 1990, the LSC Council of Presidents requested an LSC expansion committee to be formed to contact institutions in Oklahoma and Arkansas regarding conference membership. 1991 - On April 28, 1991, the LSC Directors of Athletics considered a new football schedule recommendation from football coaches for the 1992 season if a replacement for West Texas State was not found. 1991 - On April 30, 1991, the LSC expansion committee was appointed to include Jerry Vandergriff of Angelo State, John "Skip" Wagnon of Central Oklahoma, Cecil Eager of Abilene Christian, and Dr. Margaret Harbison of East Texas State. 1991 - On June 1, 1991, at the LSC Council of Presidents meeting, Angelo State president Dr. Drew Vincent said, "there is a survival issue in the conference that has nothing to do with finances which was that the conference needed to be enlarged. East Central University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Northeastern State University might be interested in joining, as well as Tarleton State University and Midwestern State University. 1991 - On November 25, 1991, the LSC Directors of Athletics requested Central Oklahoma's Skip Wagnon to invite representatives from Henderson State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Fort Hays State University and Midwestern State University to a meeting on January 7, 1992, during the NCAA convention. 1992 - On November 24, 1992, the LSC faculty athletics representatives voted unanimously to recommend the Council of Presidents that an invitation should be extended to West Texas State University (which had reinstated football), to rejoin the conference.