STEPHENVILLE - Tarleton State University President Dr. Dennis McCabe has announced that the University has sent a letter of inquiry to the Southland Conference to seek membership to the NCAA Division I conference.
“In my judgement, Tarleton is changing, and changing for the good,” McCabe said. “I have written a letter of inquiry to the Southland Conference regarding Tarleton's interest in exploring membership in NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference. This letter was prompted by direct contact from Southland Conference officials and carries no formal commitment at this time from Tarleton or the Southland Conference.”
The process is not a quick one, with the timeline lasting up to 2011.
“After a thorough and deliberative review of all issues associated with the decision, Tarleton will determine if moving to an NCAA Division I affiliation during the next 4 to 6 years is in the best interest of our students and the University,” McCabe said. “The exploratory letter that I sent to the Southland Conference triggers a more formal discussion as to the possibilities that exist on this matter.
“An affiliation with the Southland Conference and NCAA Division I could become a meaningful catalyst for Tarleton to move continuously toward excellence and increase institutional effectiveness,” McCabe said.
Under normal development, it would be 2010 or 2011 before Tarleton could become a full member of Division I, NCAA, and the Southland Conference. Tarleton will have an extended period of five to six years to plan and implement both academic and budgetary changes that would be required for this institutional change.
“In the next six to eight months, we will have campus-wide discussions about the decision,” McCabe said. “Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends will have ample opportunity to weigh in on this important decision.”
If accepted, Tarleton will make its second move to a new athletic competition level in 11 years. Tarleton moved from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Texas Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 1993-94 to the NCAA Division II-member Lone Star Conference in 1994-95.
The Southland Conference is in its fourth decade of existence after being formed on March 15, 1963 when administrators from Abilene Christian College, Arkansas State College, Arlington State College, Lamar State College of Technology and Trinity University met at the Baker Hotel in Dallas. Current members of the SLC, which covers Texas and Louisiana, are Lamar University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas State University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The conference sponsors 17 championship sports, all at the NCAA Division I level. The eight men's sports include football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. The women compete for nine championships in basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, golf, tennis, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. The Conference earns automatic qualification to NCAA championships in football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, men's golf, women's tennis, and women's soccer.
Tarleton currently sponsors 11 championship sports, all at the NCAA Division II level. The five men's sports include football, basketball, baseball, cross country and outdoor track and field. The women compete in volleyball, basketball, cross country, tennis, golf and track and field. Tarleton would have to add two sports, to be named later, if chosen to join the conference and NCAA Division I.
The Lone Star Conference has long been known as a premier leader in intercollegiate athletics. The LSC is in its 73rd year of existence. The LSC ? founded on April 25, 1931 ? has grown from a five-team conference of Texas-based schools to a 15-member league that spans three states (Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico). The league continues to assist its member institutions in the maintenance of intercollegiate athletic programs that are compatible with the highest standards of education and competitive sports.
