Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference


The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, founded in 1962, is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distances led seven former members to announce the formation of a new Southeastern US-based conference, the Southern Athletic Association, starting with the 2012–13 academic year.
Prior to 1991, the conference was known as the College Athletic Conference. The commissioner of the SCAC is Dwayne Hanberry. The chair of the Executive Committee of the SCAC for 2022–23 is L. Song Richardson, Colorado College president.

History

Recent events

On November 1, 2022, McMurry University will join as a full member in the fall of the 2024–25 academic year.
On March 9, 2023, Trinity University and Southwestern University of Texas announced their departure from the SCAC, joining the Southern Athletic Association beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
On May 15, 2023, the SCAC announced that Concordia University of Texas and the University of the Ozarks will join the conference, beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.
On November 24, 2023, Lyon College joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for football, beginning in the 2024 season of 2024–25 academic year.
On April 26, 2024, the SCAC announced that LeTourneau University would join the conference, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
On June 11, 2024, Hendrix College announced it would return to the SCAC, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
On March 17, 2025, various outlets reported that McMurry University and Schreiner University would leave the SCAC for the American Southwest Conference at the end of the 2025–26 academic year in exchange for a seven-figure sum. These reports were later confirmed by the ASC and SCAC the following day, on March 18th.

Chronological timeline

  • 1962 – On September 1, 1962, the SCAC was founded as the College Athletic Conference . Charter members included Centre College, Southwestern University at Memphis, The University of the South of Sewanee and Washington and Lee University, which later added Washington University in St. Louis during that same year; beginning the 1962–63 academic year.
  • 1972 – Washington left the CAC after the 1971–72 academic year.
  • 1973 – Washington and Lee left the CAC after the 1972–73 academic year.
  • 1974 – Principia College and Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology joined the CAC in the 1974–75 academic year.
  • 1980 – Illinois College joined the CAC in the 1980–81 academic year.
  • 1983 – Illinois College left the CAC after the 1982–83 academic year.
  • 1983 – Fisk University joined the CAC in the 1983–84 academic year.
  • 1984:
  • * Principia left the CAC after the 1983–84 academic year.
  • * Earlham College joined the CAC in the 1984–85 academic year.
  • 1989:
  • * Two institutions left the CAC to join their future respective primary home conferences, both effective after the 1988–89 academic year:
  • ** Earlham to join the North Coast Athletic Conference
  • ** and Rose–Hulman to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
  • * Millsaps College and Trinity University of Texas joined the CAC in the 1989–90 academic year.
  • 1990 – Oglethorpe University joined the CAC in the 1990–91 academic year.
  • 1991:
  • * The CAC was re-designated as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , while women's programs became part of the SCAC, beginning in the 1991–92 academic year.
  • * Hendrix College joined the SCAC in the 1991–92 academic year.
  • 1994:
  • * Fisk left the SCAC to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as an Independent after the 1993–94 academic year.
  • * Southwestern University of Texas joined the SCAC in the 1994–95 academic year.
  • 1998 – DePauw University joined the SCAC in the 1998–99 academic year.
  • 2006:
  • * Rose–Hulman left the SCAC again to rejoin the HCAC after the 2005–06 academic year.
  • ** Austin College and Colorado College joined the SCAC in the 2006–07 academic year.
  • 2007 – Birmingham–Southern College joined the SCAC in the 2007–08 academic year.
  • 2011:
  • * DePauw left the SCAC to join the NCAC after the 2010–11 academic year.
  • * The University of Dallas joined the SCAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
  • 2012:
  • * Centre, Rhodes, Sewanee, Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Hendrix and Birmingham–Southern left the SCAC, to form the Southern Athletic Association, along with NCAA D-III Independent Berry College, all effective after the 2011–12 academic year.
  • * The Centenary College of Louisiana joined the SCAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
  • 2013:
  • * Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran joined the SCAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
  • * The University of California at Santa Cruz joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2013–14 academic year.
  • 2014 – UC Santa Cruz left the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving after the 2013–14 academic year.
  • 2016 – McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks joined the SCAC as affiliate members for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2016–17 academic year.
  • 2018 – The Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University joined the SCAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
  • 2019 – The University of St. Thomas joined the SCAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
  • 2020 – Johnson & Wales–Denver left the SCAC after the 2019–20 academic year; as the school ceased operations.
  • 2024:
  • * Concordia University of Texas, McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks joined the SCAC in the 2024–25 academic year.
  • * Lyon College joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2024 season.
  • 2025:
  • * Trinity and Southwestern left the SCAC to join the Southern Athletic Association after the 2024–25 academic year.
  • * LeTourneau University joined the SCAC in the 2025–26 academic year.
  • 2026 – McMurry and Schreiner will leave the SCAC to rejoin the ASC after the 2025–26 academic year.

    Member schools

Current members

The SCAC currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentU.S. News
Ranking
EndowmentNicknameJoinedColors
Austin CollegeSherman, Texas1849Presbyterian1,22882
$134,746,000Kangaroos2006
Centenary College of LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana1825United Methodist563167
$122,482,000Gentlemen &
Ladies
2012
Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado1874Nonsectarian2,26631
$720,085,000Tigers2006
Concordia University TexasAustin, Texas1926Lutheran LCMS1,200not ranked$18,570,000Tornados2024
Irving, Texas1956Catholic2,53813
$45,630,000Crusaders2011
Hendrix CollegeConway, Arkansas1876United Methodist1,130$200,700,000Warriors1992;
2025
LeTourneau UniversityLongview, Texas1946Interdenominational3,758$10,500,000Yellowjackets2025
McMurry UniversityAbilene, Texas1923United Methodist1,43015
$84,000,000War Hawks2024
Clarksville, Arkansas1834Presbyterian6306
$87,540,000Eagles2024
Houston, Texas1947Catholic
3,97526
$78,360,000Celts2019
Schreiner UniversityKerrville, Texas1923Presbyterian1,1038
$62,946,000Mountaineers2013
Texas Lutheran UniversitySeguin, Texas1891Lutheran ELCA1,4423
$89,986,000Bulldogs2013

;Notes:

Affiliate members

The SCAC currently has one affiliate member, also a private school.
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedSCAC
sport
Primary
conference
Lyon CollegeBatesville, Arkansas1872Presbyterian
496Scots2024FootballSt. Louis

;Notes:

Former members

The SCAC had 18 former full members, all were private schools:
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
conference
Birmingham–Southern CollegeBirmingham, Alabama1856United Methodist1,600Panthers20072012Defunct
Centre CollegeDanville, Kentucky1819Presbyterian1,215Colonels19622012Southern
DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana1837Methodist2,400Tigers19982011North Coast
Earlham CollegeRichmond, Indiana1847Quakers1,181Quakers19841989Heartland
Fisk UniversityNashville, Tennessee1866United Church of Christ
800Bulldogs19831994HBCU
Hendrix CollegeConway, Arkansas1876United Methodist1,400Warriors19922012Southern
Illinois CollegeJacksonville, Illinois1829UCC & PCUSA1,000Blueboys &
Lady Blues
19801983Midwest
Johnson & Wales University–DenverDenver, Colorado1914Nonsectarian1,291Wildcats20182020Defunct
Millsaps CollegeJackson, Mississippi1890United Methodist1,146Majors19892012Southern
Oglethorpe UniversityAtlanta, Georgia1835Nondenominational1,000Stormy Petrels19912012Southern
Principia CollegeElsah, Illinois1910Scientist550Panthers19741984St. Louis
Rhodes CollegeMemphis, Tennessee1848Presbyterian1,690Lynx19622012Southern
Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, Indiana1874Nonsectarian1,970Fightin' Engineers1974,
1998
1989,
2006
Heartland
Sewanee: The University of the SouthSewanee, Tennessee1857Episcopal1,383Tigers19622012Southern
Southwestern UniversityGeorgetown, Texas1840United Methodist1,536Pirates19942025Southern
Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, Texas1869Nonsectarian2,703Tigers19892025Southern
Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia1749Nonsectarian2,203Generals19621973Old Dominion
Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri1853Nonsectarian14,070Bears19621972University

;Notes: