The Southland Conference Board of Directors met on Feb. 3 and approved a new format that will affect the alignment of the conference once Central Arkansas and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi officially join the conference July 1.The new alignments set are for men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball. The alignment will be rotated every two years to assist the two furthermost Texas teams, Lamar and Stephen F. Austin, in their travel.
Starting next season the conference will be divided into east and west divisions. The East Division consists of Central Arkansas, Lamar, McNeese, Nicholls, Northwestern State and Southeastern. The West Division includes Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas State, Texas-Arlington and Texas-San Antonio.
However, every two years Stephen F. Austin and Lamar will switch divisions to help with travel.
In a press release, league commissioner Tom Burnett said a compromise had to be reached.
“In determining the divisional scheduling format, it was clear that both Lamar and SFA strongly desired to play in the west,” Burnett said. “With the four Louisiana institutions and Central Arkansas falling naturally in an eastern alignment, a compromise was necessary to bring a sixth team into the division.”
In basketball and volleyball, teams will play divisional opponents twice and opposite divisional teams once for a 16-game or 16-match schedule. In baseball, the teams will play divisional opponents in a three-game series and play five of the six opposite divisional teams in a three-game series for a total of 30 games.
Every other sport will play a round robin format. The 11 softball teams will play a 30-game schedule, playing 10 opponents in a three-game series. The nine women’s soccer teams will play an eight-match single round robin schedule.
The 12 women’s tennis teams will play an 11-match single round-robin schedule, while the seven men’s programs will play a six-match single round-robin schedule.
Lady Colonels head basketball coach Mark Cook said traveling could be a little more hectic, depending on where the Lady Colonels play next season.
“We could end up having to go to Stephen F. Austin, Lamar and Central Arkansas in one season,” Cook said. “One thing we talked about was trying to find ways to raise more money for our travel expenses. We’d like to fly so we don’t have to miss as much class time.”
Men’s head basketball coach J.P. Piper said traveling comes with playing Division I-A basketball.
“Arlington is nine hours and San Antonio is eight and a half so it wouldn’t be that much farther going to Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas,” Piper said. “The bus rides are longer, but it’s part of reality. It’s something you have to deal with playing ball at this level.”
The competition level of the Southland Conference will also be raised since both schools have had success in basketball over the last couple of years.
“On the women’s side I think it’ll definitely be tougher for us,” Cook said. “Corpus Christi won 20 plus games last year and went to the NIT (National Invitational Tournament). Central Arkansas went to the Elite 8 of Division II last season. They’re going to help make the Southland Conference a tougher conference. It’ll make everyone else work harder in recruiting in order to stay competitive.”
Piper said the addition of the two teams will make it even harder for any team to go undefeated in conference.
“It’ll help the Southland become a tougher conference,” Piper said. “It adds a little more parity and balance; I think it’s good.”
Sophomore guard/forward Adonis Gray said even though the new teams are coming in, he still thinks the Colonels can compete next season.
“I think we have great chances next season,” Gray said. “Our Australians are coming back, and we have Aaron Scott, the transfer from East Tennessee, who’ll be able to play. We’ll be okay.”
Decisions on scheduling will be finalized prior to the conference’s spring meeting May 30 to June 2 in Galveston, Texas.
Overall, Cook said the additions would make the Southland Conference better.
“It’s going to elevate us as a conference,” Cook said. “Our conference already has a better RPI (ratings percentage index) than we have had in the past. Our (Lady Colonels) RPI is at .303 because of the wins and the tougher schedule we’ve played. After one win we jumped from .317 to .303. My goal is to be in the .290s so we can stay competitive.
