Update | Sul Ross State News Release
The NCAA announced today (July 11) the advancement of Sul Ross State to year two of the Division II member reclassification process beginning September 1. The Lobos, who began their LSC membership on July 1, are projected to complete their transition to Division II with the start of the 2026-27 academic year.
Sul Ross State University starts a new chapter in its athletics history as the Lobos officially begin membership with the Lone Star Conference today (July 1).
Accepted for LSC membership in July 2023, Sul Ross State is completing its first year of the three-year NCAA Division II provisional membership process. The Lobos are projected to gain full Division II status in fall 2026. SRSU had been affiliated with NCAA Division III and the American Southwest Conference since 1996.
"Our membership is excited to officially welcome Sul Ross State to the LSC today," said Jay Poerner, LSC commissioner. "With the addition of Sul Ross State, our 17 member institutions continue to embody the very best in NCAA Division II with a shared commitment to community, academics and athletics excellence."
SRSU sponsors 12 intercollegiate athletics programs that will be playing under the LSC banner – baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and volleyball. Lobos teams and individuals are immediately eligible for LSC regular season championships and awards but will be ineligible for postseason conference tournaments in sports where the conference receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II championship.
The Lobos' first scheduled Lone Star Conference competition comes August 29 when they host West Texas A&M in football.
While July 1, 2024, signifies the start of LSC association for Sul Ross State as a Division II program, it is also a "welcome back" for the Lobos who were members of the league from 1950-1976 when the institution and conference were in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). SRSU has LSC championships in football (1950, '65) and men's outdoor track and field (1971).
Located in Alpine in the Big Bend region of Texas,
Sul Ross State is a Texas State University System institution authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1917. The University serves as a cultural and educational center and is the primary institution of higher education in a geographic area that includes two-thirds of the Texas-Mexico border. Over 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled.
Founded April 25, 1931, Lone Star Conference membership includes 17 institutions in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. The LSC opens its 93rd year of competition this fall and is coming off a successful 2023-24 year with an NCAA Division II national championship in softball and national runner-up finishes in volleyball, men's indoor track and field, women's basketball, women's golf, and baseball. In addition, 14 institutions were ranked in the LEARFIELD Directors Cup final standings, including two among the Top 25, and numerous student-athletes earned national and regional academic and athletic honors.
Member Change. A member of the LSC since July 1, 2019, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith concluded its membership in the Lone Star Conference on June 30, 2024.