The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Southland sponsors 18 sports, 10 for women and eight for men, and is governed by a presidential Board of Directors and an Advisory Council of athletic and academic administrators. Chris Grant became the Southland's seventh commissioner on April 5, 2022. From 1996 to 2002, for football only, the Southland Conference was known as the Southland Football League.
The Southland Conference's men's basketball tournament began in 1981, with the winner of the tournament receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
The Southland Conference's Women’s Basketball Tournament began in 1983, with the winner of the tournament receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. There was no tournament from 1984-1987, but in 1988 the season-ending tradition returned for good, with a format much as in the men's tournament, with opening rounds at the home court of the higher seed, and a designated location thereafter.
The 2014 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team represented Southeastern Louisiana University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions were led by third-year head coach Ron Roberts and played their home games at Strawberry Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 9–4 overall, 7–1 in conference play to finish in a share for the Southland title. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the first round to fellow Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State 21–17.
The 2015 Southland Conference baseball tournament was held from May 20 through 23. The top eight regular season finishers of the league's ten teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas. The event returned to Sugar Land as part of a two season contract after one season on campus. The winner of the tournament, Houston Baptist, earns the conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are ineligible for postseason play as they transition from Division II.
The 2015 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Matt Viator in his tenth and final season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 10–1 with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State received the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Cowboys lost in the second round to fellow Southland member, Sam Houston State. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2014 Southland Conference tournament was held at North Oak Park on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, from May 8 through 11, 2014. The tournament winner, Northwestern State earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I softball tournament. Due to weather delays, the championship broadcast on ESPN3 was canceled, leaving the entire tournament to air on the Southland Digital Network. Southland Conference assistant commissioner Chris Mycoskie and former Southeastern Louisiana pitcher Kati Morse called the action.
The 2016 Southland Conference tournament was held at Cowgirl Diamond on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, from May 11 through 13, 2016. The tournament winner, the McNeese State Cowgirls, earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I softball tournament. The Championship game was broadcast on ESPN3 with the remainder of the tournament airing on the Southland Digital Network.
The 2017 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Campbell and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 10–2, 9–0 in Southland play to be crowned Southland Conference champions. They received the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to New Hampshire in the Second Round.
The 2017 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Lance Guidry, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 9–2 with a mark of 7–2 in conference play, tying for third place in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2017 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference held from November 1–5, 2017. The seven-match tournament took place at Jack Dugan Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The eight-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The Houston Baptist Huskies were the defending champions, but they were eliminated from the 2017 tournament with a 1–0 quarterfinal loss to the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears. The Lamar Lady Cardinals won the tournament with a 2–0 win over the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks in the final. This was the first Southland Conference tournament title for the Lamar women's soccer program and for head coach Steve Holeman.
The 2018 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Lance Guidry in his third and final season as head caoach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing in four-way tie for fourth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2018–19 Southland Conference men's basketball season, the conference's 56th, began with practices in October 2018, followed by the start of the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season on November 6, 2018. Conference play began on January 2, 2019 concluding on March 9, 2019. The Sam Houston State Bearkats won the regular season championship with a conference record of 16–2. The 2019 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament was held in Katy, Texas at the Merrell Center from March 13–17, 2019. The 2nd seeded Abilene Christian Wildcats won the conference tournament championship and received the conference automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Two other teams also received bids to post season tournaments. Conference regular season champion, Sam Houston State, received the conference automatic bid to the NIT tournament. New Orleans received a bid to the CIT tournament.
The 2018 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from October 31–November 4, 2018. The seven-match tournament took place at the Lamar Soccer Complex in Beaumont, Texas. The eight-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play.
The 2019 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team represents Southeastern Louisiana University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions are led by second-year head coach Frank Scelfo and play their home games at Strawberry Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference.
The 2019 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from November 6 to November 10, 2019. The seven-match tournament took place at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex in Conway, Arkansas. The eight-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Abilene Christian Wildcats, but they were unable to defend their title falling in the first round to McNeese State 2–1. The Lamar Cardinals won the tournament, defeating Northwestern State 3–1 in the final. The title was the second overall for the Lamar Cardinals program, both of which have come under head coach Steve Holeman.
The 2021 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from November 3 to November 7, 2021. The six-match tournament took place at the Dr. Jack Dugan Family Soccer & Track Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The seven-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Southeastern Louisiana Lions, but they were unable to defend their title falling in the Semifinals to Northwestern State 1–0. Northwestern State went on to win the tournament, defeating Incarnate Word 1–0 in the Final. The title was the fifth overall for the Northwestern State program, and first under head coach Stuart Gore. As tournament champions, Northwestern State earned the Southland Conference's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.
The 2020 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from April 13 to April 17, 2020. The seven-match tournament took place at the Lamar Soccer Complex in Beaumont, Texas. The eight-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Lamar Lady Cardinals, but they were unable to defend their title falling in the first round to Sam Houston State 4–3. The Southeastern Lady Lions won the tournament, defeating Sam Houston 3–0 in the final.
The 2022 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from November 2 to November 6, 2022. The six-match tournament took place at the Lady Demon Soccer Complex in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The seven-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The defending champions were the Northwestern State Lady Demons. Northwestern State was defeated in the semifinal round by Texas A&M-Commerce Lions 2–3. Lamar Lady Cardinals won the championship by defeating the Houston Christian Huskies 1–0 in the semifinal round and Texas A&M-Commerce 4–1 in the championship final match. The Lady Cardinals qualified for the Southland Conference's autobid to the 2022 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament. The championship win was Lamar's third in the conference.
The 2023 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament, the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference, was held from November 1 to November 5, 2023. The six-match tournament took place at the Dr. Jack Dugan Soccer & Track Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The seven-team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. In a tournament which included three matches that were decided by penalty kicks, Lamar, the defending champions, won its fourth overall Southland Conference tournament championship and its second consecutive tournament championship in a 3-1 match vs #3 seed, McNeese.
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