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 Lamar Cardinals and Lady Cardinals refers to the college athletics teams of Lamar University, in Beaumont, Texas. The Cardinals and Lady Cardinals teams compete in seventeen NCAA Division I sports as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals rejoined the Southland after spending the 2021–22 athletic year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
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 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 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions women's soccer team is the women's intercollegiate soccer program representing Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For the first 27 years of existence, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The A&M–Commerce women's soccer team plays its home games at Lion Soccer Field on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. The Lions won four LSC regular season championships, three conference tournament titles, and made six appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The team is currently coached by Ashley Gordon.
The 2011 Southland Conference tournament was held at Bearkat Softball Complex on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, from May 12 through 14, 2011. The tournament winner earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I softball tournament. The championship was syndicated regionally via the Southland Conference Television Network, called by Doug Anderson and Chris Mycoskie. The remainder of the tournament was streamed live on SLC NOW.
The 2016 Southland Conference women's soccer tournament was the postseason women's soccer tournament for the Southland Conference held from November 2 to 6, 2016. The five match tournament was at Jack Dugan Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The six team single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds based on seeding from regular season conference play. The Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions were the defending tournament champions after defeating the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a penalty kick shootout in the championship match.
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 Lamar Lady Cardinals soccer team represents Lamar University in NCAA Division I college soccer. The team, currently led by head coach Nathan Kogut, competes in the Southland Conference. The team's initial season was 2007. The Lady Cardinals' home stadium is the Lamar Soccer Complex located on the university's campus. The team began playing home games there starting with the 2009 season. The Lady Cardinals home stadium for the first two seasons was Cardinal Stadium now named Provost Umphrey Stadium.
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 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 2022–23 Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball team represented Lamar University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Lady Cardinals, led by fourth year head coach Aqua Franklin, played their home games at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, Texas as members of the Southland Conference. The Lady Cardinals finished the 2022–23 season with an overall record of 20–12 and 12–6 in conference play. After defeating McNeese in the second round and Texas A&M–Corpus Christi in the semi–final round of the 2023 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament, Lamar's season ended losing to Southeastern Louisiana in tournament championship game. Lamar entered the tournament as third seed.
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 Nicholls Colonels baseball team represented Nicholls State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Colonels played their home games at Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field and were led by second–year head coach Mike Silva. They are members of the Southland Conference.
The 2023 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the 2022–23 season of the Southland Conference. The tournament was held March 5–8, 2023, at The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Top seeded Texas A&M–Corpus Christi defeated second seeded Northwestern State 75–71 in the championship game winning its second consecutive tournament championship and receiving the conference's automatic invitation to the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The 2023 Southland Conference tournament was held at Joe Miller Field on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, from May 9 through 13, 2023. The tournament winner, McNeese, earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I softball tournament. All games were broadcast on ESPN+.
The 2024 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders softball team represented Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi during the 2024 NCAA Division I softball season. The Islanders played their home games at the softball facility at Chapman Field and were led by third-year head coach Kathleen Rodriguez. They are members of the Southland Conference. The team compiled a 21–22 overall record and 9–15 in conference play finishing in sixth place. They qualified for the SLC tournament as the sixth seed. Their season ended with a first round 2–7 loss to seventh seeded Houston Christian.
The 2024 Southland Conference tournament was held at North Oak Park in Hammond, Louisiana from May 7 through 10, 2024. The tournament winner, Southeastern Louisiana earned the Southland Conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division I softball tournament. All games were be broadcast on ESPN+.
