The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium is an athletic stadium located in Commerce, Texas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the East Texas A&M University Lions football team, Texas A&M-Commerce Men's and Women's Track and Field, and the Commerce High School Tigers Football team of the Commerce Independent School District. Prior to 1996, the stadium was named "East Texas State Memorial Stadium, and until the end of the 2017 season, it was known as Texas A&M-Commerce Memorial Stadium." The stadium was built in honor of the 78 Texas A&M-Commerce alums and students who fought and died during World War II. The stadium was renamed Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium was formally changed in November 2017 in honor of longtime Lion football coach Ernest Hawkins.
The North Alabama Lions football program represents the University of North Alabama (UNA) in college football as the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The conference, which played its first season in 2023, is a merger of the football leagues of UNA's primary home of the ASUN Conference and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). UNA had played the 2022 season in the ASUN, and before that had played football in the Big South Conference for three seasons. UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. The team's head coach is Brent Dearmon. UNA was an NCAA Division II member from 1972 to 2017.
The East Texas A&M Lions are the athletic teams that represent East Texas A&M University, located in Commerce, Texas, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Lions compete as members of the Southland Conference for all 12 varsity sports. East Texas A&M previously played in the Lone Star Conference from 1931 to 2022.
The Central Washington Wildcats program represents Central Washington University in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Wildcats are normally members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, but when that conference dropped football after the 2021 season, they joined the Lone Star Conference as football-only members.
The Angelo State Rams baseball team represents Angelo State University in NCAA Division II college baseball. The team belongs to the Lone Star Conference and plays home games at Foster Field, an on-campus field.
The Angelo State University men's basketball team represents Angelo State University in USA NCAA Division II college basketball. They play in the Lone Star Conference. The Rams play home games at Stephens Arena, a 6,500-capacity arena in San Angelo, Texas, on the campus of Angelo State University. Vinay Patel is the current coach.
The Abilene Christian Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Abilene Christian University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team was a member of the Southland Conference through the 2020–21 season, but joined the Western Athletic Conference in July 2021, coinciding with that league's reinstatement of football as an official conference sport. After the 2022 season, the WAC fully merged its football league with that of the ASUN Conference, creating what eventually became the United Athletic Conference, and ACU accordingly moved its football team to the new league. The school's first football team was fielded in 1919. The team plays its home games at the on-campus Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium.
Jerry Vandergriff is a former American football player and coach. He was a football player at Angelo State College in San Angelo, Texas, and the University of Corpus Christi. He was a football coach at Angelo State from 1971 to 2004, including 23 years as head coach. He is the winningest coach in Angelo State history and ranks 39th in wins in NCAA Division II history.
The Tarleton State Texans football program, also known as the Tarleton Texans, is the intercollegiate American football team for Tarleton State University located in the U.S. state of Texas. Through the 2019 season, the team competed in NCAA Division II as members of the Lone Star Conference, but moved to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) beginning in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In fall 2021, Tarleton's full-time home of the Western Athletic Conference revived its football league at the FCS level, with Tarleton as one of the inaugural members.
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos football team represents the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in college football. The team is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which is in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bronchos football program began in 1902 and has since compiled over 600 wins, two national championships, and 28 conference championships. As of 2022, the Bronchos are ranked fifth in NCAA Division II for wins. In 1962, the Bronchos went 11–0 on the season and defeated Lenoir–Rhyne University (NC) 28–13 in the Camellia Bowl to claim its first NAIA national championship. Twenty years later, Central Oklahoma defended its home turf and defeated Colorado Mesa University 14–11 in the NAIA national championship game to take its second title and finish the season with a 10–2 record. Despite its rich history in football, Central Oklahoma has struggled beginning in the late 2000s. In 2024, the program broke on a 21 year playoff drought. The Bronchos play their home games at Chad Richison Stadium, a 12,000-seat football stadium built in 1965, and remodeled in 2022. The Bronchos have enjoyed nine undefeated home seasons and are 6–1 in playoff games at Chad Richison Stadium.
The East Texas A&M Lions men's basketball team is the men's intercollegiate basketball program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at the University Field House on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. They are currently coached by Jaret von Rosenberg.
Gary Howard is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Central Oklahoma—from 1977 to 2002, compiling a career college football record of 161–106–6, four NAIA playoff appearances, three NCAA Division II playoff appearances, two conference championships, and a national championship. He is winningest coach the history of the Central Oklahoma program.
The East Texas A&M Lions football team is the college football program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On December 16, 2017, East Texas A&M won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37–27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as East Texas A&M was the last founding member remaining. The football team began competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level starting with the 2022 season.
The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl is the name of an American football bowl game played at three different locations in Central Texas since 2001, featuring teams from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Between 2012 and 2018, it was played as a doubleheader with an NCAA Division II postseason game, which was also known as the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.
Colby Don Carthel is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, a position he has held since December 2018. Carthel served as the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2013 to 2018, leading the 2017 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team to an NCAA Division II Football Championship title. Prior to his time as head coach, he was the defensive coordinator under his father, Don Carthel, at West Texas A&M University, from 2006 to 2012. Carthel played football at Angelo State University, where he was an all-conference linebacker.
The Tarleton State Texans women's basketball team represents Tarleton State University, located in Stephenville, Texas. Through the 2019–20 season, the team competed in NCAA Division II as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The Texans began a four-year transition to NCAA Division I in July 2020, joining the Western Athletic Conference. The Texans are currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Brock and play their games at Wisdom Gymnasium on its campus in Stephenville.
The 2012 Lone Star Conference football began on August 30 when West Texas A&M lost to CSU-Pueblo and ended with West Texas A&M loss against Winston-Salem in the NCAA D2 Semi Final on December 8. It was Abilene Christian and Incarnated Word last season before they moved to NCAA D1 Southland Conference.
The 2022 Angelo State Rams football team represented Angelo State University as a member of the Lone Star Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Girsch, the Rams compiled an overall record of 12–1 with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the LSC title. Angelo State received a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs and beat Bemidji State in the second round before losing to Colorado Mines in the quarterfinals. Angelo State played home games at the LeGrand Sports Complex in San Angelo, Texas.
The 2024 Angelo State Rams football team represented Angelo State University during the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). Led by seventh-year head coach Jeff Girsch, the Rams played home games at LeGrand Sports Complex in San Angelo, Texas.
