American South Conference

American South Conference
Established 1987
Dissolved 1991
Association NCAA
Division Division I
Members 7
Headquarters Metairie, Louisiana
Commissioner Craig Thompson
Locations

The American South Conference was an NCAA Division I athletic conference that existed from 1987-88 to 1990–91. The charter members were Arkansas State University, Lamar University, Louisiana Tech University, the University of New Orleans, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and the University of Texas–Pan American (now merged into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). The University of Central Florida (UCF) became the only expansion school during the conference's final academic season before merging with the Sun Belt Conference. Losing all but three members, the Sun Belt merged with the American South conference.[1] The combined conference retained the name of the older Sun Belt Conference. Craig Thompson, the American South's first and only commissioner, became commissioner of the merged Sun Belt. After serving as Sun Belt commissioner for eight years, he became commissioner of the newly formed Mountain West Conference in 1998.[2]

In its brief existence, the American South was home to the 1988 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Champion in Louisiana Tech, and also had two men's basketball teams earn NCAA at-large berths, Louisiana Tech in 1989 (defeated LaSalle in NCAA 1st Round) and New Orleans in 1991. Lamar's women's basketball team advanced to the NCAA round of eight in 1991 defeating Texas, LSU, and Arkansas before losing to tournament finalist Virginia.

Final members

Institution Nickname Location Founded Type Joined Left Subsequent Conference(s) Current Conference
Arkansas State University Red Wolves Jonesboro, Arkansas 1909 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–present)
University of Central Florida Knights Orlando, Florida 1963 Public 1990 1991 Sun Belt (1991–92)
Atlantic Sun (1992–2005)
C-USA (2005–13)		 AAC (2013–present)
Lamar University Cardinals Beaumont, Texas 1923 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–98)
Independent (1998–99)		 Southland (1999–present)
Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs (men's)
Lady Techsters (women's)		 Ruston, Louisiana 1894 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–2001)
WAC (2001–13)		 C-USA (2013–present)
University of New Orleans Privateers New Orleans, Louisiana 1958 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–2010)
Independent (2010–13)		 Southland (2013–present)
University of Southwestern Louisiana
(currently the University of Louisiana at Lafayette)		 Ragin' Cajuns Lafayette, Louisiana 1898 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–present)
University of Texas–Pan American [f 1] Broncs [f 2] Edinburg, Texas [f 3] 1927 Public 1987 1991 Sun Belt (1991–98)
Independent (1998–2008)
Great West (2008–13)		 WAC (2013–present) [f 4]
Notes
  1. ↑ UTPA merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2013 to form the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), with the new university beginning full operation in the 2015–16 school year.
  2. ↑ The UTPA athletic program was transferred directly to UTRGV, with the nickname changing to Vaqueros once UTRGV began operation.
  3. ↑ The UTRGV athletic program is based at the former UTPA main campus in Edinburg.
  4. ↑ UTRGV maintains UTPA's WAC membership.

Champions

Men's basketball

Regular season

Conference tournament

Women's basketball

Regular season

Conference tournament

Baseball

Regular season

Conference tournament

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Miscellany". Los Angeles Time. April 9, 1999. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Presidents of Sun Belt Conference schools Jacksonville, South Alabama, Western Kentucky and Arkansas Little Rock voted to accept a merger with the American South Conference.
  2. ↑ "Craig Thompson, Commissioner". Mountain West Conference. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
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