American South Conference

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. The Sun Belt, which was losing all but three members, 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]

American South Conference
Established1987
Dissolved1991
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision I
Members7
HeadquartersMetairie, Louisiana
CommissionerCraig Thompson
Locations

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
InstitutionNicknameLocationFoundedTypeJoinedLeftSubsequent 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
Main article: American South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament

Men's basketball

Regular season
  • 1988 Louisiana Tech, New Orleans
  • 1989 New Orleans
  • 1990 Louisiana Tech, New Orleans
  • 1991 Arkansas State, New Orleans

Conference tournament

Women's basketball

Regular season
  • 1988 Louisiana Tech
  • 1989 Louisiana Tech
  • 1990 Louisiana Tech
  • 1991 Lamar

Conference tournament
  • 1988 Louisiana Tech
  • 1989 Louisiana Tech
  • 1990 Louisiana Tech
  • 1991 Louisiana Tech

Baseball

Regular season
  • 1988 New Orleans
  • 1989 Southwestern Louisiana
  • 1990 Southwestern Louisiana
  • 1991 Southwestern Louisiana

Conference tournament
  • 1988 Southwestern Louisiana
  • 1989 New Orleans
  • 1990 Southwestern Louisiana
  • 1991 Southwestern Louisiana
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See also

References

Notes
  1. "Miscellany". Los Angeles Times. 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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