Sooner Athletic Conference

Sooner Athletic Conference
Association	NAIA
Founded	1978
Commissioner	John Martin
Sports fielded	18 men's: 9; women's: 9; ;
No. of teams	13
Headquarters	Oklahoma City, OK
Region	South Central United States
Official website	soonerathletic.org

The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 13 schools in a league that spans six states – Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.

As of August 2021, SAC member institutions have collected 109 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) team championships – the most among NAIA conferences – since the league formed in 1978.

The SAC crowns league champions in 18 intercollegiate sports – nine for women and nine for men. Women's sports are basketball, softball, golf, tennis, cross country, soccer, volleyball, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and wrestling. Men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, cross country, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, and wrestling. The newest conference sport is women's wrestling, added for the 2019–20 season.

The conference is known for a rich basketball tradition. Member schools have won the men's NAIA tournament 12 times and women's NAIA tournament 16 times. SAC member schools also boast 14 NAIA national titles in men's golf, 13 in softball, 12 in women's indoor track and field, 10 in women's golf, 10 in men's cross country, 6 in men's tennis, 5 in women's outdoor track and field, 5 in men's indoor track and field, 4 in men's outdoor track and field, 2 in baseball, 2 in competitive cheer, and 1 in men's soccer for a total of 112.^[1]

History

Sooner Athletic Conference

150km
100miles

USAO

College of the Ozarks

UNT Dallas

Langston

Oklahoma Panhandle

Central Christian

Texas Wesleyan

SCU

Nelson

MACU

Wayland Baptist

Oklahoma City

John Brown

Location of SAC members:

current

Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 schools in a league that spans four states (Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas). The league's newest addition is the University of North Texas Dallas, which entered the conference as an full member for 2021-22 and an associate member in 2020-21. The SAC added Central Christian College of Kansas and Oklahoma Panhandle State University to the fold for 2017-18, then dropped to 11 schools when St. Gregory's announced its closure in November 2017. The league added Langston University in 2018-19 as its first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) member, then dropped Bacone (Okla.) College after that same year.

Throughout the league's history, the SAC continues to be known as the conference "Where Champions Play". Various institutions have competed under the SAC banner over the years. Today only the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma remains from the original group that was formed when Bethany Nazarene (now Southern Nazarene), Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian, and Phillips University withdrew from the Texoma Conference to form the SAC.

Membership has changed over the years with today's current members being admitted as follows: Oklahoma City (1986), Wayland Baptist (1994), John Brown (1995), Mid-America Christian (2007), Southwestern Assemblies of God (2013), Texas Wesleyan (2013), Southwestern Christian (2013), Bacone (2014), Central Christian (2017), Oklahoma Panhandle State (2017), and North Texas–Dallas (2020).

The league also includes associate members on a per-sport basis, with University of Houston–Victoria, University of the Southwest, and University of St. Thomas being part of the SAC in women's golf since 2017. Lyon College has been an associate member for women's wrestling since 2019.

Past members of the SAC include: Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian, Southern Nazarene, Rogers State, Lubbock Christian, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Northwood, St. Gregory's and Bacone.

The league also includes associate members on a per-sport basis. Arizona Christian University, Lyon (Ark.) College, Ottawa University-Arizona and Texas College became SAC members for football in 2018-19 with Louisiana College joining for 2021–22.

Chronological timeline

1978 - The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) was founded. Charter members included Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University), Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma Christian University, Phillips University and the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) beginning the 1978-79 academic year.
1980 - John Brown University joined the Sooner in the 1980-81 academic year.
1983 - John Brown left the Sooner to become an NAIA Independent after the 1982-83 academic year.
1986 - Oklahoma City University joined the Sooner in the 1986-87 academic year.
1994 - USAO left the Sooner to join the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference (OIC) after the 1993-94 academic year.
1994 - Lubbock Christian University and Wayland Baptist University joined the Sooner in the 1994-95 academic year.
1995 - John Brown re-joined Sooner in the 1995-96 academic year.
1998 - Phillips left the Sooner as the school announced that it would close after the 1997-98 academic year.
1999 - St. Gregory's University joined the Sooner in the 1999-2000 academic year.
2000 - USAO re-joined Sooner in the 2000-01 academic year.
2002 - Northwestern Oklahoma State University joined the Sooner in the 2002-03 academic year.
2007 - Mid-America Christian University and Rogers State University joined the Sooner in the 2007-08 academic year.
2012 - Three institutions left the Sooner and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and to join their respective new home primary conferences: Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene to the Great American Conference (GAC), and Oklahoma Christian to the Heartland Conference after the 2011-12 academic year.
2013 - Lubbock Christian and Rogers State left the Sooner and joined the NCAA Division II ranks and the Heartland after the 2012-13 academic year.
2013 - Northwood University–Texas, Southwestern Assemblies of God University (now Nelson University), Southwestern Christian University and Texas Wesleyan University joined the Sooner in the 2013-14 academic year.
2014 - Northwood–Texas left the Sooner as the school announced that it would close after the 2013-14 academic year.
2015 - Oklahoma Baptist left the Sooner and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the GAC after the 2014-15 academic year.
2015 - Bacone College joined the Sooner in the 2015-16 academic year.
2017 - St. Gregory's (Okla.) left the Sooner as the school announced that it would close at the end of the fall 2017 semester during the 2017-18 academic year.
2017 - Central Christian College of Kansas and Oklahoma Panhandle State University joined the Sooner in the 2017-18 academic year.
2017 - Five institutions joined the Sooner as associate members: Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) and Lourdes University for men's wrestling, while the University of Houston–Victoria, the University of the Southwest and the University of St. Thomas for women's golf, all effective in the 2017-18 academic year.
2018 - Langston University joined the Sooner in the 2018-19 academic year.
2018 - Five institutions joined the Sooner as associate members: Arizona Christian University, Lyon College, Ottawa University–Arizona and Texas College for football, and Rochester College for men's wrestling in the 2018-19 academic year.
2019 - Bacone left the Sooner to become an NAIA Independent as part of the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) after the 2018-19 academic year.
2019 - St. Thomas (Tex.) left the Sooner as an associate member for women's golf, as the school announced to move up to the NCAA Division III ranks and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) after the 2019 spring season (2018-19 academic year).
2019 - Cleary University joined the Sooner as an associate member for men's wrestling, while Lyon added women's wrestling to its Sooner associate membership, both effective in the 2019-20 academic year.
2020 - Cleary, Indiana Tech, Lourdes and Rochester left the Sooner as associate members for men's wrestling after the 2019-20 academic year.
2020 - The University of North Texas at Dallas joined the Sooner as a provisional member for some sports in the 2020-21 academic year.
2021 - North Texas–Dallas has upgraded to full membership within the Sooner in the 2021-22 academic year.
2021 - Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University) joined the Sooner as an associate member for football in the 2021 fall season (2021-22 academic year).
2022 - Lyon announced that it will leave the Sooner and the NAIA as an associate member for football to join the NCAA Division III ranks after the 2022 fall season (2022-23 academic year).
2022 - Arizona Christian announced that it will leave the Sooner as an associate member for football to join the Frontier Conference for that sport after the 2022 fall season (2022-23 academic year).
2023 - Arkansas Baptist College and North American University joined the Sooner as associate members for football in the 2023 fall season (2023-24 academic year).
2024 - The College of the Ozarks joined the Sooner in the 2024-25 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The Sooner currently has 13 full members, all but four are private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]
Central Christian College of Kansas	McPherson, Kansas	1884	Free Methodist	1,013	Tigers	2017
John Brown University	Siloam Springs, Arkansas	1919	Interdenominational	2,708	Golden Eagles	1980; 1995^[b]
Langston University	Langston, Oklahoma	1897	Public (HBCU)	2,554	Lions	2018
Mid-America Christian University (MACU)	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1953	Church of God	2,405	Evangels	2007
Nelson University^[c]	Waxahachie, Texas	1927	Assemblies of God	2,080	Lions	2013
University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas)	Dallas, Texas	2000	Public	4,100	Trailblazers	2020^[d]^[2]
Oklahoma City University	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1904	United Methodist	2,968	Stars	1986
Oklahoma Panhandle State University	Goodwell, Oklahoma	1909	Public	1,207	Aggies	2017
College of the Ozarks^[e]	Point Lookout, Missouri	1906	Presbyterian (PCUSA)	1,508	Bobcats	2024
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO)	Chickasha, Oklahoma	1908	Public	813	Drovers	1978; 2000^[f]
Southwestern Christian University	Bethany, Oklahoma	1946	Pentecostal	764	Eagles	2013
Texas Wesleyan University	Fort Worth, Texas	1890	United Methodist	2,373	Rams	2013
Wayland Baptist University	Plainview, Texas	1908	Baptist	5,077	Pioneers	1994

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ John Brown left the SAC after the 1982–83 school year; before re-joining in the 1995–96 school year.
^ Formerly known as Southwestern Assemblies of God University prior to 2024.
^ North Texas–Dallas joined the SAC as an associate during the 2020–21 school year (in transition); before becoming a full member in the SAC for all sports in the 2021–22 school year.
^ This institution holds dual membership with the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).
^ USAO left the SAC after the 1993–94 school year; before re-joining in the 2000–01 school year.

Associate members

The Sooner currently has eight associate members, all but one are private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]	Sooner sport	Primary conference
Arkansas Baptist College	Little Rock, Arkansas	1884	Baptist	525	Buffaloes	2021^m.wr. 2023^fb.	men's wrestling, football	Continental
University of Houston–Victoria	Victoria, Texas	1973	Public (UH System)	4,407	Jaguars	2017	women's golf	Red River (RRAC)
Jarvis Christian University^[b]	Hawkins, Texas	1912	Disciples of Christ	550	Bulldogs	2021	men's wrestling	Red River (RRAC)
Louisiana Christian University^[c]	Pineville, Louisiana	1906	Baptist	1,200	Wildcats	2021^[3]	football	Red River (RRAC)
North American University	Stafford, Texas	2007	Private	821	Stallions	2023^[d]	football	Red River (RRAC)
Ottawa University–Arizona	Surprise, Arizona	2017	American Baptist	750	Spirit	2018	football	Great Southwest (GSAC)
University of the Southwest	Hobbs, New Mexico	1956	Nondenominational	550	Mustangs	2017	women's golf	Red River (RRAC)
Texas College	Tyler, Texas	1894	C.M.E. Church (HBCU)	972	Steers	2018	football	Red River (RRAC)

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ Formerly known as Jarvis Christian College until 2022.
^ Formerly known as Louisiana College until late 2021 (during the 2021–22 school year).
^ Did not count as an affiliate in conference play until 2024.

Former members

The Sooner had ten former full members, all but two were private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]	Left^[b]	Current conference
Bacone College	Muskogee, Oklahoma	1880	Tribal college^[c]	900	Warriors	2015	2019	Continental
Lubbock Christian University	Lubbock, Texas	1957	Churches of Christ	2,100	Chaparrals	1994	2013	Lone Star (LSC)^[d]
Northwestern Oklahoma State University	Alva, Oklahoma	1897	Public	1,857	Rangers	2002	2012	Great American (GAC)^[d]
Northwood University–Texas	Cedar Hill, Texas	1966	Nonsectarian	N/A	Knights	2013	2014	Closed in 2014
Oklahoma Baptist University	Shawnee, Oklahoma	1910	Baptist	2,097	Bison	1978	2015	Great American (GAC)^[d]
Oklahoma Christian University	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1950	Churches of Christ	2,479	Eagles & Lady Eagles	1978	2012	Lone Star (LSC)^[d]
Phillips University	Enid, Oklahoma	1906	Disciples of Christ	N/A	Haymakers	1978	1998	Closed in 1998
Rogers State University	Claremore, Oklahoma	1909	Public	4,300	Hillcats	2007	2013	Mid-America (MIAA)^[d]
St. Gregory's University	Shawnee, Oklahoma	1875	Catholic (Benedictines)	N/A	Cavaliers	1999	2018^[e]	Closed in 2017
Southern Nazarene University	Bethany, Oklahoma	1899	Nazarene	2,110	Crimson Storm	1978	2012	Great American (GAC)^[d]

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
^ Formerly affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) until 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
^ Closed at the end of the fall 2017 semester (2017–18 school year).

Former associate members

The Sooner had seven former associate members, all were private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined^[a]	Left^[b]	Sooner sport	Current conference
Arizona Christian University	Glendale, Arizona	1960	Nondenominational	820	Firestorm	2018	2023	football	Great Southwest (GSAC)
Cleary University	Howell, Michigan	1883	Nonsectarian	600	Cougars	2019	2020	men's wrestling	Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC)
Indiana Institute of Technology	Fort Wayne, Indiana	1930	Nonsectarian	7,000	Warriors	2017
Lourdes University	Sylvania, Ohio	1958	Catholic	1,500	Gray Wolves	2017
Lyon College	Batesville, Arkansas	1872	Presbyterian (PCUSA)	700	Scots	2018^fb., 2019^w.wr.	2023^fb., 2023^w.wr.	football, women's wrestling	St. Louis (SLIAC)^[c]
Rochester Christian University^[d]	Rochester Hills, Michigan	1959	Churches of Christ	1,100	Warriors	2018	2020	men's wrestling	Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC)
University of St. Thomas	Houston, Texas	1947	Catholic	1,626	Celts	2017	2019	women's golf	Southern (SCAC)^[c]

Notes

^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
^ ^a ^b Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
^ Formerly known as Rochester University until 2024 and Rochester College until 2019.

Membership timeline

Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)

References

^ "Conference History".
^ "UNT Dallas newest Sooner Athletic Conference member". Midwest Sports Net. June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
^ "Louisiana College accepted into NAIA, joins RRAC and SAC". Crescent City Sports. October 5, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.

External links

Official website

[2] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[3] John Brown left the SAC after the 1982–83 school year; before re-joining in the 1995–96 school year.

[4] Formerly known as Southwestern Assemblies of God University prior to 2024.

[5] North Texas–Dallas joined the SAC as an associate during the 2020–21 school year (in transition); before becoming a full member in the SAC for all sports in the 2021–22 school year.

[NCCAA-7] This institution holds dual membership with the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).

[8] USAO left the SAC after the 1993–94 school year; before re-joining in the 2000–01 school year.

[9] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[10] Formerly known as Jarvis Christian College until 2022.

[11] Formerly known as Louisiana College until late 2021 (during the 2021–22 school year).

[13] Did not count as an affiliate in conference play until 2024.

[14] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[15] Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.

[16] Formerly affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) until 2018.

[D2-17] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

[18] Closed at the end of the fall 2017 semester (2017–18 school year).

[19] Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

[20] Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.

[D3-21] Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.

[22] Formerly known as Rochester University until 2024 and Rochester College until 2019.

[1] "Conference History".

[6] "UNT Dallas newest Sooner Athletic Conference member". Midwest Sports Net. June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.

[12] "Louisiana College accepted into NAIA, joins RRAC and SAC". Crescent City Sports. October 5, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.

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v t e Sooner Athletic Conference
Full members	Central Christian Tigers John Brown Golden Eagles Langston Lions Mid-America Christian Evangels Nelson Lions Oklahoma City Stars Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies Southwestern Christian Eagles Texas Wesleyan Rams UNT Dallas Trailblazers USAO Drovers Wayland Baptist Pioneers
Associate members	Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Cleary University Cougars Indiana Tech Warriors Louisiana Christian Wildcats and Lady Wildcats Lourdes Gray Wolves Ottawa Spirit Rochester Warriors Texas College Steers

v t e NAIA conferences
Single Division	American Midwest Conference Appalachian Athletic Conference^† California Pacific Conference Cascade Collegiate Conference Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Continental Athletic Conference (Independent schools) Crossroads League Frontier Conference^† Great Plains Athletic Conference^† Great Southwest Athletic Conference HBCU Athletic Conference Heart of America Athletic Conference^† Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference^† Mid-South Conference^† North Star Athletic Association^† Red River Athletic Conference River States Conference Sooner Athletic Conference^† Southern States Athletic Conference Sun Conference^† Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference
Football-only	Mid-States Football Association^† NAIA independent football schools^†
^†Conference sponsors football