The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), founded in 1962, is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distances led seven former members to announce the formation of a new Southeastern US-based conference, the Southern Athletic Association, starting with the 2012–13 academic year.
Prior to 1991, the conference was known as the College Athletic Conference (CAC). The commissioner of the SCAC is Dwayne Hanberry. The chair of the Executive Committee of the SCAC for 2026–27 is Christopher Holoman, Centenary College president.
History
Recent events On November 1, 2022, McMurry University will join as a full member in the fall of the 2024–25 academic year.
On March 9, 2023, Trinity University and Southwestern University of Texas announced their departure from the SCAC, joining the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
On May 15, 2023, the SCAC announced that Concordia University of Texas and the University of the Ozarks will join the conference, beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.
On November 24, 2023, Lyon College joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for football, beginning in the 2024 season of 2024–25 academic year.
On April 26, 2024, the SCAC announced that LeTourneau University would join the conference, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
On June 11, 2024, Hendrix College announced it would return to the SCAC, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
On March 17, 2025, various outlets reported that McMurry University and Schreiner University would leave the SCAC for the American Southwest Conference (ASC) at the end of the 2025–26 academic year in exchange for a seven-figure sum. On March 18, 2025, these reports were later confirmed by the ASC and SCAC.
On April 16, 2026, the SCAC announced they will add Gallaudet University as an affiliate member for football, thus retaining its automatic bid to the NCAA Division III football championship, beginning in the 2026 fall season of the 2026–27 academic year. Gallaudet will not routinely participate in regular-season SCAC play, appearing only in the conference's regular season-ending football tournament. Its 2026 football schedule shows no SCAC opponents until the final week.
Chronological timeline 1962 – On September 1, 1962, the SCAC was founded as the College Athletic Conference (CAC). Charter members included Centre College, Southwestern University at Memphis, The University of the South of Sewanee and Washington and Lee University, which later added Washington University in St. Louis during that same year; beginning the 1962–63 academic year. 1972 – Washington (Mo.) [a.k.a. WashU] left the CAC after the 1971–72 academic year. 1973 – Washington and Lee left the CAC after the 1972–73 academic year. 1974 – Principia College and Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology joined the CAC in the 1974–75 academic year. 1980 – Illinois College joined the CAC in the 1980–81 academic year. 1983 – Illinois College left the CAC after the 1982–83 academic year. 1983 – Fisk University joined the CAC in the 1983–84 academic year. 1984: Principia left the CAC after the 1983–84 academic year. Earlham College joined the CAC in the 1984–85 academic year. 1989: Two institutions left the CAC to join their future respective primary home conferences, both effective after the 1988–89 academic year: Earlham to join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and Rose–Hulman to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Millsaps College and Trinity University of Texas joined the CAC in the 1989–90 academic year. 1990 – Oglethorpe University joined the CAC in the 1990–91 academic year. 1991: The CAC was re-designated as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), while women's programs became part of the SCAC, beginning in the 1991–92 academic year. Hendrix College joined the SCAC in the 1991–92 academic year. 1994: Fisk left the SCAC to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as an Independent after the 1993–94 academic year. Southwestern University of Texas joined the SCAC in the 1994–95 academic year. 1998 – DePauw University joined the SCAC (with Rose–Hulman rejoining) in the 1998–99 academic year. 2006: Rose–Hulman left the SCAC again to rejoin the HCAC after the 2005–06 academic year. Austin College and Colorado College joined the SCAC in the 2006–07 academic year. 2007 – Birmingham–Southern College joined the SCAC in the 2007–08 academic year. 2011: DePauw left the SCAC to join the NCAC after the 2010–11 academic year. The University of Dallas joined the SCAC in the 2011–12 academic year. 2012: Centre, Rhodes, Sewanee, Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Hendrix and Birmingham–Southern left the SCAC, to form the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), along with NCAA D-III Independent Berry College, all effective after the 2011–12 academic year. The Centenary College of Louisiana joined the SCAC in the 2012–13 academic year. 2013: Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran joined the SCAC in the 2013–14 academic year. The University of California, Santa Cruz joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2013–14 academic year. 2014 – UC Santa Cruz left the SCAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving after the 2013–14 academic year. 2016 – McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks joined the SCAC as affiliate members for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2016–17 academic year. 2018 – The Denver campus of Johnson & Wales University joined the SCAC in the 2018–19 academic year. 2019 – The University of St. Thomas joined the SCAC in the 2019–20 academic year. 2020 – Johnson & Wales–Denver left the SCAC after the 2019–20 academic year; as the school ceased operations. 2024: Concordia University of Texas, McMurry University and the University of the Ozarks joined the SCAC in the 2024–25 academic year. Lyon College joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2024 season (2024–25 academic year). 2025: Trinity (Tex.) and Southwestern (Tex.) left the SCAC to join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) after the 2024–25 academic year. LeTourneau University joined the SCAC (with Hendrix rejoining) in the 2025–26 academic year. 2026: McMurry and Schreiner left the SCAC to rejoin the ASC after the 2025–26 academic year. Gallaudet University joined the SCAC as an affiliate member for football, beginning the 2026 fall season (2026–27 academic year). 2027 – Millsaps and Southwestern (Tex.) will rejoin the SCAC in the 2027–28 academic year.
Member schools Current members The SCAC currently has 10 full members, all are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment U.S. NewsRanking Endowment Nickname Joined Colors Football Austin College Sherman, Texas 1849 Presbyterian 1,228 82(National: Lib. Arts) $134,746,000 Kangaroos 2006 Yes Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana 1825 United Methodist 563 167(National: Lib. Arts) Gentlemen &Ladies 2012 Yes Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colorado 1874 Nonsectarian 2,266 31(National: Lib. Arts) $720,085,000 Tigers 2006 No Concordia University Texas Austin, Texas 1926 Lutheran LCMS 1,200 not ranked $18,570,000 Tornados 2024 No Irving, Texas 1956 Catholic 2,538 13(Regional: West) $45,630,000 Crusaders 2011 No Hendrix College Conway, Arkansas 1876 United Methodist 1,130 $200,700,000 Warriors 1992;2025 Yes LeTourneau University Longview, Texas 1946 Interdenominational 3,758 $10,500,000 Yellowjackets 2025 No Clarksville, Arkansas 1834 Presbyterian 630 6(Regional College: South) $87,540,000 Eagles 2024 No Houston, Texas 1947 Catholic 3,975 26(Regional University: West) $78,360,000 Celts 2019 No Texas Lutheran University Seguin, Texas 1891 Lutheran ELCA 1,442 3(Regional College: West) $89,986,000 Bulldogs 2013 Yes
Notes
Affiliate members The SCAC currently has two affiliate members.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors SCACsport(s) Primaryconference Gallaudet University Washington, D.C. 1864 Quasigovernmental 1,740 Bison 2026 Football United East (UEC) Lyon College Batesville, Arkansas 1872 Presbyterian 496 Scots 2024 Football St. Louis (SLIAC)
Notes
Future full members Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Endowment Nickname Joining Colors Currentconference Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi 1890 United Methodist 584 $115,460,000 Majors 2027 Southern (SAA) Southwestern University Georgetown, Texas 1840 United Methodist 1,434 $403,500,000 Pirates 2027 Southern (SAA)
Notes
Former members The SCAC had 20 former full members, all were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham, Alabama 1856 United Methodist 1,600 Panthers 2007 2012 Defunct Centre College Danville, Kentucky 1819 Presbyterian 1,215 Colonels 1962 2012 Southern (SAA) DePauw University Greencastle, Indiana 1837 Methodist 2,400 Tigers 1998 2011 North Coast (NCAC) Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 1847 Quakers 1,181 Quakers 1984 1989 Heartland (HCAC) Fisk University Nashville, Tennessee 1866 United Church of Christ 800 Bulldogs 1983 1994 HBCU (HBCUAC) Hendrix College Conway, Arkansas 1876 United Methodist 1,400 Warriors 1992 2012 Southern (SAA) Illinois College Jacksonville, Illinois 1829 UCC & PCUSA 1,000 Blueboys &Lady Blues 1980 1983 Midwest Johnson & Wales University–Denver Denver, Colorado 1914 Nonsectarian 1,291 Wildcats 2018 2020 Defunct McMurry University Abilene, Texas 1923 United Methodist 1,430 War Hawks 2024 2026 American Southwest (ASC) Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi 1890 United Methodist 1,146 Majors 1989 2012 Southern (SAA) Oglethorpe University Atlanta, Georgia 1835 Nondenominational 1,000 Stormy Petrels 1991 2012 Southern (SAA) Principia College Elsah, Illinois 1910 Scientist 550 Panthers 1974 1984 St. Louis (SLIAC) Rhodes College Memphis, Tennessee 1848 Presbyterian 1,690 Lynx 1962 2012 Southern (SAA) Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, Indiana 1874 Nonsectarian 1,970 Fightin'Engineers 1974;1998 1989;2006 Heartland (HCAC) Sewanee: The University of the South Sewanee, Tennessee 1857 Episcopal 1,383 Tigers 1962 2012 Southern (SAA) Schreiner University Kerrville, Texas 1923 Presbyterian 1,103 Mountaineers 2013 2026 American Southwest (ASC) Southwestern University Georgetown, Texas 1840 United Methodist 1,536 Pirates 1994 2025 Southern (SAA) Trinity University San Antonio, Texas 1869 Nonsectarian 2,703 Tigers 1989 2025 Southern (SAA) Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia 1749 Nonsectarian 2,203 Generals 1962 1973 Old Dominion (ODAC) Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri 1853 Nonsectarian 14,070 Bears 1962 1972 University (UAA)
Notes
Former affiliate members The SCAC had three former affiliate members, all but one were private schools.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left SCACsport(s) Primaryconference McMurry University Abilene, Texas 1923 United Methodist 1,430 War Hawks 2014 2024 Men's swimming & diving American Southwest (ASC) 2014 2024 Women's swimming & diving University of the Ozarks Clarksville, Arkansas 1834 Presbyterian 630 Eagles 2016 2024 Men's swimming & diving Southern (SCAC) 2016 2024 Women's swimming & diving University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California 1965 Public 19,700 Banana Slugs 2013 2014 Men's swimming & diving Coast to Coast (C2C) 2013 2014 Women's swimming & diving
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Membership timeline
Conference overview