The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a small college athletics 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 12 schools in a league that spans four states - Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas.
Entering the 2017-18 seasons, SAC member institutions have collected 95 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) team championships - the most among NAIA conferences - since the league formed in 1978.
Throughout the league's 39-year 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 (1985), Wayland Baptist (1994), John Brown (1995), St. Gregory's (1998), Mid-America Christian (2007), Southwestern Assemblies of God (2013), Texas Wesleyan (2013), Southwestern Christian (2013), Bacone (2014), Central Christian (2017) and Oklahoma Panhandle State (2017).
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 apart of the SAC in women's golf since 2017. Indiana Tech University and Lourdes University have been added as associate members in men's wrestling for 2017-18.
The SAC in 2017-18 will crown league champions in 14 intercollegiate sports - seven for women and seven for men. They include for women: basketball, softball, golf, tennis, cross country, soccer and volleyball. Men compete in basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, cross country, soccer and wrestling.
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 12 NAIA national titles in men's golf, 11 in softball, 10 in women's golf, 8 in women's indoor track and field, 7 in men's cross country, 5 in men's tennis, 4 each in men's and women's outdoor track and field, 3 in men's indoor track and field, 2 in baseball and 1 in competitive cheer.
Video Sooner Athletic Conference
Member schools
Current members
- John Brown - left the SAC in 1983, and re-joined in 1995.
- USAO - left the SAC in 1994, and re-joined in 2000.
- St. Gregory's will close at the end of the Fall 2017 semester
Future member
Former members
Membership timeline
Full member (non-football)
Maps Sooner Athletic Conference
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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