American Southwest Conference

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The American Southwest Conference was announced in May 1996. The new league included some former members of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA). Founding members of the ASC were Howard Payne University, Austin College, Hardin–Simmons University, McMurry University, Mississippi College, Sul Ross State University, the University of Dallas and the University of the Ozarks.

The expansion soon began as the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor joined the ASC in 1997; followed by East Texas Baptist University, LeTourneau University, Schreiner University and the University of Texas at Dallas in 1998; then Concordia University Texas in 1999, and finally Louisiana Christian University, then known as Louisiana College, and Texas Lutheran University in 2000.

The University of Dallas was a member of the ASC until the end of the 2000–01 season to become a Independent; and Austin College withdrew the ASC in the 2005–06 season to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). The University of Texas at Tyler began athletics in 2002 and became a member in 2003, but as a provisional member of the NCAA, was ineligible to participate in ASC or NCAA postseason tournaments until 2007. Centenary College of Louisiana joined the conference in 2011, after completing their transition from Division I to Division III, but almost immediately announced its departure for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.{{cite web |url=http://www.ascsports.org/news/2010/7/20/GEN_0720104042.aspx |title=Centenary Approved for Div. III Reclassification |access-date=July 27, 2010 |date=July 20, 2010 |publisher=American Southwest Conference}}{{cite web|title=Centenary College of Louisiana to Join the SCAC|date=28 September 2011 |url=http://www.scacsports.com/news/centenary_joins_scac|publisher=SCAC|access-date=October 11, 2012}}

Recently, however, several schools have announced plans to leave the conference in favor of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, which lost seven of its members at the end of the 2011–12 school year. Centenary[http://www.centenary.edu/news/2011/0000122 Members leave ASC for SCAC] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706153945/http://www.centenary.edu/news/2011/0000122 |date=July 6, 2012 }} departed at the end of the 2011–12 season after joining the ASC in that same season; Schreiner{{cite web|url=http://www.schreiner.edu/news/2012/news12_jan23_SCAC123.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805125538/http://www.schreiner.edu/news/2012/news12_jan23_SCAC123.html|url-status=dead|title=SU News 2012: SCHREINER UNIVERSITY TO JOIN SOUTHERN COLLEGIATE ATHLE…|date=August 5, 2012|archive-date=August 5, 2012|website=schreiner.edu|access-date=April 20, 2018}} and Texas Lutheran{{cite web|url=http://www.tlubulldogs.com/news/2012/2/16/BB_0216123710.aspx|title=Texas Lutheran University to join Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference|website=Texas Lutheran University|access-date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017190125/http://www.tlubulldogs.com/news/2012/2/16/BB_0216123710.aspx|archive-date=October 17, 2015|url-status=dead}} left at the end of the 2012–13 season.

In 2012, McMurry left the ASC and completed the process of reclassifying to a full-scholarship, Division II institution and joined the Heartland Conference.{{cite web|url=http://www.mcmurrysports.com/news/2011/7/12/GEN_0712111147.aspx|title=NCAA accepts McMurry's application to transition to Division II - The Official Site of McMurry War Hawks|website=The Official Site of McMurry War Hawks|date=12 July 2011 |access-date=April 20, 2018}} Additionally, Mississippi College announced that it would be also leaving the conference and reclassifying to Division II in 2014.{{cite web|title=Mississippi College chooses Division II|date=27 September 2012 |url=http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2012/09/mississippi-college-chooses-d2|publisher=D3 Sports|access-date=October 11, 2012}} Mississippi College will re-join the Gulf South Conference, a league that it had been a member of until 1996.{{cite web|title=Mississippi College Takes Steps to Rejoin NCAA Division II|date=27 September 2012 |url=http://www.d3football.com/seasons/2012/contrib/20120927g3yooz|publisher=D3 Sports|access-date=October 11, 2012}}

The departures of McMurry, Texas Lutheran and Mississippi College will leave the conference with only six football playing members, below the minimum seven participating schools required to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA football playoffs. The conference has not announced a plan to maintain its automatic bid.

ASC officials announced on March 13, 2014, the forthcoming addition of McMurry University and Belhaven University to its membership.{{cite web|url=http://ascsports.org/news/2014/3/13/GEN_0313144755.aspx|title=American Southwest Conference Announces McMurry and Belhaven as Future Additions|website=American Southwest Conference|access-date=April 20, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uttylerpatriots.com/news/articles/2013-14/3476/mcmurry-university-and-belhaven-university-set-to-join-asc/|title=McMurry University and Belhaven University Set to Join ASC|website=uttylerpatriots.com|access-date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421032139/http://www.uttylerpatriots.com/news/articles/2013-14/3476/mcmurry-university-and-belhaven-university-set-to-join-asc/|archive-date= April 21, 2018|url-status=dead}} McMurry will re-join the ASC after a two-year stint in the Division II level, competing as a member of the Heartland Conference; while Belhaven is scheduled to join the ASC as a provisional member in 2015.

On December 3, 2015, ASC officials reported that Texas Lutheran University and Southwestern University would join the conference for football in 2017 {{cite web|url=http://www.mcmurrysports.com/news/2015/12/3/FB_1203154637.aspx|title=ASC Announces Football Expansion - The Official Site of McMurry War Hawks|website=The Official Site of McMurry War Hawks|date=3 December 2015 |access-date=April 20, 2018}} as football-only members. Both schools are members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, but the conference only had four remaining schools competing in football. Two other SCAC schools. Austin College and Trinity University (Texas), announced they would play football in the Southern Athletic Association beginning with the 2017 season. The SCAC dropped football as a conference sport after the 2016 season.

In July 2018, the NCAA approved UT Tyler's application to begin a transition to NCAA Division II effective with the 2019–20 school year. Accordingly, UT Tyler left the ASC at the end of the 2018–19 school year. While the school did not immediately announce its future affiliation, it stated that it expected to join the Lone Star Conference.{{cite press release|url=http://www.uttyler.edu/news/pressrelease/2018/07132018.php |title=UT Tyler Accepted into NCAA Division II |publisher=University of Texas at Tyler |date=July 13, 2018 |access-date=July 18, 2018}} The following month, UT Tyler was officially unveiled as an incoming LSC member.{{cite press release|url=http://www.lonestarconference.org/news/2018/8/13/general-lone-star-conference-to-add-ut-tyler-in-2019.aspx |title=Lone Star Conference to Add UT Tyler in 2019 |publisher=Lone Star Conference |date=August 13, 2018 |access-date=August 29, 2018}}

In July 2020, Louisiana College announced that it would leave the NCAA and applied to rejoin the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics after the 2020–21 school year.{{cite news|url=https://www.wbrz.com/news/louisiana-college-applies-for-naia-for-2021-22-school-year/|title=Louisiana College applies for NAIA for 2021-22 school year|publisher=WBRZ-TV|agency=Associated Press|date=July 3, 2020|access-date=July 14, 2020}}

More changes in the ASC membership were announced August 13, 2020, when Austin reported it would return to the conference as a football-only affiliate beginning with the 2021 season, committing to at least four years as an affiliate,{{cite web | url=https://acroos.com/sports/fball/2020-21/releases/20200813jgq4mc | title='Roo Football to Join ASC as Affiliate Member | publisher=Austin College Athletics|date=August 13, 2020 | access-date=February 2, 2021}} then on August 19, 2021, Southwestern University announced its football program will move to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) to start the 2023 season as an affiliate member.[https://www.southwesternpirates.com/sports/m-footbl/2021-22/releases/20210819m4mveb SOUTHWESTERN FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES MOVE TO SAA IN FALL OF 2023 - Southwestern University] and on November 26, 2021, when the USA South Athletic Conference initially named Belhaven as its newest member in the 2022–23 academic year.{{cite news |title=Belhaven University Set to Join USA South |url=https://www.usasouth.net/general/2021-22/releases/20211119qluuy0 |access-date=December 26, 2021 |publisher=USA South Athletic Conference |date=November 22, 2021}} However, on February 18, 2022, Belhaven was announced as an inaugural member of the new Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) following a geographical split in the USA South, where the Blazers will remain as football associate members.{{cite news |title=USA South Announces Conference Restructuring |url=https://www.usasouth.net/general/2021-22/releases/20220215h90h97 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |publisher=USA South Athletic Conference |date=February 18, 2022 |archive-date=February 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221165722/https://usasouth.net/general/2021-22/releases/20220215h90h97 |url-status=dead }}

On November 1, 2022, McMurry University announced that it will leave the ASC in the fall of 2024 to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.{{cite press release|url=https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/sports/mcmurry-accepts-invitation-to-join-the-southern-collegiate-athletic-conference/|title=McMurry accepts invitation to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference|date=November 1, 2022|publisher=McMurry University|via=KRBC-TV}} While on February 1, 2023, Sul Ross State University announced that it will leave the ASC in the fall of 2024 to join the Lone Star Conference into Division II.{{cite press release|url=https://srlobos.com/news/2023/2/1/general-sul-ross-applies-to-move-to-ncaa-division-ii-level.aspx|title=Sul Ross Applies to Move to NCAA Division II Level|date=February 1, 2023|publisher=Sul Ross State University}} Additionally on May 15, 2023, the SCAC announced it would also be accepting Concordia and University of the Ozarks as members for the 2024–25 school year.{{cite web |title=Concordia University Texas and University of the Ozarks Set to Join SCAC in 2024-25 |date=15 May 2023 |url=https://scacsports.com/news/2022-2023/scac_adds_concordia_and_ozarks |publisher=Southern Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=15 May 2023}} The rapid loss of members continued, with UT Dallas announcing their intent to transition to Division II and follow fellow conference member Sul Ross State to the Lone Star Conference on July 20, 2023 and LeTourneau announcing that they would be following McMurry, Concordia, and Ozarks to the SCAC on April 25, 2024, with both changes occurring for the 2025–26 school year.{{cite press release|url=https://utdcomets.com/news/2023/7/19/baseball-ut-dallas-accepts-invitation-to-join-lone-star-conference.aspx|title=UT Dallas Accepts Invitation to Join Lone Star Conference|publisher=University of Texas at Dallas |date=July 20, 2023 |accessdate=July 20, 2023}}{{cite press release|url=https://www.scacsports.com/news/2023-2024/scac_adds_letourneau|title=LeTourneau University Set To Join SCAC In 2025-26|publisher=Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference|date=April 25, 2024|access-date=April 26, 2024}} If no more schools join the ASC, the conference will be down to four schools, below the minimum required to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA championships for those sports with 100% participation.

David Flores was named the new commissioner of the American Southwest Conference on June 21, 2023, replacing the long-time commissioner, Amy Carlton.{{cite web |url=https://ascsports.org/news/2023/6/20/mens-cross-country-david-flores-named-american-southwest-conference-commissioner.aspx |accessdate=August 24, 2023 |publisher=American Southwest Conference |title=David Flores Named Commissioner of the American Southwest Conference |date=June 21, 2023}}

• 1996 – In May 1996, the American Southwest Conference (ASC) was founded. Charter members included Austin College, Hardin–Simmons University, Howard Payne University, McMurry University, Mississippi College, Sul Ross State University, the University of Dallas and the University of the Ozarks, beginning the 1996–97 academic year.
• 1997 – The University of Mary Hardin–Baylor joined the ASC in the 1997–98 academic year.
• 1998
• East Texas Baptist University, LeTourneau University, Schreiner University and the University of Texas at Dallas joined the ASC in the 1998–99 academic year.
• Also at that time, Texas Lutheran University joined the ASC as an affiliate member for football.
• 1999 – Concordia University Texas joined the ASC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
• 2000 – Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University) joined the ASC, along with Texas Lutheran upgrading to full membership for all sports, in the 2000–01 academic year.
• 2001 – U. of Dallas left the ASC to become a Division III Independent after the 2000–01 academic year.
• 2003 – The University of Texas at Tyler joined the ASC in the 2003–04 academic year.
• 2006 – Austin College left the ASC to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) after the 2005–06 academic year.
• 2011 – Centenary College of Louisiana joined the ASC in the 2011–12 academic year.
• 2012 – Two institutions left the ASC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Centenary (La.) to join the SCAC, and McMurry to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Heartland Conference, both effective after the 2011–12 academic year.
• 2013
• Schreiner and Texas Lutheran left the ASC to join the SCAC after the 2012–13 academic year.
• The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) joined the ASC as an associate member for women's golf in the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year).
• 2014
• Mississippi College left the ASC to reclassify in the NCAA Division II ranks and the Gulf South Conference (GSC) after the 2013–14 academic year.
• McMurry rejoined back to the ASC (therefore it withdrew from Division II to return to Division III) in the 2014–15 academic year.
• 2015 – Belhaven University joined the ASC in the 2015–16 academic year.
• 2017 – Southwestern University joined the ASC as an associate member for football (with Texas Lutheran rejoining back for football) in the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
• 2019 – UT Tyler left the ASC to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Lone Star Conference (LSC) after the 2018–19 academic year.
• 2021
• Louisiana College left the ASC to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) after the 2020–21 academic year.
• Austin College returned to the ASC as an associate member for football in the 2021 fall season (2021–22 academic year).
• 2022 – Belhaven left the ASC to join the USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) as an affiliate member for football in the 2022–23 academic year. It was initially slated to join the USA South for all sports, but before this move took effect, the USA South amicably had split into two conferences. Instead, Belhaven became a full member of the newly formed Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS).
• 2023 – Southwestern (Tex.) left the ASC as an associate member for football to join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) for that sport after the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
• 2024
• Four institutions left the ASC to join their respective new home primary conferences: McMurry, Concordia (Tex.) and the U. of the Ozarks to join the SCAC, and Sul Ross State to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the LSC, all effective after the 2023–24 academic year.
• Austin College and Texas Lutheran left the ASC as associate members for football to join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) for that sport after the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year).
• UT Dallas will leave the ASC to join the LSC, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
• LeTourneau will leave the ASC to join the SCAC, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
• 2026 – McMurry and Schreiner will both rejoin the ASC, beginning the 2026–27 academic year; with McMurry rejoining the ASC for a second time.{{cite press release|url=https://ascsports.org/news/2025/3/18/general-american-southwest-conference-celebrates-10-year-agreement-and-membership-expansion.aspx|title=American Southwest Conference Celebrates 10-Year Agreement and Membership Expansion|publisher=American Southwest Conference|date=March 18, 2025|access-date=March 18, 2025}}

The ASC currently has six full members, all but one are private schools:

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=full}}

;Notes:

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The ASC currently has one affiliate member, a public school.

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=aff}}

The ASC has thirteen former full members, all but two were private schools:

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=former}}

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{{notelist|group=faff}}

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1996 till:2031

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id:bg value:white

id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports

id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football

id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only

id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)

id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference

id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two

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width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Full from:1996 till:2006 text:Austin (1996–2006)

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2021 text:SCAC

bar:1 shift:(-60) color:AssocF from:2021 till:2024 text:SCAC (ASC fb. 2021–2024)

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:SCAC

bar:2 color:FullxF from:1996 till:2001 text:Dallas (1996–2001)

bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2011 text:Independent

bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:end text:SCAC

bar:3 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Hardin–Simmons (1996–present)

bar:4 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Howard Payne (1996–present)

bar:5 color:Full from:1996 till:2012 text:McMurry (1996–2012)

bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2014 text:Lone Star

bar:5 color:FullxF from:2014 till:2016 text:(2014–2024)

bar:5 color:Full from:2016 till:2024

bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:2026 text:SCAC

bar:5 color:Full from:2026 till:end text:(2026–future)

bar:6 color:Full from:1996 till:2014 text:Mississippi College (1996–2014)

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:Gulf South

bar:7 color:FullxF from:1996 till:2024 text:University of the Ozarks (1996–2024)

bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:SCAC

bar:8 color:Full from:1996 till:2024 text:Sul Ross State (1996–2024)

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:Lone Star

bar:9 color:FullxF from:1997 till:1998 text:Mary Hardin–Baylor (1997–present)

bar:9 color:Full from:1998 till:end

bar:10 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2000 text:East Texas Baptist (1998–present)

bar:10 color:Full from:2000 till:end

bar:11 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:LeTourneau (1998–2025)

bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:SCAC

bar:12 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Schreiner (1998–2013)

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2026 text:SCAC

bar:12 color:Full from:2026 till:end text:(2026–future)

bar:13 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2025 text:UT Dallas (1998–2025)

bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:Lone Star

bar:14 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2024 text:Concordia (TX) (1999–2024)

bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:SCAC

bar:15 color:Full from:2000 till:2021 text:Louisiana College (2000–2021)

bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:RRAC

bar:16 color:AssocF from:1998 till:2000

bar:16 color:Full from:2000 till:2013 text:Texas Lutheran (2000–2013)

bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2017 text:SCAC

bar:16 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2024 text:SCAC (ASC fb. 2017–2024)

bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:SCAC

bar:17 color:FullxF from:2003 till:2019 text:UT Tyler (2003–2019)

bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:2019 till:end text:Lone Star

bar:18 shift:(-110) color:FullxF from:2011 till:2012 text:Centenary (La.) (2011–2012)

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:SCAC

bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:end text:UC Santa Cruz (2013–present)

bar:20 color:FullxF from:2015 till:2017 text:Belhaven (2015–2022)

bar:20 color:Full from:2017 till:2022 text:

bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:CCS

bar:21 shift:(-40) color:AssocF from:2017 till:2023 text:Southwestern (Tex.) (2017–2023)

bar:21 shift:(-30) color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:2025 text:SCAC (SAA fb.)

bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:2025 till:end text:SAA

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1996

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