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Gulf Star Conference

{{Infobox sports league

| name = Gulf Star Conference

| logo_size = 150

| founded = 1984

| dissolved = 1987

| conference = NCAA

| division = Division II

| teams = 6

| region = Southern United States

| map = Gulf Star Conference-USA-states.png

| map_size = 250

}}

The Gulf Star Conference was an NCAA Division II{{cite news|last=Cunningham |first=Steve| title=Former Cairo star in national spotlight | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/82662234|newspaper=The Southern Illinoisan |location=Carbondale, Illinois |date=March 6, 1986|page=13|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = December 30, 2021|quote=His cat-like quickness, astounding jumping ability, long arms and super peripheral vision help make him one of the best defensive players in the Division II ranks heading into this season. That wasn't enough for Duncan.}} conference that existed for three academic years from 1984–85 to 1986–87. All of the schools subsequently joined the Southland Conference. Dave Waples was the only commissioner, with the conference office located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Aftermath

Although the Southland eventually took in all of the former Gulf Star schools, only four (Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Southwest Texas State) joined the Southland immediately upon the Gulf Star's demise. The other two Gulf Star members, Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana, initially became independents. Nicholls State joined the SLC for the 1991–92 school year. SLU became a member of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference) in that same year, and moved to the Southland in 1997–98. To date, only Nicholls State, Northwestern State, and Southeastern Louisiana remain in the Southland Conference, as Southwest Texas State (now known as Texas State) joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2013 while Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2021.

Member schools

=Final members=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

! Institution

! Nickname

! Location

! Founded

! Affiliation

! Joined

! Left

! Subsequent
conference(s)

! Current
conference

{{sort|Nicholls State|Nicholls State University}}[http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/BK09.pdf NCAA Men's basketball records]

| Colonels

| Thibodaux, Louisiana

| 1948

| rowspan="6" | Public

| rowspan="6" | 1984

| rowspan="6" | 1987

| D-I Independent
(1987–91)

| Southland
(1991–present)

{{sort|Northwestern State|Northwestern State University}}

| Demons

| Natchitoches, Louisiana

| 1884

| colspan=2 | Southland
(1987–present)

{{sort|Sam Houston State|Sam Houston State University}}

| Bearkats

| Huntsville, Texas

| 1879

| Southland
(1987–2021)
Western (WAC)
(2021–2023)

| C-USA
(2023–present)

{{sort|Southeastern Louisiana|Southeastern Louisiana University}}

| Lions

| Hammond, Louisiana

| 1925

| D-I Independent
(1987–91)
Atlantic Sun (ASUN)
(1991–97)

| Southland
(1997–present)

{{sort|Texas State|Southwest Texas State University}}{{efn|group=GulfStar|Known as Texas State University since 2003.}}

| Bobcats

| San Marcos, Texas

| 1899

| Southland
(1987–2012)
Western (WAC)
(2012–13)

| Sun Belt
(2013–present)

{{sort|Stephen F. Austin|Stephen F. Austin State University}}

| Lumberjacks &
Ladyjacks

| Nacogdoches, Texas

| 1921

| Southland
(1987–2021)
Western (WAC)
(2021–2024)

| Southland
(2024–present)

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=GulfStar}}

=Membership timeline=

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1984 till:1994

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#

Colors =

id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

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

PlotData=

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

bar:1 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Nicholls State (1984–1987)

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1991 text:D-I Ind.

bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:end text:Southland

bar:2 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Northwestern State (1984–1987)

bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:end text:Southland

bar:3 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Sam Houston State (1984–1987)

bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:end text:Southland

bar:4 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Southeastern Louisiana (1984–1987)

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1991 text:D-I Ind.

bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:end text:TAAC

bar:5 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Southwest Texas State (1984–1987)

bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:end text:Southland

bar:6 color:Full from:1984 till:1987 text:Stephen F. Austin State (1984–1987)

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:end text:Southland

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:1984

Championships

=Baseball=

class="wikitable"

|+Gulf Star Conference baseball champions

Season

! Team

! Record

rowspan="2" | 1985

| {{cbsb link|year=1985|team=Nicholls State Colonels|title=Nicholls State}}

| rowspan="2" | 12–6

{{cbsb link|year=1985|team=Sam Houston State Bearkats|title=Sam Houston State}}
1986

| {{cbsb link|year=1986|team=Sam Houston State Bearkats|title=Sam Houston State}}

| 16–4

1987

| {{cbsb link|year=1987|team=Sam Houston State Bearkats|title=Sam Houston State}}

| 17–3

{{cite web |url=http://geauxcolonels.com/documents/2013/1/19/2013_Info_Guide.pdf |format=PDF |title=2013 Nicholls State Baseball Media Guide |publisher=Geauxcolonels.com |accessdate=2017-05-24}}

=Football=

class="wikitable"

|+Gulf Star Conference football champions

Season

! Team

! Record

rowspan="2" | 1984

| Nicholls State

| rowspan="2" | 4–1

Northwestern State
rowspan="2" | 1985

| Sam Houston State

| rowspan="2" | 4–1

Stephen F. Austin
1986

| Sam Houston State

| 3–1

{{cite web |url=http://www.geauxcolonels.com/documents/2012/8/13/2012%20Nicholls%20Football%20Media%20Guide.pdf?id=446|format=PDF |title=2012 Nicholls State Football Media Guide |publisher=Geauxcolonels.com |accessdate=2017-05-24}}

=Men's basketball=

{{seealso|Gulf Star Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year}}

class="wikitable"

|+Gulf Star Conference basketball champions

Season

! Team

! Record

1984–85

| {{cbb link|year=1984–85|team=Southeastern Louisiana Lions|title=Southeastern Louisiana}}

|

1985–86

| {{cbb link|year=1985–86|team=Sam Houston State Bearkats|title=Sam Houston State}}

|

1986–87

| {{cbb link|year=1986–87|team=Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks|title=Stephen F. Austin}}

|

References

{{Reflist}}

Category:1984 establishments in the United States

Category:1987 disestablishments in the United States