McMurry leaving ASC, joining Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2024
McMurry University has accepted an offer of membership in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), becoming the 10th member of the NCAA Division III league.
The departure is scheduled for the Fall of 2024. Currently, the War Hawks are members of the SCAC in swimming and esports. The move will unify all sports into one conference.
"The SCAC is a prestigious conference and McMurry University is honored to join," said McMurry University President Dr. Sandra S. Harper. "I know the commissioner and most of the SCAC presidents quite well and I look forward to working with them in the future. McMurry is currently undergoing a new strategic planning process to guide the university until 2030. This conference move blends nicely with the strategic direction that we foresee for McMurry regarding the balance between athletics and academics."
Current members of the SCAC include Austin College, Centenary College, Colorado College, the University of Dallas, Schreiner University, Southwestern University, University of St. Thomas, Texas Lutheran University, and Trinity University.
"We are thrilled to accept the offer to become a member of the SCAC, another great Division III league," said Dr. Sam Ferguson, vice president for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics. "Our swim teams have competed as affiliate members of the SCAC since 2015 and it has been an exceptional experience for those scholar-athletes. We have built great relationships in the league through that affiliation and non-conference play. Our coaches and administration have a ton of respect for our colleagues in the SCAC and couldn't be more excited to expand those rivalries. This is a great day for McMurry University."
McMurry has enjoyed success in the ASC with 51 conference titles including the most recent Women's and Men's Cross-Country Championships. The War Hawks were members of the ASC from 1996-2012 and rejoined the league in 2014. McMurry plans to continue their rivalries within the ASC through nonconference competition.
"The rivalries and relationships we have developed within the ASC are important to us," Ferguson said. "We plan to continue playing as many ASC opponents as our non-conference schedule will allow. While we place a lot of value on our ASC experience and all the professionals who represent the league, we couldn't be more excited and honored for this new opportunity ahead of us In the SCAC. We believe It's a great fit for us."
