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| Austin College athletics photo by Scott Crawford |
The American Southwest Conference announced August 13 that Austin College will rejoin the NCAA Division III conference as an affiliate member for football following approval of the ASC Council of Presidents.
The ASC agreement with Austin formally begins July 1, 2021 and will be for four academic years and the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 football seasons. AC will be immediately eligible for the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs along with team and individual awards. Austin will take Louisiana College's spot in the American Southwest Conference schedule as Lousiana College moves to the NAIA.
Austin is a core member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, which does not sponsor football. Starting in 2021, Austin will join Southwestern and Texas Lutheran as affiliate members of the ASC for football, while Trinity (Texas) is an affiliate member of the Southern Athletic Association for football. Austin is currently a football member of the SAA and will close their four-year affiliation after the 2020-21 academic year. Previously, Austin College played football under the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference banner for 11 seasons (2006-16).
"We are pleased to welcome Austin College back to the American Southwest Conference football lineup," said Amy Carlton, ASC commissioner. "The affiliate membership with AC enhances what is one of the top NCAA Division III football conferences and represents an opportunity for all 10 football programs to continue playing a competitive conference schedule in front of their student peers, families and fans.
"Austin College is a solid football program with student-athletes who will make an impact academically and athletically with the American Southwest Conference," Carlton added.
Currently, Austin's conference opponents in football are in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, as well as Trinity, in Texas.
The 'Roos resume play with the ASC after a 15-year hiatus, maintaining non-conference games with several conference teams during the break. Austin College played football for 10 seasons in the ASC (1996-2005) garnering a trio of finishes among the top half of the league. During its prior tenure in the ASC, 47 students earned all-conference accolades for their on-field performance, including the 2000 Offensive Player of the Year Aaron Kernek.
"We're excited to renew our football program's affiliation with the American Southwest Conference," said David Norman, Austin College athletic director. "This is a move that enables our football team to compete within the region with less travel expectations, opening up more opportunities for the families of our student-athletes to travel to games played primarily within the state of Texas. We have and will continue exploring non-conference scheduling opportunities with Southern Athletic Association institutions for all of our sports programs. "