Texas A&M University-Commerce is going D-1.
The Southland Conference has extended an invitation to the university, located an hour east of Dallas. The school of 12,000 will officially join the Southland on July 1, 2022, and begin a four-year transition into Division I at the same time.
"Moving to D1 is a gigantic step for a university like A&M-Commerce," said President Mark J. Rudin. "We feel like we're aligned with the schools in the Southland Conference. (The Southland) has the same values, the same expectations as A&M-Commerce."
Rudin said the process ramped up within the last week. A&M-Commerce becomes the ninth member of the conference and the seventh that sponsors football.
The Southland is the only Division 1 conference located entirely within the Central Time Zone.
"It is a tremendous honor and opportunity to welcome Texas A&M University-Commerce, a noted institution of higher education with an outstanding athletic history, into the Southland Conference," Commissioner Tom Burnett said. "We have every expectation that A&M-Commerce will become an outstanding member of NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference, continuing its long championships tradition of competing for league titles and national tournament berths."
The Southland Conference was seeking to expand after losing five schools earlier this year, including Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, and Lamar, to the Western Athletic Conference.
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