ATLANTA (Aug. 19, 2021) – The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) announced today that Southwestern University will join the league as an affiliate member in football beginning in the 2023 season.
“We are thrilled to add Southwestern as an affiliate in football,” said SAA Commissioner Jay Gardiner. “All of us associated with the SAA are excited at the prospect of competing against a program representing such high academic standards and competing as a true believer in the ideals of NCAA Division III. On behalf of our conference, I want to thank Southwestern President Dr. Laura Skandera Trombley and Director of Athletics Glenn Schwab on their leadership throughout this process.”
The modern Southwestern football program had its inaugural season in 2013 as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), where it competed until 2016, ending as the conference’s final football champion. Southwestern then joined the American Southwest Conference (ASC) in 2017 with this upcoming season being its last as a member.
“Southwestern has a previous history with many of the schools in the SAA and we are excited about renewing old rivalries,” said Schwab. “This change is not a reflection of our relationship with the schools of the ASC, and we will look to play as many of these schools as our schedule will allow moving forward.”
The SAA is committed to fostering athletic competition and cooperation among academically selective, residential liberal arts colleges located in the southeastern region of the United States. The geographic focus will result in reduced travel time and fewer missed classes, while still allowing for a strong conference of like-minded institutions, all of which integrate competitive athletics into the whole of the student’s educational experience.
SAA core members include Berry College, Birmingham-Southern College, Centre College, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Oglethorpe University, Rhodes College, and the University of the South. Trinity University also competes in football as an affiliate member.
“When we started this program, we established our vision to be the elite high-academic football team in Division III,” Southwestern Head Football Coach Joe Austin said. “Playing in the SAA against other high-academic schools will allow us to aggressively pursue that vision.”
Southwestern is based in Georgetown, Texas. The Pirates went 0-5 in a shortened COVID-19 season last spring and posted a 4-6 record in the fall of 2019.
For more information on the Southern Athletic Association, please visit www.SAA-Sports.com.