ATHLETIC HISTORY
The athletic history at Southeastern Louisiana University dates back over three quarters of a century. Southeastern's 15 athletic programs – seven men’s and eight women’s - compete at the Division I level as a member of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the
Southland Conference (SLC).
For women, Southeastern sponsors basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Men’s athletics include football, basketball, baseball, golf, cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field.
The Southland Conference provides Southeastern with the opportunity to earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball, golf, soccer and men’s and women’s tennis. Southeastern’s athletic history has many notable chapters including, most recently, winning consecutive regular-season titles in men’s basketball (2003-04, 2004-05) and earning the school’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division I Basketball Championships in 2005. Women’s tennis has won back-to-back SLC Tournament titles and earned two consecutive berths in the NCAA Championships while men’s outdoor track and field has produced four All-Americans in the past three seasons.
• Since joining the Southland Conference in 1997-98, Southeastern has produced 15 conference championship teams with more than 170 athletes earning All-Conference honors. Since 2002, the University has had eight student-athletes earn All-America honors and 10 Player-of-the-Year selections.
• Southeastern made big news in 2003 as it returned football to the gridiron after an 18-year hiatus and the Lions have continued to build on their rich tradition. Southeastern has recorded two undefeated seasons, with the 1954 squad that finished 9-0 under legendary coach Stan Galloway regarded as the finest in the history of the program. Many former football players at Southeastern have gone on to distinguished careers in the National Football League.
• The Lions have claimed two national championships in their history - men’s outdoor track (1975) and women’s basketball (1976-77) – and the 1975 baseball team advanced to the 1975 Division II College World Series where they finished third overall.
• During the past decade, Southeastern has continued to build on its tradition with golf finishing 23rd in the nation at the 1998 NCAA Championship. Five individuals have qualified for the NCAA Golf Championships with the 1998 and 2000 squads appearing in the NCAA Regionals.
• The men’s track and field team has thrived the past few seasons with a school-record five athletes appearing the 2006 NCAA Track and Field Championships. Three student-athletes have earned All-America honors since 2005, 27 athletes have qualified for the NCAA Regional meet and eight athletes have competed at the NCAA Championships since 2003.
• The Lions and Lady Lions have continued to earn numerous awards at the national, regional, state and conference level – and not just on the field. Since 2000, student-athletes have strived in the classroom with the school producing three Academic All-Americans, seven Academic All-District and 63 Academic All-Conference selections.
NCAA Division I Sports
Men's
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Football
• Golf
• Cross Country
• Indoor Track and Field
• Outdoor Track and Field
Women's
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Cross Country
• Indoor Track and Field
• Outdoor Track and Field
• Volleyball
• In addition to pursuing their degrees, student-athletes at Southeastern have had the opportunity to compete in some of the finest facilities in the region.
• Southeastern’s multi-purpose trademark athletic facility is the University Center, home to men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. With a seating capacity of 7,500, the University Center hosts many functions including the University Commencement, concerts and the Louisiana High School Association’s Ladies’ Top 28 High School Basketball Tournament. Baseball’s Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field boasts chairback and field-level box seating and has attracted some of the top collegiate teams in the nation. The Southeastern Soccer Complex on North Campus has hosted two Southland Conference Championships since its inaugural campaign in 2002.
• Venerable Strawberry Stadium is home to the Lion football team and was refurbished prior to the 2003 season, including a top-of-the-line artificial surface providing uninterrupted play even during downpours. Southeastern softball competes in one of the finest facilities in the Southland Conference at North Oak Park, featuring a new scoreboard, press box, bleacher seating and refurbished dugouts. The venue was the site of the 2005 Southland Conference Championships.
• The men’s golf team utilizes one of the top courses in the South in
Carter Plantation. Just a short trip from campus, Carter Plantation offers a private practice range and playing privileges for the Lions as well as a venue to host the prestigious Carter Plantation Intercollegiate that attracts some of the top collegiate golf programs in the country.
• The department of athletics also hosts its own website -
www.LionSports.net - allowing fans to keep up with schedules, stories, team statistics and scores. Fan can participate in interactive polls, purchase tickets to Southeastern athletic events on-line, listen to radio broadcasts and watch live video streams. The athletic department also maintains
Facebook,
Twitter and
YouTube pages.
• Today, Southeastern strives to be the best among its peers in the Southland Conference and sister institutions in the state of Louisiana – both on the field and in the classroom.
