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| Hendrix athletics file photo |
Hendrix has announced that it will return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference beginning in fall 2025. Hendrix was previously a member of the SCAC from 1992 to 2012.
The SCAC strategically aligns with the geographic region of Hendrix's student enrollment, student-athlete recruitment, and alumni base. Most of the other SCAC member schools are also in close proximity to Hendrix.
"With 92 percent of our student body originating from the geographic region represented by the SCAC, it made strategic sense to align Hendrix with another highly competitive conference from a student enrollment and student-athlete recruiting perspective," said Hendrix president Karen Petersen, Ph.D.
Hendrix currently participates in the Southern Athletic Association, which recently added Trinity (Texas) and Southwestern as full-time members. Even with Trinity and Southwestern staying on, Hendrix's departure, which follows the closing of Birmingham-Southern, will leave the SAA with just seven football-playing members: Berry, Centre, Millsaps, Rhodes, Sewanee, Southwestern and Trinity.
More conference shuffling is likely to occur before 2025.
Hendrix's move to the SCAC will bring the core membership to 12 NCAA Division III institutions, joining Austin College, Centenary (La.), Colorado College, Concordia (Texas), University of Dallas, LeTourneau, McMurry, the University of the Ozarks, Schreiner, St. Thomas (Texas), and Texas Lutheran. In addition, Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, is an associate member in football. Austin, Centenary, McMurry, Texas Lutheran, Lyon and Hendrix will sponsor football in 2025, with the start date of Schreiner's promised football program not yet clear. The SCAC should be eligible for an automatic bid in 2026, based on Lyon's affiliate membership triggering a two-year waiting period to receive an automatic bid in football.
"On behalf of the coaches and staff, I would like to say how excited we are to move forward into a new era for our athletics program," said Amy Weaver, Hendrix College's director of athletics. "Given the current expansion of the SCAC and our familiarity with many of the member institutions, the timing of our return to the SCAC could not be better. Membership in the SCAC continues to align Hendrix with other nationally competitive colleges and universities that strive to provide a transformative experience for our student-athletes.
SCAC commissioner, Dwayne Hanberry, said, "I cannot fully express how excited I am to welcome Hendrix back to the SCAC. Hendrix joined our league in 1992 and I came aboard three years later as the conference's sports information intern. The first SCAC championship I attended as an employee of the conference was on the campus of Hendrix College. I have so many positive memories from my trips to Conway and all the years working with Cliff Garrison, Danny Powell, current athletic director Amy Weaver and many others. Having Hendrix back in the league feels like welcoming a family member back home."
Hendrix will re-enter the SCAC as the league's most-tenured member, with all but two member institutions having joined the SCAC in 2011 or beyond.
The SCAC sponsors championships in 18 sports – 9 for men and 9 for women. The conference has enjoyed national success, with SCAC members having collected 10 team championships and 35 individual championships since the conference's first playing season in 1962.
Hendrix will depart the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) after serving as a charter member since 2012. Prior to joining the SCAC in 1992, Hendrix was a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) from 1929 to 1991.
"Hendrix is proud to have been a charter member of the SAA, and we will cherish the relationships and memories that we made during our time in the league," said Weaver.