Southwest Athletic Conference
Encyclopedia
The Southwest Conference (SWC) was a college athletic conference in the United States
from 1914 to 1996. It consisted of schools mostly in the state of Texas
and one in Arkansas
, with historical members in Oklahoma
.
The charter members of the conference were Baylor University
, Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University), Rice University
, Southwestern University
(in Georgetown, Texas
), Texas A&M University
, the University of Arkansas
, the University of Oklahoma
, and the University of Texas.
Dallas, Texas
. It was chaired by L. Theo Bellmont
, who originated the idea for the athletic conference and was at the time athletic director at the University of Texas. Originally, Bellmont wanted Louisiana State University
and the University of Mississippi
to join the conference as well, but they declined to do so. The Southwest Conference became an official body on December 8, 1914, at a formal meeting at the Rice Hotel in Houston
.
Its early years saw fluctuation in membership; Southwestern (a comparatively smaller school) dropped out of the conference in 1916, and Southern Methodist University
joined in 1918; Texas Christian University
became a member in 1923. Rice University left the conference in 1916, only to re-join in 1918.
Phillips University
(Enid, Oklahoma
) was a conference member for one year (1920). Oklahoma left in 1919 to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (later known as the Big Eight Conference), and was followed by Oklahoma A&M in 1925. However, the intense series between Texas and Oklahoma would continue in the annual Red River Rivalry
game held in Dallas. From 1925 until 1991, the University of Arkansas would be the only conference member not located within the state of Texas
.
Texas A&M was undefeated, untied, and unscored upon in 1917 and 1919--winning two SWC football championships. The 1921 SWC champion, Texas A&M, upset Centre College (of Kentucky) in the Dixie Classic 22-14. That bowl game was the ancestor of the Cotton Bowl, and it saw the birth of the Aggie 12th Man tradition. Due to injuries, the Aggies almost ran out of players. This is why Aggies stand throughout football games.
After its organizational years, the conference settled into regularly scheduled meetings among its members, and began to gain stature nationwide. The SWC would be guided by seven commissioners, the first of whom, P. W. St. Clair, was appointed in 1938. Texas A&M was the national champion in football with an undefeated season in 1939, defeating Tulane in the Sugar Bowl 14-13. The Aggies were led by All-American fullback, John Kimbrough. Homer Norton coached the A&M football team. In 1940, the conference took control of the then five-year-old Cotton Bowl Classic, which further established the prestige of both the bowl and the conference. Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University
) joined the SWC in 1958, followed by the University of Houston
for the 1976 season (Houston won the SWC football championship in its first season in the league).
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The conference celebrated its glory football years in the 1960s. Texas won the 1963 National Championship, and Arkansas won a National Championship in 1964 in the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF) polls. Then, in 1969, Texas won another National Championship by beating #2-ranked Arkansas 15-14 in the regular season's final game (dubbed the "Big Shootout"). The 1969 Arkansas-Texas game (in Fayetteville, Arkansas
, attended by President Richard Nixon) is usually counted among the greatest college football games ever played. Texas also won the 1970 United Press International (UPI) National Championship (i.e., the coaches' poll), which until 1974 was awarded prior to the bowl games. Texas lost the Cotton Bowl Classic following the 1970 season to Notre Dame by a score of 24-11, giving the 1970 season's AP Championship to Nebraska after they beat LSU by a score of 17-12 in the Orange Bowl.
Beginning in the late 1930s and lasting until 1995, the Southwest Conference Champion automatically received an invitation as the "host" team in the Cotton Bowl Classic game on New Year's Day in Dallas, Texas. Opponents usually were the runners-up from the Big 8 Conference or the Southeastern Conference
, although independents Penn State and Notre Dame were also often featured. From the 1940s onward, the Cotton Bowl Classic was counted among the four major bowl games, and often had national championship implications. However, in the 1990s, the game declined in importance, largely because of the decline of SWC prominence. In 1977, Notre Dame
became the last team to win a national championship in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The SWC had many legendary players and coaches over the years. In football, Dana X. Bible
, Paul "Bear" Bryant
, Darrell Royal
, Frank Broyles
, Hayden Fry
, Lou Holtz
, Bill Yeoman
, Gene Stallings
, and Grant Teaff
all served as head coaches in the conference. Some notable SWC players included Davey O'Brien
, Sammy Baugh
, Bobby Layne
, Doak Walker
, Tom Landry
, Don Meredith
, Earl Campbell
, Andre Ware
, Mike Singletary
, Lance Alworth
, and Eric Dickerson
. The trio of kicking contemporaries Steve Little
of Arkansas, Tony Franklin of Texas A&M, and Russell Erxleben
of Texas all kicked record setting field goals of 60 + yards in the same season.
The early 1980s were the glory years of SWC basketball, especially the Phi Slama Jama teams at the University of Houston. However, the most consistent program during the last quarter of the 20th century was the University of Arkansas
with Sweet 16 appearances in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1990, Elite 8 appearances in 1978, 1979, 1990 and 1991, and Final Four appearances in 1978 and 1990. Arkansas's famed Triplets, Marvin Delph, Ron Brewer and Sidney Moncrief, gave the rest of the league fits. The passion of Arkansas fans for their Razorbacks often overran the confines of SWC basketball venues, so much so, that Reunion Arena in Dallas (annual site of the SWC postseason tourney) was deemed "Barnhill South" (after the Razorbacks' on-campus arena) based on the numbers and intensity of Hog fans present.
Outstanding basketball coaches included Nolan Richardson, Tom Penders, Eddie Sutton, Abe Lemons, Guy V. Lewis, Shelby Metcalf and Gerald Myers. Great SWC hoops players included the aforementioned Triplets, Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Vinnie Johnson, Jon Koncak, Alvin Robertson, Ricky Pierce, Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller and U.S. Reed, among others.
The Texas Longhorns were the class of SWC baseball, who under legendary coach Cliff Gustafson
won national titles in 1975 and 1983, as well as titles under Bibb Falk in 1949 and 1950. Texas added titles in 2002 and 2005 under coach Augie Garrido
, whose arrival in Austin coincided with the Longhorns' move to the Big 12. The Arkansas Razorbacks also fielded fine teams that advanced to the College World Series. The Hogs finished 2nd in 1979, 3rd in 1985 and 5th in both the 1987 and 1989 seasons. The Hogs have continued this tradition since moving to the SEC, reaching the CWS three times under Arkansas alum Dave Van Horn
. Texas A&M rose to power in the late 1980s, going 58-5 in 1989 before losing twice in the regional championship round on its home field
to LSU
. The Aggies reached the College World Series in 1993. Rice began its ascent to college baseball's elite in the conference's final years under coach Wayne Graham
, reaching the CWS in 1997, the year after the conference disbanded.
The Arkansas Razorbacks
were dominant in track and field winning 15 SWC cross country team titles, 11 SWC indoor track team titles, 9 SWC outdoor track team titles and an incredible 8 SWC triple crowns (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track champions all in the same season. During their SWC days, the Razorbacks won 14 NCAA national team championships and one NCAA team triple crown. The list of Arkansas individual SWC champions and individual NCAA champions is long. Standout coaches and athletes include the legendary John McDonnell of Arkansas, the winningest coach in NCAA history regardless of sport. Baylor's Michael Johnson, Texas A&M's Randy Matson, Houston's Carl Lewis and Arkansas' Mike Conley all went on to win Olympic gold medals.
-usa-states.png)
The 1980s saw many of the conference's athletic programs hit by recruiting scandals and NCAA
probations. The only programs to escape probation in the 1980s were Arkansas, Baylor, and Rice. Because of repeated major violations
, the Southern Methodist University
football program in 1987
became only the third program in NCAA history to receive the so-called "Death Penalty" (after Kentucky
basketball in 1952-53 and Southwestern Louisiana
basketball from 1973 to 1975). The NCAA canceled SMU's 1987 season, and limited it to seven road games for 1988. However, nearly all of the school's lettermen transferred elsewhere, forcing SMU to keep its football program shuttered for 1988 as well. SMU also remained on probation until 1990
. At that time, NCAA rules prohibited schools on probation from appearing on live television
. As a result, the conference's market share in television coverage dwindled.
The SWC's performance in football declined precipitously. The final eight SWC champions lost in their bowl games. After SMU's second-place finish in most polls in 1982, SWC programs usually were not serious contenders for the national title. Texas had strong teams in 1983 and 1990, Arkansas had a strong team in 1988, and Texas A&M was strong in 1992, but by the end of their respective seasons none were able to remain in the national championship hunt or the weekly football polls.
The beginning of the end came in 1990 when Arkansas announced it would leave for the Southeastern Conference
. The death blow came in March 1994 when Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech accepted invitations to join with the members of the Big Eight Conference
to form the Big 12 Conference
. Soon afterward, SMU, TCU, and Rice accepted invitations to join the Western Athletic Conference
, while Houston joined Conference USA
. In May 1996, after the completion of championship matches in baseball
and track & field
, the Southwest Conference was officially dissolved.
Over the course of its 82-year history, teams of the Southwest Conference garnered 64 recognized national championships in collegiate sports.
In 1997, the official records of the conference from 1914 to 1996 were moved from Dallas to the campus of Texas Tech University
, becoming part of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. The archive also contains an extensive assortment of images and memorabilia from each member university.
referenced Southwest Conference with the question, "Why does Rice play Texas?" in his September 12, 1962 "Moon Speech" delivered at Rice Stadium
.
In a 1982-83 episode of the TV show Dallas
, the character Bobby Ewing (played by Patrick Duffy
) said he had been "All-Southwest Conference" in football.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1914 to 1996. It consisted of schools mostly in the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and one in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, with historical members in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
The charter members of the conference were Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University), Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
(in Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city and also the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States with a population of 47,400 at the 2010 census. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and is located in Georgetown, about 1/2 mile east of the historic square...
), Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and the University of Texas.
Early years
The first organizational meeting of the conference was held in May 1914 at the Oriental Hotel inDallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. It was chaired by L. Theo Bellmont
L. Theo Bellmont
L. Theo Bellmont was an Athletics Director, Professor and Director of Physical Training, and men's basketball coach at The University of Texas at Austin....
, who originated the idea for the athletic conference and was at the time athletic director at the University of Texas. Originally, Bellmont wanted Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
to join the conference as well, but they declined to do so. The Southwest Conference became an official body on December 8, 1914, at a formal meeting at the Rice Hotel in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Its early years saw fluctuation in membership; Southwestern (a comparatively smaller school) dropped out of the conference in 1916, and Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
joined in 1918; Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
became a member in 1923. Rice University left the conference in 1916, only to re-join in 1918.
Phillips University
Phillips University
Phillips University was a private, coeducational institution of higher education located in Enid, Oklahoma, United States, from 1906 to 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church . It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary...
(Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
) was a conference member for one year (1920). Oklahoma left in 1919 to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (later known as the Big Eight Conference), and was followed by Oklahoma A&M in 1925. However, the intense series between Texas and Oklahoma would continue in the annual Red River Rivalry
Red River Rivalry
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered...
game held in Dallas. From 1925 until 1991, the University of Arkansas would be the only conference member not located within the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Texas A&M was undefeated, untied, and unscored upon in 1917 and 1919--winning two SWC football championships. The 1921 SWC champion, Texas A&M, upset Centre College (of Kentucky) in the Dixie Classic 22-14. That bowl game was the ancestor of the Cotton Bowl, and it saw the birth of the Aggie 12th Man tradition. Due to injuries, the Aggies almost ran out of players. This is why Aggies stand throughout football games.
After its organizational years, the conference settled into regularly scheduled meetings among its members, and began to gain stature nationwide. The SWC would be guided by seven commissioners, the first of whom, P. W. St. Clair, was appointed in 1938. Texas A&M was the national champion in football with an undefeated season in 1939, defeating Tulane in the Sugar Bowl 14-13. The Aggies were led by All-American fullback, John Kimbrough. Homer Norton coached the A&M football team. In 1940, the conference took control of the then five-year-old Cotton Bowl Classic, which further established the prestige of both the bowl and the conference. Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
) joined the SWC in 1958, followed by the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
for the 1976 season (Houston won the SWC football championship in its first season in the league).
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, attended by President Richard Nixon) is usually counted among the greatest college football games ever played. Texas also won the 1970 United Press International (UPI) National Championship (i.e., the coaches' poll), which until 1974 was awarded prior to the bowl games. Texas lost the Cotton Bowl Classic following the 1970 season to Notre Dame by a score of 24-11, giving the 1970 season's AP Championship to Nebraska after they beat LSU by a score of 17-12 in the Orange Bowl.
Beginning in the late 1930s and lasting until 1995, the Southwest Conference Champion automatically received an invitation as the "host" team in the Cotton Bowl Classic game on New Year's Day in Dallas, Texas. Opponents usually were the runners-up from the Big 8 Conference or the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, although independents Penn State and Notre Dame were also often featured. From the 1940s onward, the Cotton Bowl Classic was counted among the four major bowl games, and often had national championship implications. However, in the 1990s, the game declined in importance, largely because of the decline of SWC prominence. In 1977, Notre Dame
1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1977 college football season. The Irish, coached by Dan Devine, ended the season with 11 wins and one loss, winning the national championship...
became the last team to win a national championship in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The SWC had many legendary players and coaches over the years. In football, Dana X. Bible
Dana X. Bible
Dana Xenophon Bible was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi College , Louisiana State University , Texas A&M University , the University of Nebraska , and the University of Texas...
, Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
, Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
, Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
, Hayden Fry
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University , North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 232–178–10...
, Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
, Bill Yeoman
Bill Yeoman
Bill Yeoman is a former American football player and coach in the United States. Starting in 1962, he was the University of Houston's head coach, holding the position through 1986. In his tenure, he became the winningest coach in school history, with an overall record of 160–108–8...
, Gene Stallings
Gene Stallings
Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University , where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St...
, and Grant Teaff
Grant Teaff
Grant Garland Teaff is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University , Angelo State University , and Baylor University , compiling a career college football record of 170–151–8...
all served as head coaches in the conference. Some notable SWC players included Davey O'Brien
Davey O'Brien
Robert David O'Brien was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Texas Christian University and was drafted in the first round of the 1939 NFL Draft. In 1938, O'Brien won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and the...
, Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
, Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
, Doak Walker
Doak Walker
Ewell Doak Walker, Jr. was an American football player who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a teammate of Bobby Layne in high school and the NFL.-Early life:...
, Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
, Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
, Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, Andre Ware
Andre Ware
Andre Ware is a sports analyst and commentator and a former American football player. He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback for the University of Houston, becoming the first African-American quarterback to win the award. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Ware was the first round selection ...
, Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
, Lance Alworth
Lance Alworth
Lance Dwight Alworth is a former American collegiate and Professional Football wide receiver. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, and Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:...
. The trio of kicking contemporaries Steve Little
Steve Little (American football)
Steven Richard Little was an American football kicker and punter in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is the third-highest drafted kicker in NFL history, with first highest pick being Charlie Gogolak of Princeton University and second being Russell Erxleben...
of Arkansas, Tony Franklin of Texas A&M, and Russell Erxleben
Russell Erxleben
Russell Erxleben is a former American football player and currency investor. He shares the record for the longest field goal in NCAA history, originally set in 1977 while playing for the University of Texas. Erxleben was a three-time All-America punter...
of Texas all kicked record setting field goals of 60 + yards in the same season.
The early 1980s were the glory years of SWC basketball, especially the Phi Slama Jama teams at the University of Houston. However, the most consistent program during the last quarter of the 20th century was the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
with Sweet 16 appearances in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1990, Elite 8 appearances in 1978, 1979, 1990 and 1991, and Final Four appearances in 1978 and 1990. Arkansas's famed Triplets, Marvin Delph, Ron Brewer and Sidney Moncrief, gave the rest of the league fits. The passion of Arkansas fans for their Razorbacks often overran the confines of SWC basketball venues, so much so, that Reunion Arena in Dallas (annual site of the SWC postseason tourney) was deemed "Barnhill South" (after the Razorbacks' on-campus arena) based on the numbers and intensity of Hog fans present.
Outstanding basketball coaches included Nolan Richardson, Tom Penders, Eddie Sutton, Abe Lemons, Guy V. Lewis, Shelby Metcalf and Gerald Myers. Great SWC hoops players included the aforementioned Triplets, Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Vinnie Johnson, Jon Koncak, Alvin Robertson, Ricky Pierce, Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller and U.S. Reed, among others.
The Texas Longhorns were the class of SWC baseball, who under legendary coach Cliff Gustafson
Cliff Gustafson
Cliff Gustafson is a former Texas high school & college baseball coach who was, for twenty-nine seasons, the head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn baseball team....
won national titles in 1975 and 1983, as well as titles under Bibb Falk in 1949 and 1950. Texas added titles in 2002 and 2005 under coach Augie Garrido
Augie Garrido
August Edmun Garrido, Jr. is a coach in NCAA Division I college baseball. As of June 12, 2011, Garrido has compiled a record of 1,817 wins, 823 losses, and 8 ties. He is currently in his 43rd season of collegiate coaching...
, whose arrival in Austin coincided with the Longhorns' move to the Big 12. The Arkansas Razorbacks also fielded fine teams that advanced to the College World Series. The Hogs finished 2nd in 1979, 3rd in 1985 and 5th in both the 1987 and 1989 seasons. The Hogs have continued this tradition since moving to the SEC, reaching the CWS three times under Arkansas alum Dave Van Horn
Dave van Horn
Dave Van Horn is the current head baseball coach of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team, which plays its home games in recently renovated Baum Stadium...
. Texas A&M rose to power in the late 1980s, going 58-5 in 1989 before losing twice in the regional championship round on its home field
Olsen Field
Olsen Field is a baseball stadium in College Station, Texas, that is home to the Texas A&M baseball program. The stadium was dedicated on March 21, 1978, and is named in honor of Pat Olsen, a 1923 graduate of Texas A&M University and a former baseball player in the New York Yankees farm system...
to LSU
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
. The Aggies reached the College World Series in 1993. Rice began its ascent to college baseball's elite in the conference's final years under coach Wayne Graham
Wayne Graham
Wayne Leon Graham is a former major-league baseball player and the college baseball coach of the Rice Owls baseball team in Houston, Texas.-Playing career:...
, reaching the CWS in 1997, the year after the conference disbanded.
The Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
were dominant in track and field winning 15 SWC cross country team titles, 11 SWC indoor track team titles, 9 SWC outdoor track team titles and an incredible 8 SWC triple crowns (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track champions all in the same season. During their SWC days, the Razorbacks won 14 NCAA national team championships and one NCAA team triple crown. The list of Arkansas individual SWC champions and individual NCAA champions is long. Standout coaches and athletes include the legendary John McDonnell of Arkansas, the winningest coach in NCAA history regardless of sport. Baylor's Michael Johnson, Texas A&M's Randy Matson, Houston's Carl Lewis and Arkansas' Mike Conley all went on to win Olympic gold medals.
Final years
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
probations. The only programs to escape probation in the 1980s were Arkansas, Baylor, and Rice. Because of repeated major violations
Southern Methodist University football scandal
The Southern Methodist University football scandal was an incident in which the football program at Southern Methodist University was investigated and punished for massive violations of NCAA rules and regulations. The most serious violation was the maintenance of a slush fund used for "under the...
, the Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
football program in 1987
1987 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its second national championship during the 80s in an Orange Bowl match-up featuring a rare #1 vs...
became only the third program in NCAA history to receive the so-called "Death Penalty" (after Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
basketball in 1952-53 and Southwestern Louisiana
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The school competes in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home...
basketball from 1973 to 1975). The NCAA canceled SMU's 1987 season, and limited it to seven road games for 1988. However, nearly all of the school's lettermen transferred elsewhere, forcing SMU to keep its football program shuttered for 1988 as well. SMU also remained on probation until 1990
1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
. At that time, NCAA rules prohibited schools on probation from appearing on live television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. As a result, the conference's market share in television coverage dwindled.
The SWC's performance in football declined precipitously. The final eight SWC champions lost in their bowl games. After SMU's second-place finish in most polls in 1982, SWC programs usually were not serious contenders for the national title. Texas had strong teams in 1983 and 1990, Arkansas had a strong team in 1988, and Texas A&M was strong in 1992, but by the end of their respective seasons none were able to remain in the national championship hunt or the weekly football polls.
The beginning of the end came in 1990 when Arkansas announced it would leave for the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The death blow came in March 1994 when Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech accepted invitations to join with the members of the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
to form the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. Soon afterward, SMU, TCU, and Rice accepted invitations to join the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, while Houston joined Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
. In May 1996, after the completion of championship matches in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and track & field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, the Southwest Conference was officially dissolved.
Over the course of its 82-year history, teams of the Southwest Conference garnered 64 recognized national championships in collegiate sports.
In 1997, the official records of the conference from 1914 to 1996 were moved from Dallas to the campus of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, becoming part of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. The archive also contains an extensive assortment of images and memorabilia from each member university.
Members
- ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
(1915–1991) - BaylorBaylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
(1915–1996) - HoustonUniversity of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(1971–1996) - OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
(1915–1919) - Oklahoma A&M (1915–1925)
- PhillipsPhillips UniversityPhillips University was a private, coeducational institution of higher education located in Enid, Oklahoma, United States, from 1906 to 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church . It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary...
(1920) - RiceRice UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(1915–1917 provisional, 1918–1996) - Southern MethodistSouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
(1918–1996) - SouthwesternSouthwestern UniversitySouthwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
(1915–1916) - Texas (1915–1996)
- Texas A&MTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
(1915–1996) - TCUTexas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(1923–1996) - Texas TechTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
(1956–1996)
Subsequent conference affiliations
| Team | Left for | Current home |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
|
| Baylor | Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
|
| Houston | Conference USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports... |
|
| Oklahoma | Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
| Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) | ||
| Phillips | Sooner Athletic Conference Sooner Athletic Conference The Sooner Athletic Conference is an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its 12 member institutions are located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.... |
University closed in 1998 |
| Rice | Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS... |
Conference USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports... |
| SMU | ||
| Southwestern | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas... |
|
| Texas | Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
|
| Texas A&M | Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
| TCU | Western Athletic Conference Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS... |
Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
| Texas Tech | Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
|
- Oklahoma and Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State) left for the Missouri Valley. Oklahoma then joined the Big 6 which became the Big 7 when Colorado joined in 1947. The conference became the Big 8 with Oklahoma A&M's arrival. They then joined the Big 12 when Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech joined with the other former Big Eight Conference members.
- Texas A&M will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012.
- TCU went to the WAC, later joined C-USA, then joined MWC. On July 1, 2012, TCU is scheduled to leave the MWC for the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
Commissioners
- P. W. St. Clair (1938–1945)
- James H. StewartJimmy Stewart (American football)James H. “Jimmy” Stewart was an American football coach. He served as interim head coach at Southern Methodist University from 1942 to 1944 while Matty Bell served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; his record in those three seasons was 10–18–2. From 1945 to 1950 he served as Executive...
(1945–1950) - Howard Grubbs (1950–1973)
- Cliff SpeegleCliff Speegle-External links:*...
(1973–1982) - Fred Jacoby (1982–1993)
- Steven J. HatchellSteven J. HatchellSteven J. Hatchell is a career sports administrator who currently serves as the president and CEO of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc., which operates the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana....
(1993–1995) - Kyle Kallander (1995–1996)
Quote
President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
referenced Southwest Conference with the question, "Why does Rice play Texas?" in his September 12, 1962 "Moon Speech" delivered at Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950 and hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974....
.
In a 1982-83 episode of the TV show Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, the character Bobby Ewing (played by Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy
Patrick George Duffy is an American character actor of stage and film. He is best known for his role on the CBS television drama Dallas, where he played Bobby Ewing from 1978 to 1985 and from 1986 to 1991, Duffy returns to reprise his role as Bobby in a new up-to-date Dallas currently scheduled to...
) said he had been "All-Southwest Conference" in football.
See also
- Southwest Conference Men's Basketball TournamentSouthwest Conference Men's Basketball TournamentThe Southwest Conference was an NCAA athletic conference that existed from 1915 to 1996, and held its postseason basketball tournament, also called the "SWC Classic," starting in 1976.-Tournament champions by year:-Championships by school:- References :...
- List of defunct college football conferences