Warriors to realign with athletic conference that was home from 1992 to
2012
CONWAY, Ark. (June 11, 2024) – Hendrix College has announced that
it will return to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) beginning
in fall 2025. Hendrix was previously an SCAC member from 1992 to 2012.
The SCAC strategically aligns with the geographic region of Hendrix
College’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 College President Karen Petersen, Ph.D.
Hendrix’s
move to the SCAC will bring the core membership to 12 NCAA Division III institutions
spanning Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado. Hendrix joins Austin College
(Sherman, TX), Centenary College (Shreveport, LA), Colorado College (Colorado
Springs, CO), Concordia University Texas (Austin, TX), the University of Dallas
(Irving, TX), LeTourneau University (Longview, TX), McMurry University
(Abilene, TX), the University of the
Ozarks (Clarksville, AR), Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX), the University
of St. Thomas (Houston, TX), and Texas Lutheran University (Seguin, TX).
Hendrix’s Esports team is already an affiliate member of the SCAC, having
joined the league during the program’s inaugural season.
“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.”
“I
cannot fully express how excited I am to welcome Hendrix back to the SCAC,”
said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. “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. Before 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 conference,”
said Weaver.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a four-year, private, residential,
coeducational college of liberal arts and affiliated with the United Methodist
Church with an undergraduate enrollment of 1,144 students representing 39
states and 17 countries. Hendrix is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40
Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among
the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged
learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value.
The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 22 NCAA Division III sports. Learn more
at www.hendrix.edu.
“...Through engagement that links
the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion,
justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to
lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” – Hendrix College Statement of
Purpose