In today's world, Gulf Star Conference is a topic of great interest and relevance. Whether in the political, social, cultural or scientific field, Gulf Star Conference has captured the attention of people of all ages and from different parts of the world. As Gulf Star Conference continues to be the subject of debate and analysis, it is important to understand its impact on our society and the world at large. In this article, we will explore different aspects of Gulf Star Conference, from its origin to its possible implications for the future. We will also examine the various perspectives and opinions that exist around Gulf Star Conference, with the aim of offering a comprehensive and complete vision of this topic that is so relevant today.
| Conference | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Ceased | 1987 |
| Division | Division II |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Region | Southern United States |
| Locations | |
The Gulf Star Conference was an NCAA Division II[1] conference that existed for three academic years from 1984–85 to 1986–87. All of the schools subsequently joined the Southland Conference. Dave Waples was the only commissioner, with the conference office located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Although the Southland eventually took in all of the former Gulf Star schools, only four (Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Southwest Texas State) joined the Southland immediately upon the Gulf Star's demise. The other two Gulf Star members, Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana, initially became independents. Nicholls State joined the SLC for the 1991–92 school year. SLU became a member of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference) in that same year, and moved to the Southland in 1997–98. To date, only Nicholls State, Northwestern State, and Southeastern Louisiana remain in the Southland Conference, as Southwest Texas State (now known as Texas State) joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2013 while Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2021.
| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Joined[a] | Left[b] | Subsequent conference(s) |
Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls State University[2] | Colonels | Thibodaux, Louisiana | 1948 | Public | 1984 | 1987 | D-I Independent (1987–91) |
Southland (1991–present) |
| Northwestern State University | Demons | Natchitoches, Louisiana | 1884 | Southland (1987–present) | ||||
| Sam Houston State University | Bearkats | Huntsville, Texas | 1879 | Southland (1987–2021) Western (WAC) (2021–2023) |
C-USA (2023–present) | |||
| Southeastern Louisiana University | Lions | Hammond, Louisiana | 1925 | D-I Independent (1987–91) Trans America (TAAC)[c] (1991–97) |
Southland (1997–present) | |||
| Southwest Texas State University[d] | Bobcats | San Marcos, Texas | 1899 | Southland (1987–2012) Western (WAC) (2012–13) |
Sun Belt (2013–present) (Pac-12 in 2026) | |||
| Stephen F. Austin State University | Lumberjacks & Ladyjacks |
Nacogdoches, Texas | 1921 | Southland (1987–2021) Western (WAC) (2021–2024) |
Southland (2024–present) | |||

Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)
| Season | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Nicholls State | 12–6 |
| Sam Houston State | ||
| 1986 | Sam Houston State | 16–4 |
| 1987 | Sam Houston State | 17–3 |
| Season | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Nicholls State | 4–1 |
| Northwestern State | ||
| 1985 | Sam Houston State | 4–1 |
| Stephen F. Austin | ||
| 1986 | Sam Houston State | 3–1 |
| Season | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1984–85 | Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 1985–86 | Sam Houston State | |
| 1986–87 | Stephen F. Austin |
His cat-like quickness, astounding jumping ability, long arms and super peripheral vision help make him one of the best defensive players in the Division II ranks heading into this season. That wasn't enough for Duncan.