UTRGV to join the Southland Conference

UTRGV became the latest institution to move conferences after the Vaqueros announced they accepted an invitation to depart the Western Athletic Conference for the Southland Conference. The move will be official on July 1, 2024, with 11 of the school’s 14 programs, including football and men’s and women’s basketball, joining the Southland. 

"There are many benefits that this move will bring to our student-athletes, fans, and alumni,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said in a press release. “The Southland Conference is positioned in a tight footprint between Texas and Louisiana. This will allow our student-athletes to spend less time traveling cross-country and more time at home training, recovering, and preparing for competition and will significantly reduce missed class time. With significantly reduced travel, there will be cost savings that allow our department to reinvest in the student-athlete experience in ways we haven't been able to before."