Southland Conference men's basketball tournament
Conference basketball championship
SportCollege basketball
ConferenceSouthland Conference
Number of teams8
FormatSingle-elimination tournament
Current stadiumThe Legacy Center
Current locationLake Charles, Louisiana
Played1981–present
Last contest2022
Current championTexas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders
Most championshipsNortheast Louisiana (6)
TV partner(s)ESPN
Official websiteSouthland.org Men's Basketball

The Southland Conference's men's basketball tournament began in 1981, with the winner of the tournament receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

From 1981 to 2001, the first round of the tournament took place at the higher seed, with the remaining rounds at a set location. In 2002, the Southland changed the format to play games at the campus of sites of each higher seed, during every round of the tournament. This was changed again in 2007, the first year that the conference selected a neutral site for all rounds of the tournament.

Starting with the 2023 edition, the event is held at The Legacy Center on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reportedly as part of a deal that kept McNeese in the Southland after it had been courted by Conference USA and nearly joined the Western Athletic Conference.[1] This move followed a 15-season run (2008–2022) at Leonard E. Merrell Center in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas.

Tournament results

YearWinnerScoreOpponentMVPVenue
1981Lamar83–69Louisiana TechMike Olliver, Lamarfirst round at campus sites; rest at Beaumont Civic Center, Beaumont, Texas
1982Southwestern Louisiana81–75Texas–ArlingtonAlford Turner, Southwestern LouisianaBlackham Coliseum, Lafayette, Louisiana
1983Lamar75–54North Texas StateKenneth Lyons, North Texas &
Lamont Robinson, Lamar		Beaumont Civic Center
1984Louisiana Tech68–65LamarWillie Simmons, Louisiana Techfirst round at campus sites; rest at Beaumont Civic Center
1985Louisiana Tech70–69LamarJerry Everett, Lamarfirst round at campus sites; rest at Thomas Assembly Center, Ruston, Louisiana
1986Northeast Louisiana59–57McNeese StateArthur Hayes, Northeast Louisianafirst round at campus sites; rest at Fant–Ewing Coliseum, Monroe, Louisiana
1987Louisiana Tech58–51Arkansas StateRobert Godbolt, Louisiana Techfirst round at campus sites; rest at Thomas Assembly Center
1988North Texas87–70Northeast LouisianaTony Worrell, North Texasfirst round at campus sites; rest at UNT Coliseum, Denton, Texas
1989McNeese State85–68North TexasMichael Cutright, McNeese Statefirst round at campus sites; rest at UNT Coliseum, Denton, Texas
1990Northeast Louisiana84–68North TexasAnthony Jones, Northeast LouisianaFant–Ewing Coliseum
1991Northeast Louisiana87–60Texas–ArlingtonAnthony Jones, Northeast Louisiana
1992Northeast Louisiana81–77Texas–San AntonioRyan Stuart, Louisiana-MonroeConvocation Center, San Antonio, Texas
1993Northeast Louisiana80–66Texas–San AntonioRyan Stuart, Northeast LouisianaFant–Ewing Coliseum
1994Southwest Texas State69–60North TexasLynwood Wade, Southwest Texas State
1995Nicholls State98–87Northeast LouisianaReggie Jackson, Nicholls Statefirst round at campus sites; rest at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
1996Northeast Louisiana71–60North TexasPaul Marshall, Northeast LouisianaHirsch Memorial Coliseum
1997Southwest Texas State74–64Northeast LouisianaDameon Sansom, Texas State
1998Nicholls State84–81Texas–ArlingtonDonald Harris, Texas–Arlington
1999Texas–San Antonio71–63Southwest Texas StateSteve Meyer, Texas–San AntonioGold Dome, Shreveport, Louisiana
2000Lamar62–55Northwestern StateLandon Rowe, Lamarfirst round at campus sites; rest at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
2001Northwestern State72–71McNeese StateMichael Byars-Dawson, Northwestern Statefirst round at campus sites; rest at CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, Louisiana
2002McNeese State65–43Louisiana-MonroeFred Gentry, McNeese Stateall at campus sites; finals at Burton Coliseum, Lake Charles, Louisiana
2003Sam Houston State69–66 (OT)Stephen F. AustinDonald Cole, Sam Houston Stateall at campus sites; finals at Bernard Johnson Coliseum, Huntsville, Texas
2004Texas–San Antonio74–70Stephen F. AustinLeRoy Hurd, Texas–San Antonioall at campus sites; finals at Convocation Center
2005Southeastern Louisiana49–42Northwestern StateRicky Woods, Southeastern Louisianaall at campus sites; finals at Prather Coliseum, Natchitoches, Louisiana
2006Northwestern State95–87Sam Houston StateClifton Lee, Northwestern State
2007Texas A&M–Corpus Christi81–78Northwestern StateChris Daniels, Texas A&M–Corpus ChristiCampbell Center, Houston, Texas
2008Texas–Arlington82–79Northwestern StateAnthony Vereen, Texas–ArlingtonLeonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2009Stephen F. Austin68–57UTSAMatt Kingsley, Stephen F. AustinLeonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2010Sam Houston State64–48Stephen F. AustinAshton Mitchell, Sam Houston State
2011UTSA75–72McNeese StateDevin Gibson, UTSA
2012Lamar70–49McNeese StateMike James, Lamar
2013Northwestern State68–66Stephen F. AustinShamir Davis, Northwestern State
2014Stephen F. Austin*68–49Sam Houston StateThomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
2015Stephen F. Austin*83–70Sam Houston State
2016Stephen F. Austin*82–60Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2017New Orleans68–65 (OT)Texas A&M–Corpus ChristiErik Thomas, New Orleans
2018Stephen F. Austin*59–55Southeastern LouisianaT. J. Holyfield, Stephen F. Austin
2019Abilene Christian77–60New OrleansJaren Lewis, Abilene Christian
2020Canceled due to COVID-19
2021Abilene Christian79–46NichollsKolton Kohl, Abilene ChristianLeonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2022Texas A&M–Corpus Christi73–65Southeastern LouisianaTerrion Murdix, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2023Texas A&M–Corpus Christi75–71Northwestern StateJalen Jackson, Texas A&M–Corpus ChristiThe Legacy Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029

Note: Northeast Louisiana and Southwestern Louisiana became Louisiana–Monroe and Louisiana–Lafayette, respectively, in 1999; the latter has since changed its athletic branding to solely Louisiana. Southwest Texas State became Texas State in 2003.

Note on asterisks: Stephen F. Austin kept academically ineligible players from 2013-2020.[2]

Performance by school

Member Winners Winning Years
Northeast Louisiana 6 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996
Stephen F. Austin 5* 2009, 2014*, 2015*, 2016*, 2018*
Lamar 4 1981, 1983, 2000, 2012
Northwestern State 3 2001, 2006, 2013
Louisiana Tech 3 1984, 1985, 1987
UTSA 3 1999, 2004, 2011
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3 2007, 2022, 2023
Abilene Christian 2 2019, 2021
McNeese 2 1989, 2002
Nicholls 2 1995, 1998
Sam Houston State 2 2003, 2010
Texas State 2 1994, 1997
New Orleans 1 2017
North Texas 1 1988
Southeastern Louisiana 1 2005
Southwestern Louisiana 1 1982
UT Arlington 1 2008
TOTAL 45

Note: Italics indicates former conference member as of the 2022–23 season.
Note on asterisks: Stephen F. Austin used academically ineligible players from 2013-2020.

All-Time Tournament Standings

School Record Winning pct Championships Runners-up Appearances
Current Members
Lamar 21–14 .600 4 2 18
Northwestern State 21–15 .583 3 4 18
New Orleans 5-4 .556 1 0 5
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8–8 .500 1 2 9
McNeese 24-28 .461 2 3 29
Southeastern Louisiana 9-14 .391 1 1 15
Nicholls 9–15 .375 2 0 17
Houston Christian 1-3 .333 0 0 2
Incarnate Word 0-0 .000 0 0 0
Former Members
Abilene Christian 2–0 1.000 1 0 1
Southwestern Louisiana 4-1 .800 1 0 2
Louisiana Tech 9-4 .692 3 1 7
Stephen F. Austin 23–17 .575 5 4 22
Louisiana–Monroe 21-16 .568 6 4 22
UTSA 17-15 .531 3 3 18
Sam Houston 20–20 .500 2 3 22
North Texas 11-11 .500 1 5 12
Arkansas State 4-6 .400 0 1 6
Texas State 10-15 .400 2 1 17
UT Arlington 13-25 .342 1 3 26
Oral Roberts 1-2 .333 0 0 2
Central Arkansas 1–3 .250 0 0 4

Italicized indicates former member as of the 2021–22 NCAA basketball season
Sources: [3]

Television coverage

Year Network Play-by-play Analyst
2022 ESPN2 David Saltzman Ben Braun
2021 Matt Schick Joe Kleine
2020 Lowell Galindo Lance Blanks
2019 Reid Gettys
2018 Lance Blanks
2017
2016 Bob Wischusen Sean Harrington
2015 Mark Neely Stephen Howard
2014[4] Carter Blackburn
2013[5] Mark Adams
2012[6] Dereck Whittenburg
2011[7]
2010[8] Lou Canellis Mike Kelley
2009[9] Dave Barnett
2008[10] Bucky Walters
2007[11] Eric Collins Jimmy Dykes

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gazzolo, Jim (November 9, 2021). "McNeese sticks with Southland in move that will bring millions in for SW La. tourism". American Press. Lake Charles, LA. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Stephen F. Austin announces postseason bans for men's basketball, football and baseball".
  3. ↑ "Southland Champions History & Records" (PDF). Southland Conference. p. 107. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Championship Week Presented by DIck's Sporting Goods Schedule". 5 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Championship Week Presented by DIck's Sporting Goods Schedule". 4 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Championship Week: Coverage of a Record 137 Men's Games Begins March 1". 27 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Championship Week Begins Thursday, March 4 | ESPN MediaZone". Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  8. ↑ "Championship Week Begins Thursday, March 4 | ESPN MediaZone". Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  9. ↑ "20090226_ChampionshipWeekBeginsMarch5". Archived from the original on 2009-03-07. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  10. ↑ "Farther off the Wall". Archived from the original on 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  11. ↑ "What to Watch: College basketball lovers rejoice". Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
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