DALLAS — After wrapping up their final season in Division III, the University of Texas at Dallas is set to compete in athletics as a NCAA Division II member.
The NCAA Division II Membership Committee and Management Council accepted UT-Dallas as a Division II provisional member on July 11. UT-Dallas was one of four schools approved by the council on Thursday.
The Comets began the process of transition in the summer of 2023 after being invited to join the Lone Star Conference (LSC) last July, the university said in a press release. They will start an expedited, two-year transition process with the goal of being a full Division II member on Sept. 1, 2026.
In the interim, UT-Dallas will compete in D-II as an independent and also have a scheduling alliance with its former D-III conference, the American Southwest Conference (ASC). UT-Dallas will be eligible for all ASC awards and honors, but its records will not count in the standings.
UT-Dallas will begin full LSC competition in the fall of 2025, the university said in its release.
“This is a historic day in the history of UT Dallas and UTD athletics. We are delighted to be joining the esteemed ranks of NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference,” said Angela Marin, UTD’s director of athletics. “Being accepted into the expedited process means we can compete for NCAA championships sooner than expected. This is a great benefit to our coaches and student-athletes.”
The LSC, which has deep roots in Texas dating to 1931, has won 81 NCAA D-II team national championships in the past 41 years. There are 17 members in LSC, including 13 in Texas. They are:
- Angelo State University
- Cameron University
- Dallas Baptist University
- Eastern New Mexico University
- Lubbock Christian University
- Midwestern State University
- Oklahoma Christian University
- St. Edward’s University
- St. Mary’s University
- Sul Ross State University
- Texas A&M International University
- Texas A&M University-Kingsville
- Texas Woman’s University
- UT-Permian Basin
- UT-Tyler
- West Texas A&M University
- Western New Mexico University
The move from D-III to D-II for UT-Dallas is significant in the sense that they can now offer athletics scholarships to athletes. In D-III, scholarships are prohibited.
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