FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2005
Contact:  Dwayne Hanberry, SCAC Associate Commissioner

AUSTIN COLLEGE TO JOIN SCAC
IN 2006-07; 12-SCHOOL LEAGUE ULTIMATE GOAL

SUWANEE, Ga. – The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has extended an offer of membership to Austin College of Sherman, Texas. The membership will be effective for the 2006-07 academic year.

The SCAC Board of Directors, comprised of the chief executive officers of the member institutions, reached a unanimous decision to admit Austin College during the league’s annual spring meeting held yesterday in Atlanta.

In addition, the Board of Directors voted to pursue two additional schools - with the ultimate goal being a 12-member, two-division conference.

Austin College, currently a member of the American Southwest Conference, will become the 10th member of the SCAC with play to begin in the fall of 2006. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology recently announced its plans to join the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and is leaving the SCAC following the 2005-06 season.

"We are pleased to offer membership to Austin College in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference," said commissioner Steve Argo. "Austin brings a strong Division III program to our conference and we look forward to a long and successful relationship. President Oscar Page along with Tim Millerick, vice-president for student affairs and athletics, are dedicated to maintaining a strong athletics program that is an integral part of the education process on their campus."

Austin, whose mascot is the Kangaroo, fields varsity teams in basketball, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and volleyball for women and baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming & diving, and tennis for men. Plans are in place to add women’s softball in 2006.

-SCAC-