LSC announces addition of McMurry University

May 26, 2012; Claremont, CA, USA; Members of the McMurry mens team pose with the championship trophy after winning the team title in the 2012 NCAA Division III Track

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Lone Star Conference announced during its annual LSC Media Day the addition of McMurry University to the conference beginning in 2014.

McMurry University, making the jump from Division III to Division II, is competing as an independent for the 2013 football season and will give the conference eight football competing universities in 2014.

McMurry was the 2012-13 NCAA Division III Track and Field Champions.

“It is with great anticipation for the future that we are welcoming McMurry’s football team back into the Lone Star Conference,” LSC commissioner Stan Wagnon said. “This a decision that should bring great benefit to the student-athletes at McMurry as they will enjoy competing in the Football Festival at Cowboys Stadium, taking part in our exciting new conference playoff and competing alongside some of the best NCAA Division II programs around.”

The Lone Star Conference is competing at seven teams for the 2013 season, its lowest number of institutions since 1992.

The conference also announced that it would be implementing an eight-team playoff to decide its conference champions that will pair teams for a two-week competition. The No. 1 through No. 4 seeds will be eligible to compete for the conference crown while teams five through eight will play in consolation match-ups.

Both Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word departed the conference after the 2012 season and are competing in Division I as members of the Southland Conference.