Hendrix College to Rejoin SCAC in 2025-26

SUWANEE, Ga. – Hendrix College has accepted an offer of membership into the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and will rejoin its original Division III conference home effective the 2025-26 academic year.

"With 92 percent of our student body originating from the geographic region represented by the SCAC, it made strategic sense to align Hendrix with another highly competitive conference from a student enrollment and student-athlete recruiting perspective," said Hendrix College President Karen Petersen, Ph.D.

Hendrix College currently has 21 varsity programs and approximately 550 student-athletes. Men's intercollegiate teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis and track and field. Women's intercollegiate teams include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

"On behalf of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Presidents Council, it is my distinct pleasure to enthusiastically welcome Hendrix College to our membership," said St. Thomas President Richard Ludwick, chair of the SCAC Board of Directors. "My discussions with the Hendrix President, Dr. Petersen, have been fruitful and we are aligned by our commitment to academic integrity and athletic character."

"From a logistical and structural standpoint, Hendrix is a slam dunk add," said commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "They bring a highly competitive and broad-based athletics program that fits nicely into our geographic footprint. There is no denying we are a better conference with Hendrix College as a member."  

Hanberry went on to add additional perspective on what the addition of Hendrix means to him personally.

"I cannot fully express how excited I am to welcome Hendrix back to the SCAC." said Hanberry. "Hendrix joined our league in 1992 and I came aboard three years later as the conference's sports information intern. The first SCAC championship I attended as an employee of the conference was on the campus of Hendrix College. I have so many positive memories from my trips to Conway and all the years working with Cliff Garrison, Danny Powell, current athletic director Amy Weaver and many others. Having Hendrix back in the league feels like welcoming a family member back home."

In 1876, Central Institute, which was to become Hendrix College, was established in Altus, Arkansas, by the Rev. Isham L. Burrow. The school became Central Collegiate Institute in 1881 with the addition of secondary and collegiate departments. The institute was purchased in 1884 by conferences of the Southern Methodist Church in Arkansas and was renamed Hendrix College in honor of Bishop Eugene R. Hendrix in 1889. The following year the college moved to Conway, Arkansas.

By the mid-1930s Hendrix had firmly established its role as a small, coeducational, undergraduate, residential, liberal arts, church-related institution. Through the end of the 20th century, Hendrix added more than 15 buildings, developed a new master plan for growth of the campus, and revised and enhanced its curriculum and added faculty in key areas. The College's long-standing commitment to experiential education gave birth to the Hendrix Odyssey Program in 2005. This component of the curriculum, which requires three engaged learning experiences of every Hendrix graduate, is helping the College build a national reputation for leadership in engaged learning.

Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled at Hendrix, mostly undergraduates. While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college offers a secular curriculum and has a student body composed of people from many different religious backgrounds. Hendrix is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South.

"On behalf of the coaches and staff, I would like to say how excited we are to move forward into a new era for our athletics program," said Amy Weaver, Hendrix College's director of athletics. "Given the current expansion of the SCAC and our familiarity with many of the member institutions, the timing of our return to the SCAC could not be better. Membership in the SCAC continues to align Hendrix with other nationally competitive colleges and universities that strive to provide a transformative experience for our student-athletes."

The University's sports teams are known as the Warriors, and the department, a member of NCAA Division III since 1992, has collectively won four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and six Southern Athletic Association titles.

Hendrix College is the second institution to have a second act with the conference. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was a member of the College Athletic Conference (CAC) – the predecessor to the SCAC – from 1974 to 1989, before the institution rejoined the league in 1998. The Fightin' Engineers remained a member of the SCAC through the 2005-06 academic year.

SOUTHERN COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE

The SCAC, originally known as the College Athletic Conference (CAC) upon its formation in 1962, is comprised of some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges and universities in the region.

The SCAC was formed to provide an association through which the member institutions may encourage organized competition in intercollegiate sports among team's representative of their respective student bodies. Members of this conference share a commitment to priority of the overall quality of academic standards and quality educational experiences.

SCAC member institutions are committed to sponsoring a variety of varsity sports to maximize opportunities for student participation. SCAC schools also operate under the principle that participation in sports should be solely from student interest and enjoyment of athletic competition, and that no financial aid shall be given to any student which is conditional upon athletic ability or participation in intercollegiate sports.

SCAC member institutions support students in their efforts to reach high levels of performance by providing them with adequate facilities, competent coaching and appropriate competitive opportunities with students from similar institutions.

2025-26 CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP (First year of participation)
Austin College – Sherman, Texas (2006)
Colorado College – Colorado Springs, Colo. (2006)
University of Dallas – Irving, Texas (2011)
Centenary College – Shreveport, La. (2012)
Schreiner University – Kerrville, Texas (2013)
Texas Lutheran University – Seguin, Texas (2013)
University of St. Thomas – Houston, Texas (2019)
Concordia University Texas – Austin, Texas (2024)
McMurry University – Abilene, Texas (2024)
University of the Ozarks – Clarksville, Arkansas (2024)
LeTourneau University – Longview, Texas (2025)
Hendrix College – Conway, Arkansas (1992-2012; 2025)