NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Monday that it will join the NAIA’s Southern States Athletic Conference as a full member, effective July 1, 2026.
The SSAC Board of Presidents voted unanimously June 4 to accept XULA’s application for membership. In addition, three XULA programs — competitive cheer, men’s indoor track and field and women’s indoor track and field — will compete for SSAC championships in 2025-26 as affiliate members. The SSAC was founded in 1999 and consists of teams in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.
“We are thrilled to welcome Xavier University of Louisiana as a full member of the SSAC beginning in 2026,” said SSAC Commissioner Mike Hall. “They’re coming off a top-25 finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings and have a proud tradition of excellence both academically and athletically. Their addition strengthens our conference on many levels. We appreciate the leadership of President Reynold Verret, Vice President Curtis Wright and Athletics Director Pat Kendrick throughout this process and look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”
Said Verret: “Joining the Southern States Athletic Conference affirms our commitment to excellence and affords more opportunities for our scholar-athletes who excel in the classroom and their respective sports. We thank the SSAC for its confidence in Xavier University of Louisiana.”
Said Kendrick: “We are excited to join the Southern States Athletic Conference. We look forward to great competition in that league. We also look forward to renewing conference rivalries with Loyola, Mobile and William Carey.”
Current SSAC members are:
• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga.
• Blue Mountain Christian University in Blue Mountain, Miss.
• Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga.
• Dalton State College in Dalton, Ga.
• Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala.
• Life University in Marietta, Ga.
• Loyola University in New Orleans, La.
• University of Mobile in Mobile, Ala.
• Point University in West Point, Ga.
• University of Tennessee Southern in Pulaski, Tenn.
• Thomas University in Thomasville, Ga.
• William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The move to the Southern States will end a 5-year membership for XULA in the Red River Athletic Conference, which it joined in the summer of 2021. XULA teams will compete for at least 12 RRAC championships in 2025-26.
This will be XULA’s fourth full-time conference affiliation. It competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1935-60 and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference from 1981-2021. XULA competed against Loyola, Mobile and William Carey in the GCAC as recently as 2009-10, and XULA and William Carey were charter members of the GCAC in 1981.
Source: Xavier University of Louisiana/xulagold.com
