UT Dallas Officially Joins Lone Star Conference

RICHARDSON, TX — The University of Texas at Dallas officially became the 18th member of the Lone Star Conference on Tuesday.

UT Dallas is completing its first year of the two-year NCAA Division II expedited membership process to become a part of the LSC, where the Comets will be a new rival of Angelo State University.

UT Dallas is projected to gain full Division II status in fall 2026. UT Dallas has been a D-III school since 1998.

“We are thrilled to welcome UT Dallas to the Lone Star Conference as our 18th member,” LSC Commissioner Jay Poerner said. “With tremendous leadership and a rich history of academic and athletic success, I expect UTD will make an immediate impact on our league. We are proud to welcome the Comets’ student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to the LSC.”

UT Dallas sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletics programs that will compete under the LSC banner – baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, and volleyball. 

Comets teams and individuals are immediately eligible for LSC regular season championships and awards but will be ineligible for postseason conference tournaments in sports where the LSC receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Championship. 

Located in Richardson, UT Dallas was founded in 1961 and approved as a University of Texas System institution in August 1969. UTD enrolls more than 31,000 students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional certifications. The University is recognized as an R1 institution — a Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education denoting the top tier of doctoral institutions with very high research activity.

Founded April 25, 1931, Lone Star Conference membership includes 18 institutions in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The LSC opens its 94th year of competition this fall.