FRISCO, Texas – Seventeen months after the original announcement that Houston Baptist was to join the Southland Conference, the Huskies are now official members.

"Today, HBU is very pleased and proud to be joining the Southland Conference,” said HBU Director of Athletics, Steve Moniaci. “While our time in the Great West was very profitable, we are extremely blessed to become members of a league with the national exposure, regional membership, and the history of the Southland. I especially want to thank all of the other members of the conference for accepting us. I also want to thank our President, Dr. [Robert] Sloan, and our Board of Trustees for the leadership that they have provided to position HBU as an attractive candidate for membership into the Southland. Lastly, I want to sincerely thank all of the current and former athletes, coaches, and staff for their hard work and dedication to Husky Athletics. Go Huskies!"

“The Southland Conference is proud and privileged to welcome Houston Baptist University to its membership, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship highlighted by academic and athletic achievements,” says Southland Commissioner, Tom Burnett. “It's a great day and time for the Southland!”

HBU joins three other schools who are joining the conference today: Abilene Christian University, University of the Incarnate Word, and University of New Orleans. These four schools join regular members Central Arkansas, Lamar, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to make the 14-school conference.

HBU will compete in the Southland Conference in all sports, except football and men's soccer, in 2013-14. Football, in its first season in 2013, will play in the SLC in 2014, while men's soccer enters their first season in the WAC in 2013.

Softball was the first HBU sport to compete in the Southland Conference, as the Huskies were an affiliate member in 2012-13.

The first sport to play a Southland Conference game in the 2013-14 year will be volleyball, who hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 19 at 7 pm.