Incarnate Word joining LSC in 2010

In case you missed Friday's big news from the Lone Star Conference, here it is:  the University of the Incarnate Word has accepted an invitation to join the LSC as a full-time member beginning July 1, 2010.

UIW has been trying to get into the 78-year-old LSC since 2005, but didn't earn an invitation until Friday afternoon when league presidents voted unanimously at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., to extend an invitation.  The San Antonio-based university wasted no time accepting the invitation to leave the Heartland Conference and join the LSC.

UIW will play a Division II independent football schedule in 2009 (the university's first year of football) before jumping into the fire of playing in one of the best Division II leagues in the nation in LSC.  Eastern New Mexico, Midwestern State and East Central are on the Cardinals' 2009 schedule, which will give LSC football fans an idea of where the new program stands in relation to the rest of the league.

Don't forget, though, that the addition of a new university to the LSC mix means that discussion will begin about division realignment.  Incarnate Word's location would make it a natural fit in the LSC South, which, in women's basketball, would give the league eight teams in each division.  In men's basketball, though, the league would have seven teams in the LSC North and eight in the LSC South

That, of course, is predicated on two things:

1). No teams swapping divisions;

2). And no teams leaving the league.

By way of looking at what kind of athletics program has, here's how UIW fared in each sport in its most recently completed athletic year (2007-08), and how each of those teams did against LSC competition:

Baseball -- 39-17 in 2008 (4-3 vs. LSC)

Men's Basketball -- 17-11 in 2007-08 (0-5 vs. LSC)

Men's Cross Country -- 16th at 2007 regional meet 

Men's Golf -- 5th at Heartland Conference championship (did not qualify for regional)

Men's Tennis -- 13-7 and reached regional tournament (1-1 vs. LSC)

Men's Track and Field -- no qualifiers for DII outdoor meet

Women's Basketball -- 17-11 in 2007-08 (5-4 vs. LSC)

Women's Cross Country -- 16th at 2007 regional meet

Women's Soccer -- 18-3-2 in 2007 and reached DII quarterfinals (6-0 vs. LSC)

Softball -- 31-26 in 2008 (9-11 vs. LSC)

Women's Tennis -- 18-5 and reached DII Round of 16 (4-1 vs. LSC)

Women's Track and Field -- no qualifiers for DII outdoor meet

Volleyball -- 23-9 in 2007; Heartland Conference champions (7-4 vs. LSC)