The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) has maintained a long-standing tradition of its members fielding excellent athletic programs with many teams and individuals going on to distinguish themselves on the national stage. Including the most recent addition of Oklahoma City University's 2021 competitive cheerleading title, SAC member institutions have collected 110 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) team championships since the league formed in 1978.
SAC schools consistently have teams ranked in the NAIA's Top 20 and compete regularly for regional and national honors. In addition, numerous SAC schools have hosted NAIA national championships, giving the conference great exposure and the chance to showcase their beautiful campuses.
Under the leadership of Commissioner John Martin, the SAC continues to assist its member institutions in the maintenance of intercollegiate athletic programs that are compatible with the highest standards of the NAIA.
Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 schools in a league that spans four states (Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas). The league's newest addition is the University of North Texas Dallas, which entered the conference as an full member for 2021-22 and an associate member in 2020-21. The SAC added Central Christian College of Kansas and Oklahoma Panhandle State University to the fold for 2017-18, then dropped to 11 schools when St. Gregory's announced its closure in November 2017. The league added Langston University in 2018-19 as its first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) member, then dropped Bacone (Okla.) College after that same year.
Throughout the league's 40-year history, the SAC continues to be known as the conference "Where Champions Play." Various institutions have competed under the SAC banner over the years. Today only the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma remains from the original group that was formed when Bethany Nazarene (now Southern Nazarene), Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian and Phillips University withdrew from the old Texoma Conference to form the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Membership has changed over the years with today's current members being admitted as follows: Oklahoma City (1985), Wayland Baptist (1994), John Brown (1995), Mid-America Christian (2007), Southwestern Assemblies of God (2013), Texas Wesleyan (2013), Southwestern Christian (2013), Central Christian (2017), Oklahoma Panhandle State (2017), Langston (2018). The University of North Texas Dallas has become the latest addition to the Sooner Athletic Conference as an associate member for 2020-21.
Past members of the SAC include: Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian, Southern Nazarene, Rogers State, Lubbock Christian, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Northwood, St. Gregory's and Bacone.
The league also includes associate members on a per-sport basis. Arizona Christian University, Lyon (Ark.) College, Ottawa University-Arizona and Texas College became SAC members for football in 2018-19 with Louisiana College joining for 2021-22.
The SAC annually crowns league champions in 14 intercollegiate sports - seven for men and seven for women - including women's wrestling for the first time in league history. The SAC's championship sports for men include: basketball, baseball, football, golf, cross country, soccer and wrestling. Women compete in basketball, softball, golf, cross country, soccer, volleyball and wrestling.