Forty-nine years ago, the Sul Ross State football program wrapped up its final season in the Lone Star Conference before joining the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1976. The LSC was loaded in 1975 with programs that are now competing at the Division I level such as Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, and Sam Houston State. Fast forward to 2024, and the LSC remains a competitive league from top to bottom.
On Thursday afternoon inside the McKinney Independent School District’s Community Event Center, the LSC announced its preseason poll along with players to watch. The Lobos received 42 points, ranking 10th, while Central Washington, with 20 first-place votes, topped the poll. Angelo State and UT Permian Basin were ranked second and third, respectively.
Senior wide receiver Vicente Luevano and senior defensive back Quincy Blair were named players to watch for the upcoming season. The Lobos’ kickoff is 34 days away.
Luevano earned second-team American Southwest Conference honors this past fall after tallying six touchdowns and catching 36 passes for 549 yards. Blair, a fifth-year player, ranked second on the Lobo defense with 51 total tackles and two interceptions.
“We’re very humbled that the Lone Star Conference accepted us and we’re definitely excited to take the next step and compete at a higher level,” head coach Barry Derickson said. “Our guys have been just electric this offseason about moving up. It’s definitely going to be a transition, but we’re excited to get the opportunity that these guys have been craving probably for the last few years. This is one of the toughest Division II conferences in the nation. There’s definitely going to be a step up in talent. It’s one of the toughest transitions out there, but we’re going to go up and give it everything that we’ve got.”
“Everybody’s pretty excited for it. We get to play a whole new conference. Just being able to expand our competition field is really exciting. I’m excited for this year. We got a lot of people returning on offense,” Luevano said.
“I’ve seen everybody that’s come into our program grow and mature. We’re just building chemistry, molding together to be probably one of the best defenses next year. We have a young group of guys from last year coming back,” Blair added.
Sul Ross State might be barred from competing in the NCAA postseason, but it can still compete for a chance to win a conference title this fall. The Lobos last captured LSC titles in 1950 and 1965.
LSC Preseason Poll:
- Central Washington
- Angelo State
- UT Permian Basin
- Texas A&M-Kingsville
- Midwestern State
- West Texas A&M
- Eastern New Mexico
- Western Oregon
- Western New Mexico
- Sul Ross State
2024 Schedule (All times Central Standard Time):
- vs. West Texas A&M (Thursday, Aug. 29) at 6 p.m.
- at Eastern New Mexico (Saturday, Sept. 7) at 7 p.m.
- vs. Wayland Baptist (Saturday, Sept. 14) at 1 p.m.
- vs. Western Oregon (Saturday, Sept. 21) at 1 p.m.
- at Texas A&M-Kingsville (Saturday, Sept. 28) at 7 p.m.
- at Midwestern State (Saturday, Oct. 12) at 7 p.m.
- vs. Western New Mexico (Saturday, Oct. 19) at 7 p.m. Homecoming
- at Angelo State (Saturday, Oct. 26) at 6 p.m.
- vs. Eastern New Mexico (Saturday, Nov. 2) at 1 p.m.
- at Central Washington (Saturday, Nov. 9) at 8 p.m.
- vs. UT Permian Basin (Saturday, Nov. 16) at 12 p.m.
As the new season approaches, the Lobos are set to face a challenging schedule, eager to prove themselves in the competitive Lone Star Conference.
Image by Peter Didinger, SRSU
