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42-576: Originally known as the Mid-South Athletic Conference or Mid-South Conference , the Gulf South Conference was formed by six universities in the summer of 1970: Delta State , Florence State (now North Alabama ), Jacksonville State , Livingston (now West Alabama ), Tennessee–Martin , and Troy State (now Troy ). Scheduling problems for the 1970–71 academic year limited the league to football , won by Jacksonville State. In 1971,

84-636: A 93–4 record, including a 51-game winning streak, at the time, the longest winning streak in women's college basketball. One star of these championship teams was Luisa (Lucy) Harris , who was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz in 1977. Wade was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. Today, the Division I women's basketball player of the year receives the Margaret Wade Trophy . Lloyd Clark,

126-889: A degree in Commercial Aviation. As of June 2024 the DSU fleet of 18 aircraft consists of the following: DSU Flight Operations has two large hangars located at Cleveland Municipal Airport and the Gibson-Gunn Commercial Aviation building on the Delta State Campus. There are six student residence halls on campus; three house women, two house men and one is co-ed. Even though Delta State University has relatively few fraternities and sororities on campus, many students participate in Greek life. Originally, Delta State had only local organizations, such as Delta Alpha Omega or

168-558: A native of Drew, took over the women's basketball program in 1983. Over the next 19 years he compiled a staggering 494–98 record. In addition, Clark's teams won three NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championships . During those years, DSU played in the NCAA tournament 16 times, with 11 appearances in the Elite Eight . Clark's 1988–89 team became the first NCAA team to win a National Championship on its home floor. During his career, Clark compiled

210-538: A record of 206–38 (.845) in Gulf South Conference Games. Lloyd Clark is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame along with other DSU heroes Margaret Wade, Lusia Harris-Stewart , and former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dave "Boo" Ferriss . The basketball court floor is named after Clark. Boo Ferriss coached the baseball program for nearly thirty years and led them to three appearances in

252-469: Is located on 332 acres (1.34 km ) at 1003 W Sunflower Rd (Highway 8 West), in the northwest area of Cleveland, MS, 38733. About 30 percent of students reside in on-campus housing. Delta State provides both men's dormitories and women's dormitories, as well as apartments for married students. Most of the 64 buildings on campus use a particular brick pattern of yellow, orange, and white bricks. Particularly famous facilities at Delta State University are

294-1024: The Education Specialist degree, and the Doctor of Education degree. The Delta State University Department of Athletics sponsors thirteen intercollegiate sports (Cheerleading is not considered a sport by the NCAA, but if it was counted the athletics program count would be 14), competing at the NCAA Division II level. DSU is affiliated with the Gulf South Conference and New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference. The institution competes intercollegiately in men's American football , basketball , baseball , swimming , diving , tennis , soccer , and golf . The women's intercollegiate program consists of basketball , tennis , fast-pitch softball , cross-country , swimming , soccer , cheerleading , and diving . One of Delta State's most notable sports coaches

336-586: The NAIA to NCAA . Both universities began GSC competition in the 2012–13 academic year but will not be eligible for NCAA national tournaments until the 2014–15 academic year. In August 2011, the GSC added the Florida Institute of Technology as an associate member for football beginning in the 2013 season. On October 11, 2012, Mississippi College announced that it would petition the NCAA to leave Division III and return to

378-619: The NCAA Division II Membership Committee approved the membership application for Oklahoma Baptist University to move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and it joined the conference for the 2015–16 season. The GAC and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) announced a partnership in June 2018 to combine their men's tennis and men's soccer leagues in both sports from

420-684: The NCAA Division II College World Series before retiring in 1988. Boo was born in Shaw, Mississippi . San Francisco Giants catcher Eli Whiteside played baseball for the university, as did Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brent Leach . Matt Miller of the Cleveland Indians also played for the Statesmen. One notable would-be baseball player and student who was cut during tryouts was writer John Grisham . In 2008, Grisham returned to

462-798: The South Central United States . The conference also has four men's soccer affiliate members, two in Kansas and two in Oklahoma. The conference's charter members previously competed in the Lone Star Conference ( East Central University , Southeastern Oklahoma State University , and Southwestern Oklahoma State University ) and the Gulf South Conference ( Arkansas Tech University , University of Arkansas at Monticello , Harding University , Henderson State University , Ouachita Baptist University , and Southern Arkansas University ) before forming

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504-622: The 2000 NCAA Division II national football championship . Delta State's football team won the Gulf South Conference Championship in 1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022, and 2024. They were runner-up in the D-2 National Championship in 2010. They were national semi-finalists and regional champions in 2011. Delta State has a fairly large flight school and is also the only university in Mississippi to offer

546-647: The 2008–09 season due to issues between the University's President and the Commissioner. The GSC moved away from divisional play after the 2010-11 season after its six Arkansas members broke away, dropping the membership to eight. Thanks to an aggressive expansion plan, the GSC sponsored the Division II applications of Union University (TN) and Shorter University (GA), which became official members in 2014-15. The next step in bolstering its membership came in 2012, backing

588-529: The 2015-16 season. Mississippi College entered its second candidacy year with the 2014-15 season in its path to full Division II membership in 2016-17 and added Gulf South Conference teams to its schedule. The next change to the conference's membership was officially announced on December 6, 2016 when North Alabama was accepted to the ASUN Conference and would begin a transition to Division I sports in 2018. In May 2020, affiliate member Florida Tech announced

630-842: The 2015–16 school year. Departing members in pink. Delta State University Delta State University ( DSU ) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi , a city in the Mississippi Delta . The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricultural High School, which consisted of three buildings in Cleveland. On February 19, 1924, Senators William B. Roberts and Arthur Marshall cosponsored Senate Bill No. 263, which established Delta State Teachers College , which Mississippi Governor Henry L. Whitfield signed on April 9, 1924;

672-512: The 2019–20 academic year. Under the agreement, the MIAA will organize the tennis league and the GAC will organize the soccer league.  Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (sport)  The GAC sponsors championships in seven men's and eight women's sports. The male and female scholar-athlete of

714-545: The Cavaliers, which existed until the mid-1960s, when their members joined Kappa Alpha Order and Pi Kappa Alpha respectively. However, the first national social fraternity to charter at Delta State was Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia , in 1960. Within the decade, several other chapters of national Greek-letter organizations chartered at Delta State. They are governed by two independent councils—the Interfraternity Council, and

756-427: The Division II application of Lee University (TN) which was on track to join the league officially in 2015-16. The league added its first-ever associate member, Florida Tech , in football only in 2013. The Conference planned to add an old friend back into the fold when Mississippi College submitted its application to rejoin Division II and was on track for 2016-17 membership. Former Commissioner Jim McCullough brought

798-489: The GAC in 2010. The new conference is intended to reduce travel costs for its member universities. On May 11, 2011, the conference invited Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Southern Nazarene University to the conference for the 2012–13 academic year. Those universities continued to compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference during the 2011–12 season before joining the conference. On July 11, 2014,

840-472: The GSC office to Birmingham when he was hired in 1979. The conference welcomed its seventh commissioner in May 2014 when Matt Wilson was selected to follow Nate Salant who retired after a 22-year stint. Beginning with the 2011–12 academic year; Arkansas Tech University, University of Arkansas at Monticello, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist University, and Southern Arkansas University left

882-526: The GSC to form the Great American Conference . The University of New Orleans , which was transitioning from Division I to Division II, was accepted into the conference in June 2011, but the school announced intentions to stay at Division I in March 2012. In July 2011, Shorter University and Union University (Jackson, Tenn.) were accepted into the NCAA and began the multi-year transition process from

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924-737: The Panhellenic Council. Great American Conference The Great American Conference ( GAC ) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellville, Arkansas . Athletic competition began play during the 2011–12 school year. Its twelve all-sports member schools are located in Arkansas and Oklahoma in

966-413: The U.S. colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics. Total conference postseason championships and football regular season championships won by each school. Team and individual titles won prior to joining the GAC or by members in sports not sponsored by the GAC. The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl held a Division II game from 2012 through 2018, with

1008-697: The armed forces. When the war ended, student enrollment at Delta State increased from 185 to 483, aided by the federal program for veterans known as the GI Bill to encourage education. During the 1947 session of the Delta Council, Dean Acheson (Under-Secretary of State in Truman's administration) delivered a speech on campus that unveiled the Marshall Plan . He detailed plans for postwar relief and investment in Europe to help

1050-462: The bill had been sponsored in the Mississippi House of Representatives by Nellie Nugent Somerville , the first woman to serve in the Mississippi state legislature. The three buildings were Hill Hall, an administration and classroom building, Hardee Hall, a men's dormitory, and Taylor Hall, a women's dormitory. On February 14, 1924, James Wesley Broom was appointed president of the college, and

1092-633: The campus to join Ferriss in an evening of baseball tales, raising more than $ 100,000 for the athletic program. Delta State alumnus Jeremy Richardson was an NBA player. Delta State won the 2004 NCAA Division II national baseball championship . Coach Mike Kinnison has guided the Statesmen to the 2004 NCAA National title, four College World Series appearances, nine NCAA South Regional appearances (1999–2005, 2007, 2008), 11 GSC West Division titles (1997–2005, 2007, 2008), three NCAA South Regional championships, and four Gulf South Conference titles. Delta State won

1134-420: The college opened its doors on September 15, 1925. In May 1926, Broom died following complications from an ear infection. William Zeigel was named his successor. The seal of the college was designed in 1928 as a project of an art class. World War II greatly affected the college. Anticipating the war in 1941, the college created a civilian pilot training program. When the war began, 254 Delta State students joined

1176-426: The conference. The transition was a lengthy process; Mississippi College officially became a Division II candidate starting with the 2013–14 academic year, with the school becoming a full Division II member for 2016–17. In 2013, Lee University joined the GSC, bringing the membership to 11. Lee University moved to Division II provisional membership for the 2014-15 season. They will complete transition to Division II in

1218-602: The current Delta State University . In 1965, Delta State initiated a graduate program (Master of Education in Elementary Education, Elementary Supervision, Guidance, English, History, Math, Music, Social Studies, Business Education, Physical Education, and Science). From 1925 to 1967 the university had a whites-only race admission policy. Thirteen years after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), ruling that racial segregation in public schools

1260-750: The discontinuation of their football program due to the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic . The GSC currently has 12 full members: The GSC currently has six affiliate members: The GSC had 19 former full members, with all but four being public schools. The GSC had three former affiliate members, one was a public school and two were private schools:  Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football only)   Associate member (sport)  The GSC sponsors competition in 8 men's sports and 9 women's sports. The conference began sponsoring women's lacrosse and men's / women's track & field in

1302-458: The end of 1992–93. Mississippi College dropped to Division III at the end of 1995–96 and was replaced by Christian Brothers to keep the Conference at 16 schools. In July 2000, the GSC welcomed Harding University and Ouachita Baptist University , making it the largest NCAA conference at any level with 18 schools. The Conference membership decreased to 17 when MUW dropped its athletics program at

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1344-663: The end of the 2002–03 season. 2006–07 was another season of change for the GSC. Central Arkansas moved to Division I , leaving the West Division with eight schools while Lincoln Memorial left for the South Atlantic Conference due to travel and location issues, leaving the East Division with seven schools. Montevallo announced on June 27, 2008 that they would be leaving for the Peach Belt Conference following

1386-540: The large natatorium for holding swimming competitions, the Bologna Performing Arts Center (pictured left) with two theaters (one that seats 1,178, and another that seats 135), and the sound recording studios of the Delta Music Institute. Delta State has two mascots (one official, one unofficial). Since its inception, Delta State's sports teams have officially been known as the Statesmen because of

1428-561: The league changed its name to the Gulf South Conference; added Southeastern Louisiana (SLU) and Nicholls State (increasing the membership to eight); opened an office in Hammond, Louisiana ; and began championships in all men's sports. The following year, Mississippi College and Northwestern Louisiana (NWLA, now Northwestern State) were admitted. NWLA withdrew to go Division I two years later, followed by SLU and Nicholls State in 1979. The conference continued with seven teams until 1981, when

1470-427: The mascot was a character in the 2006 episode of Good Eats titled "Okraphobia". The Fighting Okra was featured on an ESPN commercial during the 2023 College National Championship Game. Delta State provides an undergraduate curriculum, offering 12 baccalaureate degrees in 42 majors. The university also advances student training through certain fields by providing graduate programs of study for eight master's degrees,

1512-480: The nations recover from destruction. In 1955, the name Delta State Teachers College was changed to Delta State College . Delta State earned full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1963. It developed graduate programs, which it opened for admission in 1965. Given graduate program and research development, in 1974 the state legislature authorized the college to be named as

1554-492: The points for the sports of baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, football, women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, and volleyball. The conference championship will determine the points for the sports of men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, and women's golf. The NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is an annual award given by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to

1596-584: The presidents admitted Valdosta State . West Georgia joined in 1983. Eight years of stability ended in 1991 when Tennessee–Martin and Troy State went Division I, briefly dropping the GSC back to seven members, before the beginning of an expansion resulting in ten new members: Lincoln Memorial (1992–93); Alabama–Huntsville , Henderson State , Central Arkansas , and Mississippi University for Women (MUW) (1993–94); West Florida (1994–95); and Arkansas-Monticello , Arkansas Tech , Montevallo , and Southern Arkansas (1995–96). Jacksonville State went Division I at

1638-519: The role State Rep. Walter Sillers Jr. played in the location of the school in Cleveland. Sillers was Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives for 20 years. The teams with female athletes are called the Lady Statesmen. However, since the late 1980s, the student body embraced a mascot that depicts a piece of okra wearing boxing gloves and brandishing a fierce expression. In 2006,

1680-461: The year awards are voted upon by the league's faculty athletic representatives or designees. The male and female athlete of the year awards are voted upon by the league's sports information directors or designees. The All-Sports Trophy is presented to the athletic department with the highest point total at the end of the athletic year. Points are recorded in all sponsored sports with six or more participants. The regular season standings will determine

1722-465: Was (Lily) Margaret Wade (1912–1995). Wade played on the basketball team for Delta State, but the school dropped the sport when she was 19. The school claimed the sport was "too strenuous for young ladies". Wade responded, "We cried and burned our uniforms but there was nothing else we could do." Basketball was revived in 1973, and Wade was asked to coach the team. She coached the women's basketball team to three consecutive AIAW national championships and

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1764-534: Was unconstitutional and three years after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , the state and administration ended racial segregation at DSU. Shirley Antoinette Washington was the first African-American student to enroll at DSU that year. Beginning in the 1980s, the university developed an aviation program, which continues. In 2005, Delta State assisted evacuees from Hurricane Katrina by opening Hugh White Hall as temporary housing. Delta State University

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