LAKE CHARLES – This isn't the Southland Conference of old for men's basketball.
The 2025-26 version of the league is proving to be one of the best ever and a lot of credit has to do with what the McNeese program has done over the past three seasons.
Three years ago, McNeese hired Will Wade to lead a stale program. The results included sellout crowds, conference and tournament championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, ShuSlams in the College Basketball Slam Dunk contest, a social media sensation in manager in Amir Khan, and interest in not only McNeese basketball but the Southland Conference at arguably an all-time high.
Now three years into putting enormous resources into the Cowboys' program, others around the league are starting to follow and the result has been a climb the conference has never seen.
As of Thursday, the league is ranked No. 17 out of 31 conferences in the nation, the highest ranking ever for the league (previous high was 19 in the 2008-09 season).
McNeese is the top-ranked Southland team in the NCAA NET rankings, coming in at No. 49. This gives the Cowboys a Quad 1 label for visiting teams coming into the Townsley Law Arena. Quad 1 squads are the best in the nation. Michigan is ranked No. 1 in the NET.
The NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool), is a primary tool used by the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament selection committee to evaluate team resumes for the tournament. It replaced the old RPI system.
Stephen F. Austin, who the Cowboys defeated this past Monday, is ranked No. 95 in the NET and was considered a Quad 3 win for the Cowboys. For the year, McNeese is 0-2 vs. Quad 1 teams (Michigan, Santa Clara), 2-0 vs. Quad 2, 3-1 vs. Quad 3, and 5-0 vs. Quad 4.
Following SFA in the rankings among Southland Conference teams is Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (162), UTRGV (188), Nicholls (197), UIW (202), New Orleans (222), Lamar (237), Southeastern (285), East Texas A&M (296), HCU (302), and Northwestern State (314).
Continuing with a look at the Southland and its continued rise over the last few years, the league has picked up some quality out-of-conference wins this season, several against upper mid-major league teams – McNeese with quality wins over Murray State, George Washington, Rhode Island, Middle Tennessee State, and ULL; New Orleans defeated TCU and Tulane; SFA with wins over Sam Houston, Arkansas State, Rice, Abilene Christian and Pepperdine; Lamar with a win over Montana, ULM and ULL; UTRGV over Southern Utah and Austin Peay; Southeastern defeating Navy and Gardner Webb; East Texas A&M over Farleigh Dickenson, Army and Central Arkansas; and HCU over ULM and The Citadel.
Fans can get a look at the new and improved league this weekend when McNeese wraps up its four-game home stand against Southeastern at 4 p.m. on Saturday then Nicholls on Monday at 6:30.
Saturday's doubleheader is Cajun Heritage Day and will feature the ever-popular Lake Charles Toyota Tailgate and a jambalaya cook-off beginning at noon.
The Cowboys will ride into the game with a 12-3 overall record and 5-1 in Southland Conference play. Southeastern is 5-10 and 2-4 while Nicholls is 7-8 overall and tops the standings with a 6-0 league mark.
