August 23, 2012

New Orleans to join Southland Conference

The University of New Orleans, the lone independent baseball program for the 2013 season, will join the Southland Conference for the 2013-14 academic year.

The Privateers were in the Sun Belt Conference until 2010. UNO had planned to transition to Division II, but decided to remain in Division I. New Orleans will compete in 14 of the Southland’s 17 sponsored championships, including baseball.

UNO surpassed 17,000 students before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005. The current enrollment is 11,000.

The Privateers became the first Louisiana school to reach the Division I College World Series when they appeared in 1984.

The home field for New Orleans, Ron Maestri Field at Privateer Park, is undergoing a major renovation with new grandstand seating and a new press box. The field has hosted a pair of NCAA Division I regionals.

New Orleans will join Incarnate Word as new members of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals are currently members of the Division II Lone Star Conference and will begin the transition to Division I next year. There is speculation that Abilene Christian could also join next year as well.