This morning, we’ll check in with our first NAIA league. It’s off to Texlahoma, and a look at the Central States Football League.
Members: Bacone Warriors, Langston Lions, Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers, Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm, Southwestern Assemblies of God Lions, and Texas College Steers. Division II members Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies are “allied” with the conference for scheduling purposes, but due to their Division II status are not eligible for the conference title, nor do their games count in the conference standings.
Seven of the eleven conference titles have been won by Northwestern Oklahoma State, and they “won” an eighth in 2008, although they voluntarily abandoned the conference title after self-reporting use of three ineligible players and forfeiting two conference games. (The conference still regards the games as won by NWOSU, but recognizes Langston as champion and considers NWOSU to have not been eligible for the conference title. I know, it’s goofy.) Former conference members include Peru State, Lincoln (MO), and Haskell. Only NWOSU and Langston have ever represented the conference in the NAIA playoffs.
TIDBITS:
Bacone, a small Cherokee/Creek-run institution in Muskogee OK, transitioned from a junior college to a full four-year institution in fall of 2001. They joined the CSFL as a provisional member that year, and began full competition a year later. In that time, Bacone has compiled a record of 36-44, 18-18 in conference. They’ve yet to reach the NAIA playoffs or win a conference title (although they have finished second four times).
Langston was a member of the old Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference from 1958-1973; this detail is meaningful as Langston is Oklahoma’s HBCU, and they were the second HBCU to be accepted as a competitor in a non-HBCU conference (after West Virginia State in the WVIAC in 1956). A charter member of the CSFL, Langston has captured one outright title on the field, claimed another in 2008 with NWOSU’s faux pas, and shared the 2005 title. The Lions have reached the NAIA playoffs on five occasions, going 2-5. Langston, historically, is the second-best team in the conference, racking up a 24-14 conference record (which does not include 1999, for which I have no information). Langston is the alma mater of former Dallas Cowboy Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson.
Northwestern Oklahoma State has been playing football since 1907. In the earliest years, they often played against Oklahoma State and OU; they even beat OSU 38-0 in their first year of play, and again the following year. They’ve won a total of 11 conference titles, seven in the CSFL (six straight from 1999-2004, and in 2007) and three as members of the OIC. The Rangers have reached the NAIA Playoffs eleven times, including each of the CSFL championship years as well as an at-large invitation in 2008. Their record in the playoffs is 11-9 (taking into account a vacated game in 2008), and they’ve reached the championship game three times, losing in 2000 and 2003. The Rangers were NAIA national champions in 1999. When the OIC disbanded in 1996 so that its members could move to Division II and join the Lone Star Conference, NWOSU opted to remain in the NAIA (or weren’t invited along; I have no information to verify either possibility). Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton is a former Ranger.
Southern Nazarene, better known as a potent basketball school, began their football program in 2000 amd competed as an independent until joining the CSFL in 2004. They’ve not appeared in the post-season, but did claim a share of the 2006 conference title. They’ve been consistently over .500 since beginning conference play.
Southwestern Assemblies of God was a charter member of the conference before departing after the 2001 season. They found independence not to be to their liking and returned in 2008. The Lions have never been very good.
Texas College launched their program in 2004, immediately joining the conference (although provisionally in the first year). In their first two years of full competition, they shared the conference title each season. although no NAIA bid was forthcoming. Things have gone horribly awry since; the team has lost its last 17 games, and 28 of its last 29.
Oklahoma Panhandle State is, administratively, an NCAA Division II Independent. They participate in this conference as a means of getting games on the schedule, but aren’t eligible for the conference title. They’ve been playing since 1919, never to great success, although they did have an unbeaten regular season in 1981, followed by a loss in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. They were members of the OIC from 1962-1973.