CANTON, Ga. (July 12, 2024) – The Southern Athletic Association announced the addition of Southwestern University as an affiliate member in men's lacrosse for the 2025 season. The entire Pirates athletics program, along with Trinity University (Texas), are set to join the SAA as full members on July 1, 2025.
 
“We are happy to welcome Southwestern men’s lacrosse into the SAA a year ahead of the institution joining the conference full-time,” said SAA Commissioner Stacey LaDew. “This will allow us to have a very competitive, seven-team round robin schedule in 2025. I want to thank our administrators and coaches for assisting in getting the Pirates into the schedule this season.”
 
Southwestern played as an independent last season after previously being a part of the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference and SCAC in its program history.
 
2025 SAA Men’s Lacrosse Teams
Berry College | Mount Berry, Ga.
Centre College | Danville, Ky.
Hendrix College | Conway, Ark.
Oglethorpe University | Atlanta, Ga.
Rhodes College | Memphis, Tenn.
The University of the South | Sewanee, Tenn.
Southwestern University | Georgetown, Texas
 
"We are thrilled to be joining the SAA in Men's Lacrosse for the Spring 2025 season,” said Southwestern Director of Athletics Ken Ralph. “The level of competition is outstanding and the ability for our team to compete for a championship will create a different mindset for the program right from the start of the year.  We are grateful to the league AD's and conference leadership in allowing this to happen for 2025."
 
Centre and Sewanee have shared the last two SAA regular season championships while the Colonels have won back-to-back conference tournament titles. The 2025 SAA Tournament is slated for April 26-May 4 on campus sites with the winner earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Tournament.