HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana Athletics will look to build upon the success of a unique spring as the 2021-22 athletic year officially opens on Thursday.
 
In a year in which all 16 of Southeastern's programs competed for Southland Conference championships in the spring, the Lions and Lady Lions tackled the challenges and had unprecedented success, as the most exciting spring in school history also doubled as the most consistent for SLU.
 
On the men's side, the Lions took home the Southland Conference Men's All-Sports Trophy. The Lady Lions combined for an all-time program best fifth place showing in the Women's All-Sports Trophy competition, as Southeastern finished fourth – also the best in school history – in the Commissioner's Cup standings.
 
Commissioner's Cup points are awarded from 13 to 1 according to place of finish in final conference standings in sports with regular seasons, or placement in conference championships for sports without regular seasons. This past spring, nine Southeastern teams finished fifth or higher in the league standings.
 
A pair of SLU programs raised trophies at the end of their seasons, as the men's cross country and women's soccer teams both won conference championships. Off the field, the Southeastern cheerleaders and the Lionnette dance team both took home gold medals at the UCA and UDA national championships in Game Day and Hip Hop, respectively.
 
In addition to the championships in cross country and soccer, the Southeastern football, women's basketball, men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, baseball and indoor volleyball teams all finished in the top three in the league standings.
 
"We didn't just survive this spring, we thrived," Southeastern Director of Athletics Jay Artigues commented. "We want to compete for Southland Conference championships in every sport and if we don't win it, we want teams to have to come through us."
 
Team success beget individual honors both on the field and on the sidelines. SLU quarterback Cole Kelley received the Walter Payton Award – the Heisman Trophy of the FCS – and was one of eight Southeastern All-Americans, along with teammate Ferlando Jordan, as well as track and field student-athletes Shea Foster, Jonathan Sawyer, Frank DiSanza, D.J. Ruffin, James Benson II and Donovan Storr. SLU's Corey Mistretta (men's cross country), Chris McBride (women's soccer) and Jeremy White (indoor volleyball) all claimed Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors.
 
On the national level, in addition to Kelley being named the nation's best offensive player, the Lion football team finished ranked in the FCS Top 25 for the second straight season. The SLU softball team led Division I in stolen bases for the sixth straight season.
 
Led by the Southland Conference Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year DiSanza, 26 Southeastern student-athletes earned Southland All-Academic honors. The Lion and Lady Lion student-athletes combined for a 3.03 grade for the spring 2021 semester, while also combining for a 3.17 cumulative GPA – marking the fifth straight year Southeastern had a department-wide cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
 
"Our department's mission statement outlines the expectation of excellence in the classroom, in the community and in competition," Artigues commented. "We're proving successful in all areas and that's a testament to the commitment of our student-athletes and our coaches' dedication to recruiting student-athletes who can fulfill our expectations."
 
The 2021-22 season will see Southeastern competing in a new-look Southland Conference. SLU's finishes in 2020-21's Commissioner's Cup, as well as Men's and Women's All-Sports Trophy standings, were all the highest among all the programs remaining in the league for the coming year.
 
Fans, who will be able to return to all Southeastern Athletics events at full capacity in 2021-22, will also notice significant upgrades to several facilities. New turf is being laid by GeoSurfaces at Strawberry Stadium, the playing surface for SLU's football and soccer programs, as well as the outfield of softball's North Oak Park. New seating has been installed in the primary seating area at the University Center, which serves as the home of Southeastern's indoor volleyball and basketball programs.
 
A pair of teams will have the opportunity of competing for a conference championship at their home facilities. SLU will serve as the host of the Southland Conference Volleyball and Softball Championships in 2021-22. The 2021-22 season will also mark the second year that Southeastern fans can view the majority of SLU home athletic events on ESPN+.
 
"We're excited about the future of Southeastern Athletics, because (university president) Dr. (John) Crain and our administration have given us the resources necessary to put the right people in place," Artigues said. "It all starts with our student-athletes, who are dedicating themselves to excelling in the classroom, serving our community and competing for championships at the conference and national level.
 
"We also have coaches who are leading our student-athletes to success and growing our programs in the right direction," Artigues added. "We have a great administrative staff in place that deserves a lot of credit for the work put in behind the scenes to help us meet the unprecedented challenges of the past spring."
 
Artigues expects the Lions and Lady Lions to continue to thrive in 2021-22.
 
"Lion Nation has a lot to look forward to in the coming year," Artigues said. "We're going to be picked at or near the top of the league in several sports. We expect the road to the Southland Conference championship in every sport to have to go through Hammond, America. We're heading into the fall with a lot of positive momentum."
 
The 2021-22 Southeastern Athletics competition year officially opens on Aug. 19, when the defending Southland Conference tournament champion SLU women's soccer team travels to face Grand Canyon.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Athletics, follow @LionUpAthletics on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel. Follow the Lion Athletics Association on Twitter at @LionAthAssoc or like /southeastern.laa on Facebook.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.