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Lions seek 15th outright LSC crown

That's head coach Colby Carthel getting an early postgame shower after the Lions' defeat of West Texas A&M.
lionathletics.com
That's head coach Colby Carthel getting an early postgame shower after the Lions' defeat of West Texas A&M.

With the school celebrating its 125th anniversary and the events of Homecoming this week linking the past of East Texas Normal College, East Texas State Normal College, East Texas State Teachers College, East Texas State College and East Texas State University to the present of Texas A&M University-Commerce united under one umbrella – we are Lions, it is only fitting that the Lions’ football team will play for an outright championship Saturday after already clinching a share of the program’s 21st title earlier this season.

Searching back through the athletic archives the football program has a deep-rooted tradition of success going way, way back to the program’s first recorded season in 1914.  The inaugural season -- a winning one that saw the team win two of its three games -- laid the groundwork of winning success that has seen 947 games played in 97 years; the school did not field a football team in 1918, 1943, 1944 and 1945  because of War World I and War World II. 

All-time, the program has compiled 491 wins, 425 losses and 31 ties translating into a winning percent of .518.  Fifty-seven seasons have ended with a winning percentage of .500 or better for a mark of 58 percent of its seasons ending in a winning record.

In 80 seasons in the Lone Star Conference, the Lions were one of the league’s inaugural members back in 1932, the program has reeled off the second most champions counting the latest this season with 21.  Six championships shy of the most titles in conference history and a whopping margin of 11 titles separates the Lions from the third place program. Counting 2014, 51 seasons of LSC play have ended with a winning percentage of .500 or better for a mark of 64 percent of the seasons played in the conference resulting in a winning record.

Linking the Lions of past and present, under the university’s name of East Texas State Teachers College the Lions enjoyed back-to-back-to-back titles in the early to mid 1930s and won five straight in the early 1950s.  All told program claimed 12 titles, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955, under the name of East Texas State Teachers College.

A second name change came to the school in 1957, East Texas State College, and in that same season the program started a run of three straight championships – 1957, 1958 and 1959. 

Another name change came in 1962, East Texas State University, and four years later, in 1966, the program picked up the success of past claiming the title.  ETSU went on to a total five LSC titles adding more in 1969, 1972, 1983 and 1990.

While celebrating 125 years of existence of a higher education institution, the Lions have claimed the program’s first title in 24 years and first under the current institution’s name of Texas A&M University-Commerce, which began in 1996.  The 21st championship links the past of the program to the present.

Adding to the championships, the program has enjoyed 736 all-conference selections, 223 All-American honors and made 10 postseason appearances, including the 1972 national championship.

In a world of what have you done lately, lately is now and now the Lions are Lone Star Conference Champions.