SAA Adds University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis as Affiliate Football Members

The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) has announced the addition of the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis as affiliate football members of the recently formed conference. The affiliate membership begins in the fall of 2015 and includes all the rights and privileges provided to other football participating institutions in the SAA.  

Located in the heart of the city, the University of Chicago has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,500 and was recently selected as the No. 5 ranked school in the National Universities category by the U.S. News and World Report. Washington University in St. Louis enrolls over 6,200 undergraduates and was ranked No. 13 overall in the same National University rankings.

“We are thrilled to add two schools held in such high regard as the University Chicago and Washington University as affiliate football members of the Southern Athletic Association,” said chair of the council of presidents for the SAA and current Oglethorpe University president Lawrence M. Schall. “Their commitment to fostering athletic competition and cooperation among academically selective liberal arts colleges is a perfect fit for our league’s mission.”

Both the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis have storied football traditions dating back over a century. The Maroons began play in 1892 and were originally members of the Big 10 Conference while the Bears first kicked off the sport in 1890.

Officially formed in June 2011 and spanning six states, the Southern Athletic Association includes Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, Centre College in Kentucky, Hendrix College in Arkansas, Millsaps College in Mississippi, Oglethorpe University and Berry College in Georgia, and Rhodes College and Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee.