In May 1996, the Southwest Conference ended with little of the fanfare and excitement that the once proud and dominant conference had earned.

Revenue issues and recruiting scandals had taken their toll. The 81-year-old conference garnered 64 national championships. The conference that was created to show off the dominance of Texas collegiate athletics lost its major players with the decision in 1993 of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor to join with the Big 8 and form the Big 12 conference in 1996. Arkansas, the only Southwest Conference member not from the state of Texas, had left for the Southeastern Conference in 1990.

The Southwest Conference returns Saturday. The Southwest Conference Gallery will open its doors as a part of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. The expansion to the Texas Hall of Fame will be home to the largest collection of Southwest Conference items anywhere.

Curator Jay Black at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame said he’s glad that the new Southwest Conference wing has been finished so the museum can finally display all the rare treasures it has kept in storage for years.

Visitors will immediately step into the heart of the Southwest Conference by walking through an opening made to look like the entrance to the Cotton Bowl. Pictures, plaques, tickets and other memorabilia show off the history of the storied New Year’s Day game, which featured the SWC champion as host from the late 1930s to the final year of the conference in 1995. A big-screen television under a replica scoreboard with interactive touchscreen controls shows past Cotton Bowl highlights.

The Southwest Conference gallery was created to show off the history and the accomplishments of the teams and individuals of the conference with 1,000 square feet and exhibits provided for each of the member schools.

“The conference history is not known to the younger generations and it’s too important to be forgotten,” Texas Sports Hall of Fame curator Jay Black said. “We want to give more than just pictures in a case. We want to provide an interactive experience for everyone to enjoy.”

Each school has a big-screen television with touchscreen controls to view highlights of the past.

Ever wonder where the TCU Horned Frogs came from or the Red Raider from Texas Tech? The school mascots are on display as you enter each exhibit with the history of the origin of each mascot.

Along with the schools, there is also an exhibit dedicated to the Broadcasters of the Southwest Corner. Visitors have the opportunity to listen to recordings of the great announcers that brought the Southwest Conference to homes each week. Kern Tips is joined by the voices of Dave South, Connie Alexander, Frank Fallon and Jack Dale.

The Kilgore Rangerettes will also be on display. The famous drill team performed each year at halftime of the Cotton Bowl.

The exhibits will change every six months to a year because more than 50 percent of the items are on loan, Black said.

“The gallery will bring the history all together and give visitors a good time as well being a learning experience,” Black said.

ARKANSAS

The Arkansas Razorbacks exhibit includes baseball coach Norm DeBriyn’s plaque honoring his 1,000 wins, basketball coach Eddie Sutton memorabilia and items from John McDonald’s 42 track national championships.

The Razorbacks were members of the conference from 1915 to 1991. 14 team national championships.

Exhibit includes: Baseball coach Norm DeBriyn and his 1,000 win plaque; basketball coach Eddie Sutton; players Ulysses (U.S.) Reed and Sidney Moncrief; track coach John McDonald, who coached 42 national championship teams and indiviuals.

BAYLOR

The Bears were members of the conference from 1915-1996.

Exhibit includes: Track coach Clyde Hart pictures and stopwatch; Michael Johnson pictures and items; baseball player Ted Lyons, who is the only SWC baseball player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; Steve Macko’s Chicago Cubs jersey; football coach Grant Teaff’s 1974 SWC coach of the year award and famous picture of him feeding the Baylor Bear; Dennis Gentry’s Chicago Bears jersey; Mike Singletary.

HOUSTON

The Cougars were members of the conference from 1971-1996.  4 team national championships.  

Exhibit includes: Carl Lewis’ All-American award and book; sprinter Leroy Burrell’s All-American award; Dave Williams, who was “Father of College Golf”; basketball coach Guy Lewis, who led the Phi Slama Jama teams; football coach Jack Pardee, who was the creator of the “run and shoot” offense; Heisman winner Andre Ware; basketball player Chuck Weathersoon’s jersey.

RICE

The Rice Owl is among the mascots on display in the school exhibits.

The Owls were members of the conference from 1915-1996.

Exhibit includes: Tennis star Kathryn Pearson Keating, who was the first woman inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame and is recognized as one the best female athletes of all time; track star Fred Wolcott and his uniform worn while breaking Jesse Owens’ 220-yard low hurdle record; baseball coach Wayne Graham’s uniform, glove and bats; original picture of Cameron Field; original piece of court from Rice’s basketball stadium Autry Court, which was built in 1950; football coach Jess Neely and his Stag Award plaque; an original picture of Waco’s Mike Tyler and Rodrigo Barnes, who became the first African-American players at Rice in 1968.

SOUTHERN METHODIST

The Mustangs were members of the conference from 1918-1996. 6 team national championships.

Exhibit includes: 1948 Heisman winner Doak Walker, who is considered one of the best college football players of all time; Jerry LeVias, who was the first African-American to receive scholarship from SMU; coach Hayden Fry and players Eric Dickerson and Raymond Berry; James Kress’ 1957 All-American plaque for basketball; tennis player Jennifer Santrock’s uniform and racquet.

TEXAS

The Longhorns were members of the conference from 1915-1996. 32 team national championships.

Exhibit includes: Original copy of 1941 Time magazine with Texas football team on cover; Bobby Layne “The Blonde Bomber” and his letterman jacket; 1986 women’s basketball national championship team picture; Travis Mays jersey; 1949, 1975, 1983 baseball national championship team pictures; 1920s baseball jersey; tennis coach Jeff Moore with 1993 and 1995 tennis team national championship pictures; golf coach Pat Weiss, who started the women’s golf team in 1964; golfers Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Justin Leonard; volleyball player Eva Murray and her All-American plaque; coach Mick Haley and collection of SWC championship rings and watches; 10 swimming national championships; Eddie Southern’s 1958 athlete of the year plaque, as well as his spikes; athletes Carlette Guidry, Dana Leduc and Eric Metcalf.

TEXAS A&M

Photos from Texas A&M’s successful track program line one section of the school’s exhibit in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

The Aggies were members of the conference from 1915-1996. 4 team national championships.

Exhibit includes: 1922 and 1939 football championship banners along with 1939 team picture; tennis player Lynn Staley and her racquet; basketball coach Shelby Metcalf, who holds SWC records for most seasons and games coached, wins and conference wins; the original 1923 SWC championship trophy; George Kadera and his collection of championship track medals; baseball coach Tom Chandler; players Wally Moon, Mark Thurmond and Chuck Knoblauch.

TEXAS CHRISTIAN

The Horned Frogs were members of the conference from 1923-1996. 3 team national championships.

Exhibit includes: Football great Davey O’Brien; K.T. Aldrich’s 1939 All-American Blanket; 1929 team picture; baseball team pictures from 1933 and 1963; TCU’s winningest baseball coach and All-SWC pitcher Lance Brown’s 1963 jersey; Jordan Reynolds’ track jersey, shoes and shot put; tennis coach Bernard “Tut” Bartzen and jacket; an original TCU basketball uniform; James Cash, who in 1965 was the first African-American to receive basketball scholarship to any SWC school.

TEXAS TECH

The Red Raiders were members of the conference from 1956-1996. 1 team national championship.

Exhibit includes: Coach Spike Dykes football memorabilia; David Parks, who was the first Red Raider to receive an All-American award; baseball coach Larry Hays; Ruben Garcia’s glove and cap from 1973; 1993 women’s basketball national championship picture, including Sheryl Swoopes; Robert Graham’s 1967 All-American swimming award and trunks.

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