Athletics History 1 of 2

E2 | Sunday, April 12, 2020 | lmtonline.com | Laredo Morning Times 50th Anniversary By Zach Davis Laredo Morning Times A s Texas A&M International cel- ebrates its 50th anniversary, its athletics program has seen plenty of ups and downs since its first team took the field nearly two decades ago. In its 19 years, TAMIU’s 11 programs have played in a com- bined three conferences, won 15 league championships, had 10 All- Americans and secured four NCAA team tournament appearances along with two more of the individual va- riety. TAMIU’s first programs began in 2002 with cross country, volley- ball and men’s and women’s soccer starting off play in the Red River Athletic Conference out of the NAIA before men’s and women’s basketball kicked things off a year later in 2013-14. The school made the jump to the NCAA at the Divi- sion II level in 2006, and the next two seasons play began with base- ball and softball starting as well as golf. Their DII teams played in the Heartland Conference up until join- ing the Lone Star Conference for the 2019-20 campaign, which saw its spring sports’ seasons canceled mid-season due to the nationwide coronavirus pandemic. The school’s coaching staff is a mix of veterans and newcom- TAMIU’s 50th anniversary History of TAMIU athletics (Part 1 of 2) Courtesy of Andrea Arias The TAMIU men’s soccer team has a school-best .573 win percentage in its 18-year history.