Santos Laguna was founded in 1983 by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) of the state of Durango as Santos IMSS. Since the late 1970s, the IMSS had sponsored a national football tournament with teams from across the country. Jose Diaz Couder, IMSS head of social services in Gómez Palacio, was invited to participate in the tournaments despite the fact that he did not have a team.