Big South Conference - Definition and Overview

The Big South Conference is a College Athletic Conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I-AA in football and Division I in all other sports; it was founded in 1983. The conference is firmly rooted in the southeastern United States, with member institutions located in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Charter members included Armstrong State (now Armstrong Atlantic State), Augusta (now Augusta State), Campbell, Charleston Baptist (now Charleston Southern), Coastal Carolina University, Radford, and Winthrop.

Former members include Armstrong State (1983-1987), Augusta (1983-1990), Campbell (1983-1994), Elon (1999-2003), Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) (1992-1998), North Carolina-Greensboro (1992-1997), and Towson State (now Towson University) (1992-1995). Departing members have joined the Atlantic Sun Conference (Campbell), Atlantic Ten Conference (Towson football), Colonial Athletic Association (Towson for other sports), Northeast Conference (UMBC), Peach Belt Conference (Armstrong State and Augusta), and Southern Conference (Davidson, UNC-Greensboro, Elon).

The Big South Conference began sponsoring football in 2002, with Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, and Liberty fielding teams; Coastal Carolina University and Virginia Military Institute joined the conference as football-playing members in 2003.

Current members (and date joined)

(^ indicates school that competes in football)

• Birmingham-Southern College (2000)
• Charleston Southern University (2002)^
• Coastal Carolina University (2003)^
• Gardner-Webb University (2002) [associate member in football only]^
• High Point University (1999)
• Liberty University (1991)^
• Radford University (1983)
• University of North Carolina at Asheville [=UNC-Asheville] (1984)
• Virginia Military Institute (2003) [=VMI]^
• Winthrop College (1983)

Sports

The Big South Conference sponsors intercollegiate competition in men’s baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men's and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.

External link

• Online home of the Big South Conference (http://bigsouthsports.com/)