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The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with member institutions in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The conference has held a men's basketball tournament every year since 1986, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Big South Conference has seen several schools join and leave over the years, with the most recent change being the addition of three new single-sport members in women's lacrosse for the 2022 season. With so much fluctuation, it's hard to say who the winner of the Big South Conference basketball tournament is year-to-year, but as of 2021, the tournament has been held at a single site with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1983 |
| Participating institutions | Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia |
| Members | Presbyterian College, Gardner-Webb, Campbell, Longwood University, Furman University, Mercer University, Wofford College |
| Former members | Armstrong State, Augusta, Coastal Carolina, VMI, North Carolina A&T State University |
| Football partnership | ASUN Conference |
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What You'll Learn
- The Big South Conference is affiliated with the NCAA's Division I
- The conference began sponsoring football in 2002
- The conference has member institutions in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia
- The Big South Conference has held a tournament every year since 1986
- Presbyterian College joined the conference in 2007
The Big South Conference is affiliated with the NCAA's Division I
The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. It was founded in 1983 and is primarily located in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Associate members are located in Georgia and South Carolina.
The Big South Conference initially did not include football but began sponsoring the sport in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). In 2023, the Big South and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) combined their football membership to create the OVC-Big South Football Association. This partnership provides a guaranteed football home for the leagues' non-scholarship football programs if they upgrade to scholarship status.
The Big South Conference has had several member institutions over the years, with some joining for all sports and others for specific sports like football or lacrosse. For example, Presbyterian College joined in 2007 and became eligible for regular-season championships during the 2008-09 athletic year. Longwood University transitioned to Division I and became a member of the Big South Conference in 2012. In 2014, the conference returned to a single-division structure after the departure of VMI.
The Big South Conference has also had member institutions leave to join other conferences. For instance, Coastal Carolina left the Big South in 2016 to transition to FBS-level football in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2018, the University of North Alabama left the Division II Gulf South Conference to join the Big South Conference for football while participating in non-football sports with the ASUN Conference. These changes in membership and structure demonstrate the dynamic nature of collegiate athletic conferences and their affiliations.
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The conference began sponsoring football in 2002
The Big South Conference, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, began sponsoring football in 2002. It was originally a non-football conference when it was founded in 1983. The football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
In 2002, Charleston Southern University, Gardner-Webb University, and Liberty University began fielding teams. The following year, in 2003, Coastal Carolina University and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) joined the conference as football-playing members. VMI also joined the conference for all sports. Gardner-Webb, which had been a football-only member since 2002, joined the conference for all sports on July 1, 2008.
The Big South Conference has undergone several changes in membership over the years. For example, Presbyterian College joined in 2007, and Longwood University accepted an invitation to join in 2012. Additionally, in 2016, the Big South and the ASUN Conference announced a football partnership, combining the two conferences in the sport. This partnership provides a guaranteed football home for non-scholarship football programs.
The conference has also seen some departures, such as Stony Brook leaving the Big South after the 2012 season and Coastal Carolina's departure in 2016. Despite these changes, the Big South Conference continues to be a competitive presence in collegiate athletics, with member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
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The conference has member institutions in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia
The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. It was founded in 1983 and is rooted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama.
The conference has a rich history of expansion and has welcomed several new members over the years. For example, in 2007, Presbyterian College joined the conference, and in 2008, Gardner-Webb expanded its football-only membership to include all sports. In 2011, Campbell rejoined the Big South for all sports except football, and in 2012, Longwood University became a member.
In recent years, the Big South Conference has continued to grow and diversify its membership. In 2021, North Carolina A&T State University joined as a full member, including football, while Robert Morris University became a football-only member in 2020. Additionally, the conference added three new single-sport members in women's lacrosse for the 2022 season: Furman University, Mercer University, and Wofford College. All three institutions are full members of the Southern Conference, which disbanded its women's lacrosse league after the 2021 season.
The Big South Conference has also formed partnerships with other conferences, such as the ASUN Conference in 2016, which combined the two conferences in the sport of football. This partnership has provided a guaranteed home for non-scholarship football programs, and in 2018, the University of North Alabama joined the Big South for football while competing in non-football sports in the ASUN Conference.
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The Big South Conference has held a tournament every year since 1986
The Big South Conference, a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, has held a men's basketball tournament every year since 1986. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. From 2003 to 2012, the tournament was mostly held at campus sites, with the exception of the 2003 semifinals and finals, which took place at a predetermined site. During this period, the format varied, with either the final or both the semifinals and final being hosted by the regular-season title winner.
In 2012, the regular-season champion hosted the quarterfinals as well. Starting in 2013, the tournament returned to being held at a single site, specifically the Coastal Carolina's new HTC Center. The tournament remained at this venue until Coastal Carolina's departure for the Sun Belt Conference in 2016.
The Big South Conference was founded in 1983 and is primarily located in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with member institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama. Over the years, the conference has undergone changes in membership, with schools joining for all sports or specific sports. For example, Presbyterian College joined in 2007, becoming eligible for regular-season championships in the 2008-09 athletic year, while Campbell rejoined the conference for all sports except football in the 2011-12 athletic year.
In recent years, the Big South has continued to expand and form partnerships with other conferences. In 2022, the conference added three new single-sport members in women's lacrosse, and in 2016, it announced a football partnership with the ASUN Conference, combining the two conferences for that sport.
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Presbyterian College joined the conference in 2007
The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. It was founded in 1983 and is rooted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The conference began sponsoring football in 2002 and has since undergone several changes in membership.
In 2007, Presbyterian College, a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, joined the Big South Conference. The college was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, who served as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. Originally called Clinton College, the school's name was changed to Presbyterian College to reflect its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). During his tenure, Jacobs aimed to educate young people for lives of service to both church and society.
As a member of the Big South Conference, Presbyterian College moved up from Division II and became eligible for regular-season championships and conference honours during the 2008-2009 athletic year. The college fields seventeen varsity teams in eleven sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, softball, and baseball. The teams are known as the Blue Hose, with their colours being royal blue and garnet.
Presbyterian College's football team, the Blue Hose, competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). While the college is a full member of the Big South Conference, its football team plays in the Pioneer Football League, a Division I FCS football-only conference. The Blue Hose played their last Big South football season in 2019 and transitioned to independent play before joining the Pioneer League in 2021.
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