Big South Conference
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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)
Full Members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Year Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, Alabama | 1856 | Private/Methodist | 1,388 | 2000 |
| Charleston Southern University | Charleston, South Carolina | 1964 | Private/Baptist | 3,000 | 1983 |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, South Carolina | 1954 | Public | 5,980 | 1983 |
| High Point University | High Point, North Carolina | 1924 | Private/Methodist | 2,899 | 1999 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia | 1971 | Private/Baptist | 8,732 | 1991 |
| Radford University | Radford, Virginia | 1910 | Public | 9,552 | 1983 |
| University of North Carolina at Asheville | Asheville, North Carolina | 1927 | Public | 3,398 | 1984 |
| Virginia Military Institute | Lexington, Virginia | 1839 | Public | 1,300 | 2003 |
| Winthrop University | Rock Hill, South Carolina | 1886 | Public | 6,447 | 1983 |
Associate Member
- Gardner-Webb University (2002) [associate member in football only]
Future Member
- Presbyterian College will join in the 07-08 academic year, and become eligible for conference and NCAA championships in 2011 [link]
- Gardner-Webb University, already a football member, will join in the 07-08 academic year for all other sports.
Departing Member
- Birmingham-Southern College announced plans in May, 2006 to transition to Division III and will leave the conference at a time still to be determined.
Logos
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.
Conference Champions
Men's Basketball
| Season | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Champion | Tournament Final Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Charleston Southern (5-1) | Charleston Southern | Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, Georgia | |
| 1987 | Charleston Southern (12-2) | Charleston Southern | Savannah Civic Center | |
| 1988 | Coastal Carolina (9-3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, South Carolina | |
| 1989 | Coastal Carolina (9-3) | UNC-Asheville | Winthrop Coliseum | |
| 1990 | Coastal Carolina (11-1) | Coastal Carolina | Winthrop Coliseum | |
| 1991 | Coastal Carolina (13-1) | Coastal Carolina | Civic Center of Anderson, Anderson, South Carolina | |
| 1992 | Radford (12-2) | Campbell | Civic Center of Anderson | |
| 1993 | Towson State (14-2) | Coastal Carolina | North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, South Carolina | |
| 1994 | Towson State (15-3) | Liberty | North Charleston Coliseum | |
| 1995 | UNC-Greensboro (14-2) | Charleston Southern | Vines Center, Lynchburg, Virginia | |
| 1996 | UNC-Greensboro (11-3) | UNC-Greensboro | Vines Center | |
| 1997 | UNC-Asheville (11-3) | Charleston Southern | Vines Center | |
| 1998 | UNC-Asheville (11-1) | Radford | Vines Center | |
| 1999 | Winthrop (9-1) | Winthrop | Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, North Carolina | |
| 2000 | Radford (12-2) | Winthrop | Asheville Civic Center | |
| 2001 | Radford (12-2) | Winthrop | Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, Virginia | |
| 2002 | Winthrop (10-4) | Winthrop | Roanoke Civic Center | |
| 2003 | Winthrop (11-3) | UNC-Asheville | Vines Center | |
| 2004 | Liberty (12-4) | Liberty | Vines Center | |
| 2005 | Winthrop (15-1) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum | |
| 2006 | Winthrop (13-3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum |
Football, with conference records in parentheses
| Season | Champion | Conference Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Gardner-Webb | 3-0 | |
| Virginia Military Institute | 2-0 | ||
| 2003 | Gardner-Webb | 4-0 | |
| 2004 | Coastal Carolina | 4-0 (10-1) | |
| 2005 | Charleston Southern | 3-1 (7-4) | |
| Coastal Carolina | 3-1 (9-2)
|
Conference facilities
| School | Football stadium | Stadium capacity | Basketball arena | Arena capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern | Non-Football School | N/A | Bill Battle Coliseum | 2,000 |
| Charleston Southern | Buccaneer Field | 4,000 | CSU Field House | 790 |
| Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium | 6,408 | Kimbel Arena | 1,039 |
| High Point | Non-Football School | N/A | Millis Center | 2,565 |
| Liberty | Williams Stadium | 12,000 | Vines Center | 9,000 |
| Radford | Non-Football School | N/A | Dedmon Center | 5,000 |
| UNC-Asheville | Non-Football School | N/A | Justice Center | 1,100 |
| VMI | Alumni Memorial Stadium | 10,000 | Cameron Hall | 5,800 |
| Winthrop | Non-Football School | N/A | Winthrop Coliseum | 6,100 |
External link
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