The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) is divided into three divisions based on scholarship allocation. Each division is made up of several conferences for regional league competition. Unless otherwise noted, changes in conference affiliation will occur on July 1 of the given year.
51-722: The Coastal Athletic Association ( CAA ), formerly the ECAC South Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association , is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA 's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states, from Massachusetts to South Carolina . Most of its members are public universities , and the conference is headquartered in Richmond . The CAA
102-612: A cooperative agreement with the ASUN Conference , the SoCon began sponsoring men's lacrosse in the 2014–15 school year (2015 season) with three full members (Furman, Mercer, VMI) and four associates (Bellarmine, High Point, Jacksonville, Richmond). SoCon men's lacrosse has since added Air Force. Women's lacrosse was sponsored by the ASUN through the 2017 season, after which the SoCon launched its own women's lacrosse league. Beginning in
153-625: A lower-division opponent in the Florida program's history. In 2015, Furman defeated UCF 16–15 and The Citadel topped South Carolina 23–22 for their second win over the Gamecocks in the past three meetings. On September 4, 2021, East Tennessee State University stunned Vanderbilt 23–3 in their opening game. The SoCon also frequently sees multiple teams selected to participate in the NCAA Division I baseball championship . The SoCon
204-501: A member of CAA Football, joined in other sports at that time; Hampton and Monmouth joined both the all-sports CAA and CAA Football; and NC A&T joined the all-sports CAA in 2022 and joined CAA Football in 2023. This was followed by Campbell University joining both sides of the league in 2023. The conference renamed itself the Coastal Athletic Conference in 2023. The CAA has expanded in recent years, following
255-538: A member of CAA Football, was named as a candidate for membership in the all-sports CAA. On January 18, local media in Monmouth's home of New Jersey reported that a CAA invitation to that school was imminent. The CAA later announced on January 25 that Hampton, Monmouth, and Stony Brook would become members of the all-sports CAA that July, with Hampton and Monmouth joining Stony Brook in CAA Football. On February 22,
306-498: A second such sport in 2025. Unlike the other two divisions, Division III institutions cannot offer athletic scholarships. Among the other NCAA Division III requirements, schools have sports sponsorship requirements set by the NCAA. All institutions, regardless of enrollment, must sponsor at least three team sports for each sex/gender, and each playing season represented by each sex/gender. A sports sponsorship rule unique to Division III
357-485: Is a partial list of the last 10 regular-season and tournament champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference men's basketball champions . This is a partial list of the last 10 tournament champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference women's basketball tournament This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference baseball tournament . The Commissioner's and Germann Cups are awarded each year to
408-592: Is that the total number of sports that must be sponsored differs by a school's full-time undergraduate enrollment. Schools with an enrollment of 1,000 or fewer must sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women; those with larger enrollments must sponsor six men's and six women's sports. As in the other divisions, teams that include both men and women are treated as men's sports for the purpose of these regulations. Conferences that sponsor football highlighted in yellow. These all-sports conferences sponsor sports which do not have D-III championships. In addition to
459-452: The ASUN Conference , announced a new alliance in lacrosse that took effect with the 2015 spring season (2014–15 school year). Under its terms, sponsorship of men's lacrosse shifted from the ASUN to the SoCon, while women's lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN. Bellarmine, which had announced it would join the ASUN for men's lacrosse for the 2015 spring season, instead joined the SoCon. The alliance remains in effect in men's lacrosse, but
510-565: The Atlantic 10 Conference , announced on May 23, 2022, led to the demise of the SoCon men's lacrosse league after the 2022 season. In addition to Hampton joining the CAA, SoCon associate members High Point and Richmond (the latter a full A-10 member) moved to the A-10, and Jacksonville returned to ASUN men's lacrosse. In the table below, the "Joined" column denotes the start of the school year in which
561-666: The Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta from February 24 to March 2, 1922, the first meeting was won by North Carolina who defeated non-member Mercer in the Finals 40–25. The SoCon Basketball Tournament continues as the nation's oldest conference tournament. The next-oldest tournament overall is the SEC men's basketball tournament , founded in 1933, but that event was suspended after its 1952 edition and did not resume until 1979. With
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#1732793148641612-693: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama , Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , and Virginia . Established in 1921, the Southern Conference ranks as the fifth-oldest major college athletic conference in
663-530: The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference charter members were Alabama , Auburn , Clemson , Georgia , Georgia Tech , Kentucky , Maryland , Mississippi State , North Carolina , North Carolina State , Tennessee , Virginia , Virginia Tech , and Washington & Lee . In 1922, six more universities— Florida , LSU , Mississippi , South Carolina , Tulane , and Vanderbilt joined
714-577: The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines 34–32 on September 1, 2007. The Davidson Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by upsetting power programs Gonzaga , Georgetown , and Wisconsin . More recently, the six-time Division I NCAA football champion Georgia Southern Eagles stunned Southeastern Conference power-house Florida Gators 26–20 in The Swamp on November 23, 2013—the first loss to
765-567: The 2016–17 academic year, after a 30-year hiatus, the SoCon resumed rifle as its 21st sport. Members for conference competition are full members The Citadel, VMI, and Wofford as well as associate members UAB, Georgia Southern, and North Georgia. The SoCon is one of only two all-sports conferences to sponsor rifle, joining the Ohio Valley Conference. Rifle is technically a men's sport for NCAA purposes, but men's, women's, and co-ed teams all compete against each other. Women's lacrosse
816-557: The ASUN Conference. The men's lacrosse partnership took a slightly different form from the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) forward, as the ASUN reinstated its men's lacrosse league. The two full ASUN members with men's lacrosse programs separated, with Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men's lacrosse while Bellarmine joined the ASUN men's lacrosse league. SoCon associate Air Force also left for ASUN men's lacrosse. The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth with
867-713: The CAA Former member of the CAA Note: The conference was known as the ECAC South from 1983 to 1985. List of CAA regular season champions. Note: In the 2020–21 season, impacted by COVID-10, the CAA split into North and South Divisions, with conference play solely within each division, for that season only. No champion is included for this season. Departing member indicated in pink. List of NCAA conferences Under NCAA regulations, all Division I conferences defined as "multisport conferences" must meet
918-570: The CAA announced that North Carolina A&T State University would join the all-sports CAA that July and CAA Football in 2023. Still later, Campbell University was announced as a new member of both sides of the league effective in 2023. On July 20, 2023, the Colonial Athletic Association rebranded as the Coastal Athletic Association, citing the expansion of the conference footprint throughout
969-424: The CAA through the separate entity of CAA Football. In addition to the above, Charleston counts its female cheerleaders (though not its male cheerleaders) and all-female dance team as varsity teams. Neither cheerleading nor dance team competitions are sponsored by the NCAA. RS = regular-season champion; T = tournament champion Note: The conference was known as the ECAC South from 1979 to 1985. Former member of
1020-735: The CAA, transition its football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision , and join the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). Initially, JMU was to join the SBC in July 2023. However, the timeline changed when the CAA chose to ban JMU from subsequent championship events, citing a conference bylaw that allows it to impose such a ban on a departing member. Thus, JMU officially joined the Sun Belt in July 2022 instead (at which time it
1071-599: The First Four round. On March 25, 2013, George Mason University left the CAA to join the Atlantic 10 Conference. Shortly after, the CAA ceased sponsorship of wrestling due to the lack of teams. The 2015–16 basketball season saw the conference RPI reach its highest rating when it finished the season ranked 9th in the nation. During another phase of realignment that started in 2021, the CAA was affected when longtime member James Madison University announced it would leave
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#17327931486411122-717: The James Madison University Dukes who won the 2018 Division I Women's Lacrosse championship), 33 individual national champions, 11 national coaches of the year, 11 national players of the year and 12 Honda Award winners. In 2006, George Mason became the first CAA team to reach the Final Four . In 2011, the VCU Rams became the second CAA team to reach the Final Four, as well as the first team to win five games en route, due to their participation in
1173-631: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the two remaining men's lacrosse members, Jacksonville and Mercer, moved that sport to the ASUN. Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools: Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools: This is a list of recent champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference football champions . † Automatic bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship This
1224-640: The NCAA sponsors separate championships for men and women are officially treated by the NCAA as two separate sports. Among the NCAA regulations, Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each sex, and each playing season represented by each sex. Teams that consist of both men and women are counted as men's teams for sports sponsorship purposes. Conferences that sponsor football are highlighted in yellow. These all-sports conferences sponsor sports which do not have D-II championships. One of these conferences will add
1275-588: The SEC and ACC are considered "power" conferences in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A), the SoCon dropped to Division I-AA (FCS) in 1982, four years after the top division was split into two levels in 1978. The SoCon became the first league to hold a post-season basketball tournament to decide a conference champion. Although first played in 1921, it did not become "official" until 1922, and in its first few years included teams which were not conference members. Held at
1326-627: The SoCon added the sport for the 2016–17 school year. In the table below, the "Joined" and "Left" columns denotes the calendar year in which each school joined and left the SoCon. For fall sports, the year of departure differs from the final year of competition. For spring sports, the year of arrival differs from the first season of competition. Full members Full members (except football) Other Conference Other Conference The Southern Conference sponsors championship competition in 11 men's, 9 women's, and one co-educational NCAA-sanctioned sports. Five schools are associate members for wrestling. Under
1377-614: The South (Sewanee), Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) all departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 1953, seven additional schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The SEC and ACC have gone on to surpass their parent conference in prestige; while
1428-576: The United States, and either the third or fourth oldest in continuous operation, depending on definitions. The Southern Conference is considered one of the stronger football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision and is considered a mid-major conference in basketball. The three-time Division I NCAA Football champion Appalachian State Mountaineers were a member of the conference when they stunned
1479-459: The above limits, as long as that sport competes in another Division I conference. The men's and women's sports so counted need not be the same sport. In addition to competing in football, multisport conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision must still meet the general NCAA Division I requirements regarding the minimum number of men's and women's sports ( see above ). Multisport conferences that do not compete in football must still meet
1530-476: The above, two single-sport conferences that currently participate in NCAA National Collegiate sports (those whose championship events are open to members of more than one NCAA division) and previously operated both men's and women's divisions now operate as women-only leagues. Southern Conference The Southern Conference ( SoCon ) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with
1581-515: The addition of Hampton . Before the addition of Hampton men's lacrosse, the most recent addition to the associate membership was Presbyterian wrestling, which joined during summer 2019. Two women's lacrosse members, Central Michigan and Detroit Mercy , left after the 2020 season (2019–20 school year) to join the new women's lacrosse league of Central's full-time home of the Mid-American Conference ; this move contributed to
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1632-420: The arrival of East Tennessee State (ETSU), Mercer, and VMI. The current football membership stands at nine. UNC Greensboro does not sponsor football, while ETSU relaunched its previously dormant football program in 2015 and rejoined SoCon football in 2016 after one season as an independent . The 10 members of the Southern Conference are: On January 9, 2014, the SoCon and Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as
1683-568: The conference footprint. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) left for the Atlantic 10 Conference in July 2012. More changes came in 2013: Old Dominion University left for Conference USA , Georgia State joined the Sun Belt Conference , and the College of Charleston joined the CAA from the Southern Conference . On the playing field, the CAA has produced 16 national team champions in six different sports (the most recent being
1734-629: The conference the NCAA minimum of six football programs needed to sponsor football . For the 2007 football season, all of the Atlantic 10 Conference 's football programs joined the CAA football conference, as agreed in May 2005. The football league operates under CAA administration as the legally separate entity of CAA Football . The most recent changes to the conference membership took place in 2022 and 2023. First, Hampton University , Monmouth University , North Carolina A&T State University , and Stony Brook University joined in 2022. Stony Brook, already
1785-560: The conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, effective January 1. The new rules banned freshman play. Later additions included Sewanee (1924), Virginia Military Institute (1924), and Duke (1929). The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, the 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, University of
1836-597: The demise of the Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013, whose tournament had been continuously held since 1936, the next-oldest conference tournament in continuous existence is now the ACC men's basketball tournament , first held in 1954. The all-sports membership changed to 10 schools in 2014 following the departure of Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, and Georgia Southern, plus
1887-420: The east coast for the change in name; however, the current logo was unchanged. On November 28, 2023, Delaware announced its departure from the CAA and transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) joining Conference USA on July 1, 2025. In all tables below, dates of joining and departure reflect the calendar years these moves took effect. For spring sports, the year of arrival is the calendar year before
1938-567: The eventual demise of the SoCon women's lacrosse league. Men's soccer member Belmont left the SoCon after the 2021–22 school year when it joined the Missouri Valley Conference , which sponsors that sport. At the same time, Hampton moved men's lacrosse to its new full-time home of the Colonial Athletic Association, now known as the Coastal Athletic Association . The addition of men's lacrosse by
1989-595: The exits of longtime members such as the United States Naval Academy , the University of Richmond , East Carolina University , and American University . In 2001, the six-member conference added four additional universities: Towson University , Drexel University , Hofstra University , and the University of Delaware . Four years later the league expanded again when Georgia State University and Northeastern University joined, further enlarging
2040-434: The first season of competition. For fall sports, the year of departure is the calendar year after the final season of competition. Full members (non-football) Other Conference Other Conference The CAA sponsors championship competitions in ten men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Eleven schools are associate members in three sports. This does not include football, administered by
2091-781: The following criteria: Schools in all divisions that sponsor athletic programs for only one sex/gender need only meet the sports sponsorship requirements for that sex/gender. Conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision must meet a more stringent set of NCAA requirements than other conferences. Among these additional NCAA regulations, institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision must be "multisport conferences" and participate in conference play in at least six men's and eight women's sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, and at least two other women's team sports. Each school may count one men's and one women's sport not sponsored by its primary conference toward
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2142-429: The general NCAA Division I requirements regarding the minimum number of men's and women's sports ( see above ). Division I ice hockey has a different conference structure than the above multisport conferences. These schools have memberships in other conferences for other sports. This list includes conferences in sports that the NCAA does not fully split into divisions, such as men's volleyball and rifle. Sports in which
2193-443: The institution became an associate member, which for spring sports differs from the first season of competition. Most former members are currently members of either the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference . Two of the former full members, Appalachian State and Davidson, maintain SoCon associate membership in wrestling . A third former full member, Georgia Southern, became an associate member in rifle when
2244-453: The leagues amicably ended their full alliance in women's lacrosse once the SoCon began sponsoring that sport in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 school year). However, the conferences maintained their working relationship in women's lacrosse, with the SoCon adding Coastal Carolina as an associate member effective with the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year) in order to keep both conferences at five women's lacrosse members for 2021. Coastal
2295-511: The regular season and take part in the ECAC's South Region tournament for independents, but it began conference play in basketball in the 1981–1982 season . It was renamed the Colonial Athletic Association in 1985 when it added championships in other sports (although a number of members maintain ECAC affiliation in some sports). As of 2006, it organizes championships in 21 men's and women's sports. The addition of Northeastern University in 2005 gave
2346-465: The schools named as possible candidates were Fairfield University , Howard University , Monmouth University , and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro . In January 2022, reports emerged that Hampton University , a historically black institution that had been working toward a CAA move since at least 1995, would likely join the CAA that July. Monmouth was again named as a potential CAA expansion candidate. Also, Stony Brook University , already
2397-607: Was added as the 22nd sport for 2017–18, but was dropped after the 2020–21 school year. The SoCon dropped men's lacrosse after the 2022 season. Affiliate member Hampton joined the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors that sport, and the Atlantic 10 Conference, full-time home to men's lacrosse affiliate Richmond, launched a men's lacrosse league in the 2023 season, also taking in another SoCon affiliate in High Point. With SoCon men's lacrosse being gutted by these changes, VMI moved that sport to its former men's lacrosse home of
2448-495: Was counted as an FBS member for scheduling purposes after meeting an NCAA minimum requirement of five FBS opponents at home), housing all of its sports in that league, including men's soccer, which would be sponsored by the SBC again, but one season earlier. Shortly before JMU announced its departure, it was reported that the CAA sought to expand by several schools, allowing it to split into a divisional format for most of its sports in order to reduce travel costs for its members. Among
2499-814: Was historically a Southern conference until the addition of four schools in the Northeastern United States (of five that joined from rival conference America East ) after the turn of the 21st century, which added geographic balance to the conference. The CAA was founded in 1979 as the ECAC South Conference, made up of independent schools which played basketball in the Eastern College Athletic Conference 's South Region Division I men's basketball tournament . During its first two seasons, its members continued to play basketball as independents during
2550-607: Was intended to play in SoCon women's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) as well, but the SoCon decided to drop the sport after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year). While no formal announcement was made, the SoCon–ASUN women's lacrosse partnership definitively ended at that time, as the three full SoCon members who sponsored women's lacrosse moved that sport to the Big South Conference . Coastal and Delaware State both returned women's lacrosse to
2601-590: Was the first conference to use the three-point field goal in basketball in a November 29, 1980, game at Western Carolina against Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where Ronnie Carr shot the historic shot from 22 feet (6.7 m) away and the Catamounts won 77–70. Talks of a new conference for Southern athletics had started as early as fall of 1920. The conference was formed on February 25, 1921, in Atlanta as fourteen member institutions split from
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