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78-639: Since its inception came in the 1990–91 school year, the Peach Belt has, across all sanctioned sports, produced 30 national champions and an additional 27 national finalists. Starting with only two championships in 1991, in men's and women's basketball, the conference has expanded to 18 championship sports with the addition of men's lacrosse in the summer of 2020 and men's and women's indoor track and field in 2023. The conference traces its roots November 1988 when 11 schools first met in Greenville, S.C. to form

156-615: A Division II conference. Following a second meeting on Dec. 3, 1989, five of those 11 schools, plus two others, formed the Peach Belt Athletic Conference and began play in the fall of 1990. The seven charter members of the conference were Armstrong Atlantic State University (later Armstrong State University), Columbus State University , Francis Marion University , Georgia College (now Georgia College & State University), Lander University , USC Aiken , and USC Upstate . The name Peach Belt Athletic Conference

234-525: A Student Council, led by the assistant director. Armstrong State University's consolidation with Georgia Southern spelled an end for Armstrong's athletics, being announced on March 7, 2017, that Armstrong's athletic program would be discontinued at the conclusion of the 2016–17 academic year. Armstrong's athletic teams were known as the Pirates. The university was a member at the Division II level of

312-613: A charter member of the Big South Conference in 1985. Soon after, in 1987, the Pirates returned to Division II, becoming a charter member of the Peach Belt Conference in 1990. Armstrong holds 96 PBC championships. In addition, the university has appeared in 139 NCAA Championships , winning 13 titles. Armstrong has produced 296 All-Americans. The Armstrong men's and women's tennis teams have combined to capture 10 NCAA Division II national championships over

390-531: A new era as Catawba, Elon, Lenoir–Rhyne and Wingate all withdrew to compete in the first year that the South Atlantic Conference provided championships in all sports, not just football. The Carolinas Conference then added Belmont Abbey in 1989, Coker College (now Coker University) in 1991, and Lees-McRae in 1993. Pembroke State left in 1992. The 1993–94 academic year brought a change to the conference national affiliation. The conference began

468-656: A policy of expansion for a period of time. Western Carolina became a member in 1933, East Carolina in 1947, Pfeiffer in 1960, Newberry in 1961, and Presbyterian in 1964, followed closely by Mars Hill. With the acceptance of the first member from South Carolina in Newberry College, a name change became necessary. Thus on May 20, 1961 the official name of the conference was changed to the Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ( CIAC ) but commonly known less formally as

546-616: A runner-up finish at the Men's Cross Country National Championships. In all, 46 Peach Belt teams made appearances in the NCAA postseason, including seven men's tennis teams and six each in the sports of men's golf and women's tennis. David Brunk was named the second PBC commissioner in May 2007, replacing Marvin Vanover, who was the first PBC commissioner from 1991 to 2007. Brunk is charged with continuing

624-505: A scholarship sport, and is also the first men's volleyball conference to consist solely of Division II members. No D-I all-sports conference sponsored the sport until the Big West Conference launched a men's volleyball league in the 2018 season (2017–18 school year). Conference Carolinas sponsors intercollegiate athletic competition in the following sports: In men's wrestling and women's triathlon, Conference Carolinas and

702-557: A strong emphasis on student research opportunities that prepare students for graduate programs. Areas of study in the College of Science and Technology includes: Biology, Chemistry & Physics, Computer Science & Information Technology, Biochemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, and Psychology. The Liberty Campus in Hinesville , which offers select academic programs to residents of Liberty County and surrounding areas, serves as

780-659: A transition from Division III to Division II, joining the SAC (although it did not start full SAC competition until 2022–23); and Mars Hill University became an associate member in acrobatics & tumbling. Emory & Henry and Lincoln Memorial became de facto CC affiliates as part of South Atlantic Conference Carolinas. Also for the 2021–22 season, CC announced a partnership with the Great Midwest Athletic Conference to conduct joint men's and women's bowling championship events (even though men's bowling

858-494: A wide variety of native plants scattered throughout the 268-acre (1,084,557.5 m ) arboretum-style grounds. Lane Library is the main academic and research library on the Armstrong campus. Lane Library's collection comprises more than 200,000 books and printed materials as well as 18,000 audiovisual works. The university recently invested $ 5 million in a renovation and expansion of the facility. The Science Center complex

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936-448: Is a two-building complex connected by an enclosed glass walkway. The Science Center is home to many of the College of Science and Technology programs, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Physical Science, and Psychology. It includes classroom and lecture space, faculty offices, and labs. The 126,056-square-foot (11,711.0 m ) facility opened in 2001 as the largest single increase in instructional space on campus since

1014-429: Is home to nearly 600 students. It features private and semi-private suites, music practice rooms, multipurpose classrooms, lounges/social areas, laundry facilities, courtyards with outdoor sitting space and barbecue areas, and two classrooms. Compass Point and University Crossings are apartment-style residence halls intended for upperclassmen and graduate students. On April 24, 2013, Armstrong completed renovations to

1092-594: Is home to the ROTC program and was the formerly home to the Armstrong Pirate volleyball team. The Alumni Arena is located adjacent to the Rec Center and includes an indoor running track, weight room, coaches offices, classroom space, and a 4,000-seat arena home to the men's and women's basketball teams. Since consolidation with Georgia Southern, the campus has not maintained a separate athletics program, with

1170-434: Is ineligible for a Peach Belt or NCAA postseason during the three-year transition. The conference currently holds championships in 16 sports, eight for men and eight for women. The championship sports are men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball, men's and women's track & field, and men's and women's golf. Men's lacrosse

1248-502: Is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Savannah and 25 miles (40 km) from Tybee Island . Armstrong offers undergraduate and graduate degrees; it has a total student enrollment of approximately 5,000 students. The Armstrong campus was founded as Armstrong Junior College in 1935 by Mayor Thomas Gamble . Gamble pursued the issue during the height of the Great Depression to benefit Savannah's youth and

1326-610: Is not considered a varsity sport by the NCAA). Each conference organizes its regular season independently, but the postseason is called Conference Carolinas/Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Bowling Championships. CC also announced Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum as new affiliate members for bowling. In December 2021, CC and the SAC jointly announced that they would extend their existing partnership to include two women's sports, triathlon and wrestling, with triathlon competition starting in 2022–23 and wrestling in 2023–24. At

1404-479: Is officially branded as "South Atlantic Conference Carolinas". After the completion of the 2018–19 athletic year, former Commissioner Alan Patterson retired and was replaced by Chris Colvin. One of the first moves made by Colvin was to move the league headquarters to Greenville, South Carolina to be more centrally located to all member institutions. The league now has 13 members, with the most recent changes taking place in 2021. Francis Marion University joined for

1482-459: Is one of three campuses of Georgia Southern University , a public university in the U.S. state of Georgia . Occupying a 268-acre (1.08 km ) area on the residential southside of Savannah, Georgia , the school became one of three campuses of Georgia Southern University in 2018. The university's flagship campus is in Statesboro , 50 miles (80 km) west of Savannah. The Armstrong campus

1560-544: Is the only remaining charter member followed in longevity by Mount Olive's joining in 1988. For the 2020–21 school year, CC added acrobatics and tumbling , newly added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in that same school year, as its newest sport. Initially, five full members and one associate were to start competition, but two more associates were added before competition began. The arrival of Francis Marion and return of UNC Pembroke were not

1638-433: Is the university's student-run award-winning publication, published every Thursday during the semester. The university also sponsors a number of recreational intramural and club sports, including dance , flag football , tennis , rugby , ultimate Frisbee , baseball , bowling , basketball, and billiards . The Calliope was Armstrong's student literature and art magazine. It received a First Place/Special Merit award from

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1716-410: The Big South Conference . The school later dropped athletics. Over the years the college expanded, adding new buildings and expanding academic programs. In 1993, the college began extensive landscaping work that transformed the campus into an arboretum . Armstrong State College gained state university status in 1996 and duly changed its name to Armstrong Atlantic State University. The following year

1794-978: The Carolinas Conference . East Carolina resigned in 1962 to join the Southern Conference and Appalachian and Western Carolina followed. Football sponsorship in the Carolinas Conference was dropped in 1973 when Lenoir–Rhyne, Newberry, Presbyterian, and Mars Hill joined the South Atlantic Conference . Pembroke State University, now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, became a first-time member in 1976 followed by Wingate College in 1979, and Lenoir–Rhyne re-joined in 1984. While Guilford College withdrew in 1988, St. Andrews and Mount Olive were added that same year. The 1989–90 academic year started

1872-611: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a charter member of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) from 1990–91 to their final season of competition in the 2016–17 academic year. Until 2016–17, Armstrong competed in twelve intercollegiate varsity sports, five men's and seven women's: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, and tennis; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Athletics at Armstrong began at

1950-412: The South Atlantic Conference have operated as a single league known as South Atlantic Conference Carolinas (SACC), holding joint conference tournaments in each sport. SACC will start sponsoring women's wrestling in 2023–24. SACC also operated in field hockey until the two conferences agreed that only the SAC would sponsor that sport starting in 2022–23. As noted previously, the men's wrestling championship

2028-686: The South Atlantic Conference , UNC Pembroke, affiliate of the Mountain East Conference , and Chowan, up until 2022 was an affiliate of the Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association . It was also announced that Chowan will begin affiliation with the Gulf South Conference for the 2023 and 2024 seasons and that Shorter will compete as a D-II football independent for the 2024 season, with Erskine switching affiliations from

2106-807: The University System of Georgia as a community college, and in 1964 the Board of Regents conferred four-year status on Armstrong State College. Donald Livingston and the Mills B. Lane Foundation provided the college with 250 acres of land on the southwest side of Savannah. Eight buildings were constructed on the property and the college moved from the Armstrong House downtown to the suburban location in January 1966. The school played NCAA Division I athletics briefly, from 1983 to 1987, as part of

2184-557: The " New Georgia Southern University". Consolidation, which took a full year to implement, was officially proclaimed by the Board of Regents on January 17, 2018. The Armstrong campus is located in a suburban setting near the Savannah Mall , with direct access to downtown Savannah via Abercorn Expressway . The landscaped campus includes subtropical ferns and flowers, southern magnolias , oak trees draped with Spanish moss , and

2262-625: The 1997 academic year High Point resigned to join the NCAA D-I ranks while in 1998 Limestone soon joined and were quickly followed by Anderson in 1999. In 2003, Longwood University left the conference to explore possibilities in NCAA Division I . Then in 2005 the CVAC added Converse College (becoming Converse University in July 2021) as an affiliate member before becoming a full member starting in

2340-552: The 2007–08 season. With the lone Virginia school in Longwood leaving, the league decided to go back to its roots and change its name to Conference Carolinas June 1, 2007. On June 1, 2011, King College and North Greenville University became official members of the conference and opened the conference to its first Tennessee member in King. In 2013–14, Emmanuel College (Georgia) and Southern Wesleyan University became official members of

2418-569: The 50th anniversary of the university's move to the Southside during the 2015–16 academic year. Presently, the campus is no longer an independent institution with a separate accreditation. On January 11, 2017, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, on recommendation by Chancellor Steve Wrigley, voted to consolidate Armstrong State with Georgia Southern University . The merger, without any student-faculty input from

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2496-743: The American Scholastic Press Association in 2010, but was retired following the consolidation. Celebrate Armstrong occurs in October and is planned by the University Programming Board (UPB). Celebrate Armstrong consists of different kinds of activities, entertainment, and competitions. The UPB also hosted the annual Big Show in the spring, a concert that has included performances from Gym Class Heroes , Maroon 5 , and Migos . The campus offers numerous volunteering opportunities to give back to

2574-634: The Armstrong Campus, which includes the Executive Vice President, the Chief of Staff, other vice-president positions with their own specialty (e.g. for financial or academic affairs), and officers. The Campus Executive Board consists of elected and appointed officers and serves as an advisory body for the campus's University administrators. The legislative branch consists of a Senate, led by a Speaker, who presides over meetings of

2652-469: The Armstrong faculty. Armstrong has nearly 300 faculty members and a student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1. The university offers study abroad and honors programs and opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research across a variety of disciplines. Armstrong's College of Education offers degree programs via two primary departments: Childhood & Exceptional Student Education and Adolescent & Adult Education. The programs prepare graduates for

2730-486: The College of Liberal Arts study the arts , humanities , and social sciences in classroom environments and through internships, performances, exhibitions, undergraduate research projects, and study abroad programs. Departments include Art, Music and Theatre, Criminal Justice, Social & Political Science, Economics, History, Languages, Literature & Philosophy, Interdisciplinary Programs, and Military Science/ROTC. The College of Science and Technology at Armstrong has

2808-646: The Division I ranks in 2005, USC Upstate did the same in 2007, and the conference welcomed in North Georgia College & State University in 2005 and Georgia Southwestern State University in 2006. In 2009–10, the University of Montevallo and Flagler College were added, returning a league presence to Florida and breaking new ground in Alabama. In 2012–13, the Peach Belt expanded to 14 members,

2886-747: The Memorial College Center, opening the Learning Commons. The 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m ) space was developed as an extension to the Lane Library. Features include PC and Mac computers, three multi-touch tables, and group study rooms. Armstrong features more than 100 academic programs and offers bachelor's degrees , master's degrees , and doctoral degrees through its College of Education, College of Health Professions, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology, and Graduate Studies programs. In addition,

2964-676: The National Championship Game. Unfortunately, their run came to an end with a loss to Western Washington University . The Columbus State men's tennis team reached the national semifinals while the Clayton State and Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis teams also played in the national semifinals. The North Georgia softball team made an unprecedented third straight appearance in the NCAA Women's College World Series, while Columbus State's Meshack Koyiaki registered

3042-510: The Peach Belt memberships of the older schools. The Peach Belt was less than a year old before capturing its first of many national championships. The Columbus State men's golf team took the honor by winning the 1992 national crown, the first of three golf championships the Cougars own. One year later, the Lander men's tennis team began their record-breaking run of eight straight national titles,

3120-460: The Pirates after the college became a four-year institution. In 1973, it joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and became a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) with in-state rivals Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University), Columbus College (now Columbus State University), and Augusta College (now Augusta University). In 1983, Armstrong State College upgraded athletics to NCAA Division I and became

3198-703: The SAC to the GSC that season only to take their place, in order to accommodate programs until league play can begin. On April 5th, 2024, Ferrum College was announced as the conference's 16th member, as well as its seventh football program for CC's inaugural football season. The CC currently has 15 full members; all but two are private schools. The CC currently has thirteen affiliate members, with all but three being private schools, and two being historically African-American institutions. A total of 19 schools are former CC members, with 15 of them being private schools. School names and nicknames reflect those in use during

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3276-715: The Senate, the Speaker also chairs the Senate Advisory Council, which consists of the Speaker and other officers of the Senate Leadership, such as the Deputy Speaker, Senate Whip, Parliamentarian, and the chairs for the Senate's various standing committees. The Liberty Campus is represented by the Armstrong Campus, and includes a semi-autonomous Governing Board, led by an elected Director, and

3354-468: The Senate. The Senate consists of Senators representing the colleges housed on the Armstrong Campus (currently, the Colleges of Education, Health Professions, and Public Health), as well as two additional "colleges": Graduate Studies and At-Large, to ensure that graduate students and students whose major is not housed on the Armstrong Campus, respectively, are still represented. In addition to presiding over

3432-532: The Student Union is the Memorial College Center. Commonly known as the MCC, it houses Student Affairs and Student Activities offices. Armstrong's athletic facilities are located in the southeast area of campus. The Student Recreation and Aquatic Center is a 38,000-square-foot (3,500 m ) athletic facility that includes a 5,200-square-foot (480 m ) fitness center, and two basketball courts. The facility

3510-596: The addition of Shorter University as its 15th member for 2024–25 school year. The addition of Shorter gave the Conference Carolinas its sixth football sponsoring institution, and accordingly that same day, it was also announced that the Conference Carolinas would begin sponsoring football in 2025. Sponsoring members would include Shorter and North Greenville, whose programs played in the Gulf South Conference , Barton and Erskine, affiliates of

3588-406: The allied health professions. It confers degrees ranging from associate's through master's and doctoral. Liberal arts have been the foundation of education at Armstrong since its founding. The College of Liberal Arts includes various departments and interdisciplinary programs that prepare graduates for careers in government , criminal justice , law , business , and entertainment . Students in

3666-512: The campus opened. A 61,000-square-foot (5,700 m ), $ 24 million Student Union opened in 2010. It is the university's first green building , built with rapidly renewable and recycled materials and featuring a high-efficiency chilled water cooling system. The Union houses a 300-seat food court (known as the Galley), 200-seat movie theatre , ballroom , bookstore , coffeehouse , convenience store , and expansive porches and lounges. Next to

3744-577: The campus was the Armstrong Student Association, founded by Armstrong Junior College's inaugural class in 1935. SGA's current system has existed since the summer of 2018, when the constitution for the post-consolidation Georgia Southern University took effect. In addition to the university-wide SGA President, the executive branch consists of an Executive Vice President, who chairs the Campus Executive Board for

3822-546: The community, as well as aid in stimulating the local economy. The college was originally located in the historic Armstrong House adjacent to Forsyth Park in downtown Savannah. The mansion was given to the city as a gift from the family of George F. Armstrong, a local businessman involved in the shipping industry. The college eventually grew to encompass six buildings in the Forsyth and Monterey Square areas of Savannah. In 1959, Armstrong College of Savannah became part of

3900-532: The conference and opened the conference to its first Georgia member in Emmanuel. Southern Wesleyan began official full NCAA D-II membership in 2016–17 while Emmanuel started in 2018–19. After 57 years as a league member Pfeiffer University moved down to the NCAA D-III ranks on June 1, 2017. Conference Carolinas and the South Atlantic Conference entered into a partnership in the 2018–19 school year by which

3978-631: The conference invited the NAIA 's University of South Carolina Beaufort to join in 2022–23 after applying for membership in Division II and gaining acceptance into the NCAA. By July 14, 2022, USCB was accepted into the NAIA's Continental Athletic Conference for its first year of provisional membership while still playing a Peach Belt schedule as part of the Sand Sharks' dual NAIA-NCAA membership. USCB

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4056-572: The education field as well as other positions in education administration . In 2010 the college received continued accreditation through 2017 under performance-oriented standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The College of Health Professionals is the largest academic college at Armstrong in terms of enrollment. The college offers a range of academic programs that prepare students for careers in nursing , public health , health administration , and

4134-404: The entire project having a low-end cost of $ 40 million to upgrade the campus's current athletic facilities, including infrastructure needs as mandated by division standards. More than 1,400 students live on campus within three residential communities located in the southwest portion of the campus. Windward Commons is Armstrong's suite-style freshmen residential community which opened in 2010 and

4212-467: The final year each institution was a member. The CC had one former affiliate member.  Full member   Associate member  When Barton became the sixth member to sponsor men's volleyball in 2011–12, Conference Carolinas became the fourth official scholarship-granting conference in NCAA men's volleyball. It also became the first all-sports conference (i.e., one that sponsors men's and women's basketball) ever to sponsor men's volleyball as

4290-484: The first PBC dynasty. Since then, USCA men's golf won three straight national titles from 2004 to 2006 while AASU women's tennis captured four titles overall. The 2010–11 season was one of the most memorable the league has ever had. Clayton State became the first PBC women's basketball team to capture a national championship. Montevallo watched their men's basketball team reach the Elite Eight, eventually competing in

4368-886: The first time, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke returned after an absence of nearly 30 years. They were the first public schools to join CC since Longwood's 2003 departure. The most recent departure from CC was that of Limestone College (now Limestone University), which moved to the SAC in 2020. Many institutions have been members of the league during its rich history including Anderson, Appalachian, Barton (formerly Atlantic Christian), Belmont Abbey, Catawba, Coker, Converse, East Carolina, Erskine, Emmanuel, Francis Marion, Guilford, Elon, High Point, King, Lees-McRae, Lenoir–Rhyne, Limestone, Longwood, Mars Hill, Mount Olive, Newberry, North Greenville, Pfeiffer, Presbyterian, Queens, St. Andrews, UNC Pembroke (both as Pembroke State and under its current name), Western Carolina and Wingate. Barton

4446-414: The future of these athletic facilities uncertain . Near the end of the 2017–2018 academic year, there were talks of renovating the campus's current athletic facilities to allow for the university's tennis and soccer teams to practice and play at the Armstrong Campus, in addition to creating new recreational and general purpose fields. Such a proposal, if approved, could take up to a decade to complete, with

4524-538: The last nine seasons. Conference Carolinas Conference Carolinas , formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference ( CVAC ) or the Carolinas Conference , is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Division II level. It is also considered as one of the seven Division I conferences for men's volleyball. Originally formed in 1930,

4602-401: The league reached its modern incarnation in 1994. Member institutions are located in the southeastern United States in the states of Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , and Tennessee . The Conference Carolinas membership currently consists of 15 small colleges or universities, 13 private and two public. Conference Carolinas dates to its inception on December 6, 1930. The conference

4680-492: The local community. The campus started the Initiative for Civic Engagement in 2009, making community service an active part of the curriculum. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and alumni turn out for joint outreach projects or the biannual Treasure Savannah Day of Service. The Student Government Association (SGA) for the Armstrong Campus consists of an executive and a legislative branch. The first student association on

4758-420: The most the league has ever had, with the addition of Young Harris College . On January 8, 2013, the University System of Georgia finalized the mergers of two conference members into new institutions. Augusta State was merged into Georgia Regents University, which was renamed in 2015 as Augusta University , and NGCSU was merged into the University of North Georgia . In both cases, the new institutions inherited

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4836-436: The only changes to the conference membership in 2021. Converse admitted men to its residential undergraduate program for the first time, and also added men's sports. Converse initially planned to field seven teams, but did not field the initially announced men's volleyball team. Also in 2021–22, current SAC member Lincoln Memorial University added men's wrestling; Emory & Henry College , which sponsors that sport, started

4914-439: The process of transferring membership to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after years as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member. During the transition, it was a dual member of the NCAA's Division II and the NAIA's Division I. The 1995–96 year brought dramatic change to the conference. First, full membership into NCAA Division II was acquired and NAIA affiliation dropped. Thus, this

4992-613: The same time, both conferences agreed that after the 2021–22 school year, the SAC would become the only one of the two conferences to sponsor field hockey. The joint men's wrestling league continued to operate through the 2022–23 season. Initial plans were for both conferences to establish their own men's wrestling leagues, but this changed in 2023, when the two conferences agreed that only CC would sponsor men's wrestling from 2023–24. On June 24, 2022, CC added Wingate as an acrobatics and tumbling affiliate starting with that program's first season in 2023–24. On January 26, 2023, CC announced

5070-744: The school offers a Doctorate of Physical Therapy . The campus is classified as a Master’s college and university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education . For the 2010–11 academic year, Armstrong was not ranked and deemed a Tier 2 university by U.S. News & World Report . The university has full accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . The university does not utilize graduate students to teach classes as all are taught by members of

5148-594: The start of the school's history in the 1930s with its teams known as the Geechees. The school won state championships as a junior college in 1938 in men's basketball and men's tennis. Athletics were suspended during World War II . Following the war, the college added new athletic programs, and in 1948 men's basketball won a second state championship. Armstrong joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 1967 and became known as

5226-443: The strong growth of the conference as its second era begins. Dr. Kendall Blanchard, president of Georgia Southwestern State University, began the second of his two-year term as the league president in July 2011. In April 2020, Francis Marion University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced that they would leave the Peach Belt Conference starting in 2021–22, both joining Conference Carolinas . On April 14, 2021,

5304-497: The third campus of Georgia Southern, which operates under the Armstrong Campus. The Liberty Campus provides special services to Fort Stewart military personnel and their families. A variety of programs are offered or supported, including associate’s degrees in arts and applied sciences, and bachelor's degrees in criminal justice, nursing, early childhood education, middle grades education, and liberal studies, with plans to develop consortium programs with Savannah State University in

5382-431: The two leagues would operate as a single conference in field hockey and wrestling, with championships immediately conducted in both sports. The leagues agreed that CC would coordinate the wrestling championship, while the SAC would fill the same role for field hockey. Accordingly, all CC field hockey programs became de facto affiliates of the SAC, while SAC wrestling programs became de facto CC affiliates. The CC–SAC alliance

5460-402: The two schools, was to take place as part of a long-term goal of the Board of Regents to consolidate smaller, regional colleges and universities with larger, more well-known institutions. Under the consolidation plan, Armstrong State would inherit Georgia Southern's name, leadership, academics, and athletics, and the merged institution would become the fourth-largest public university in the state:

5538-488: The university opened the Liberty Center in Hinesville . The university celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010, inaugurating Dr. Linda M. Bleicken as its seventh president. In 2014 the school officially changed its name to Armstrong State University, to help minimize confusion regarding the school's location, make the name easier to say, and create a stronger brand for the school. The name change became effective on July 1, 2014. Armstrong celebrated its 80th anniversary and

5616-670: The upcoming years. The Liberty Campus's current facilities opened in downtown Hinesville in January 2016. Armstrong offers many opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular programs, organizations, performances, forums, and athletics. The university has over 100 student organizations and an expanding Greek life system with nine fraternity and sorority organizations. The Student Government Association, Graduate Student Coordinating Council, and University Programming Board (formerly known as CUB , for C ampus U nion B oard, prior to consolidation) offer many opportunities for involvement, leadership, and entertainment. The Inkwell

5694-420: Was a public school, while four were private schools:  Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (sport)  Departing members/teams in pink. Departing members/teams in pink. Armstrong State University Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus , formerly Armstrong State University,

5772-553: Was added on July 10, 2020, with its first season was in spring 2021, and men's and women's indoor track and field was added on August 11, 2023. The PBC currently has 10 full members, with all but one being public schools. Reclassifying members listed in yellow. The PBC will have one new full member, also a public school. The PBC currently has six affiliate members, two being private schools and four being public. The PBC has eight former full members, all but one are public schools: The PBC has five former affiliate members, one

5850-429: Was adopted in January 1990 and modified to Peach Belt Conference in May 2000. Augusta State University joined the conference as the eighth member in 1991 and UNC Pembroke became the ninth member on July 1, 1992. They were followed by Kennesaw State University on July 1, 1994, Clayton State University on July 1, 1995 and the University of North Florida on July 1, 1997. Kennesaw State and North Florida departed for

5928-859: Was formed then as an athletic association "for the greater advantage of the small colleges in North Carolina". The official name given back then was the North State Intercollegiate Conference but known informally as the Old North State Conference . The birthplace was the Washington Duke Hotel in Durham, North Carolina , and the seven charter members were Appalachian, Atlantic Christian (now Barton College), Catawba, Guilford, Elon, High Point, and Lenoir–Rhyne. The conference followed

6006-404: Was operated by CC through 2022–23; initially, the SAC was to establish its own men's wrestling league, but the two conferences later agreed that only CC would sponsor that sport from 2023–24. In bowling, Conferences Carolinas and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference made a partnership to make a men's and women's bowling championship (even though men's bowling is not considered a varsity sport by

6084-573: Was the first official year of full competition and championship play for the conference in NCAA D-II status. Secondly, this was also the same year that Erskine, Longwood, and Queens were accepted as full members of the conference. With Longwood becoming the first Virginia member, another name change occurred and the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (known more universally as the 'CVAC') was born. Following

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