college athletic conference
In college athletics in the United States, institutions typically join in conferences for regular play under different governing bodies.
Varsity sports
There are several national and regional associations governing the varsity teams of colleges ...
affiliated with the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
(NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
History
The conference is the successor to the
Volunteer State Athletic Conference
The Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) was a college athletic conference which was predominantly for smaller colleges in the U.S. state of Tennessee. and later the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC) that operated during the 1980s and 1990s. The Appalachian Athletic Conference was formed in 2000 with the additions of members from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. In 2019 the conference added
Kentucky Christian University
Kentucky Christian University (KCU) is a private Christian university in Grayson, Kentucky. It was founded on December 1, 1919, as Christian Normal Institute, by J. W. Lusby and J. O. Snodgrass. As a "normal school" its programs included a hi ...
as a full member and
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France.
Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Unit ...
as an associate member in men's and women's lacrosse.
Bluefield College
Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus is about from the state line between Virginia and West Virgi ...
was a member of the AAC from 2000 until 2012 when it left to join the
Mid-South Conference
The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lou ...
. On March 3, 2014, Bluefield announced that it would return to the AAC in fall 2014.
Chronological timeline
* 2000 - In 2000, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) was founded from the remnants of the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC). Charter members included
Bryan College
Bryan College is a private Christian college in Dayton, Tennessee. It was founded in the aftermath of the 1925 Scopes Trial to establish an institution of higher education that would teach from a Christian worldview.
History
During the Sco ...
,
Brevard College
Brevard College is a private college in Brevard, North Carolina. The college grants the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.
History
Brevard College was named for Ephraim Brevard, a teacher and one of the local leaders that produc ...
Milligan College
Milligan University is a Private university, private Christianity, Christian university in Milligan College, Tennessee. Founded in 1866 as the Buffalo Male and Female Institute, and known as Milligan College from 1881 to May 2020, the school has ...
(now Milligan University),
Tennessee Wesleyan College
Tennessee Wesleyan University (TWU) is a private Methodist university in Athens, Tennessee. It was founded in 1857 and is affiliated with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. It maintains a branch campus in Knoxville, where i ...
(now Tennessee Wesleyan University),
Virginia Intermont College
Virginia Intermont College (VI) was a private college in Bristol, Virginia. Founded in 1884 to create additional education opportunities for women, the college had been coeducational since 1972. It experienced significant financial difficulties du ...
Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College is a private work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd (a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts) and June Buchanan (a native of New York City) in 1923, at first under t ...
,
Bluefield College
Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus is about from the state line between Virginia and West Virgi ...
(now Bluefield University), and
Montreat College
Montreat College (pronounced "mon-treet") is a private, Christian college in Montreat, North Carolina. Founded in 1916, Montreat College offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs for traditional and adult students. The college's m ...
, beginning the 2000-01 academic year
* 2002 -
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
joined the AAC in the 2002-03 academic year.
* 2005 - Alice Lloyd left the AAC to re-join the
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The River States Conference (RSC), formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC), is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Although it was historical ...
(KIAC; now the River States Conference) after the 2004–05 academic year.
* 2006 - Brevard left the AAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
South Atlantic Conference
The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...
, beginning in the 2008–09 academic year) after the 2005–06 academic year.
* 2009 - Covenant left the AAC and the NAIA to join the
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...
Great South Athletic Conference
The Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) was an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions were located nationwide, but was originally based in the southeastern United States.
History
The G ...
(GSAC), beginning the 2010–11 academic year) after the 2008–09 academic year.
* 2009 - King (Tenn.) left the AAC to become an NAIA Independent (to later join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent during the 2010–11 academic year; before join
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 Divisio ...
, beginning the 2011–12 academic year) after the 2008–09 academic year.
* 2009 -
Reinhardt College
Reinhardt University is a private university in Waleska, Georgia. The university has an off-campus center in Alpharetta and offers some programs in Cartersville, Marietta, and Canton, and online. Reinhardt is affiliated with the United Methodi ...
(now Reinhardt University) joined the AAC in the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2010 - UVa Wise left the AAC to join the
Mid-South Conference
The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lou ...
(MSC) after the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2011 - Columbia College and
Point University
Point University is a private evangelical Christian university in West Point, Georgia. It was founded in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College in East Point. The college announced its name change to Point University in 2011 and relocated its main ...
(formerly Atlanta Christian College) joined the AAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 - Bluefield left the AAC to join the Mid-South after the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 - St. Andrews University (formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College) and the Savannah College of Art and Design at Atlanta joined the AAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
* 2013 -
Truett McConnell University
Truett McConnell University is a private Baptist university in Cleveland, Georgia. It is operated under the auspices of the Georgia Baptist Convention and controlled by a board of trustees elected by the convention. The university was named to ...
joined the AAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 - Virginia Intermont left the AAC when the school announced its closure after the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 - Bluefield re-joined back to the AAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
* 2015 -
Asbury University
Asbury University is a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The school offers 50-plus majors across 17 departments. In the fal ...
and the
University of the Cumberlands
The University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university in Williamsburg, Kentucky. About 18,000 students are enrolled at the university.
History
University of the Cumberlands, first called Williamsburg Institute, was founded on Janu ...
joined the AAC as affiliate members for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
* 2016 -
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech, WVIT, WVU Beckley, or West Virginia Tech) is a public college in Beckley, West Virginia. It is a divisional campus of West Virginia University.
History
The college was founded in 1895 ...
(West Virginia Tech) joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2016 -
Allen University
Allen University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency. The cam ...
joined the AAC in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2017 - Brenau University joined the AAC in the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2017 -
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...
joined the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse, while West Virginia Tech added men's wrestling to its AAC affiliate membership, both effective in the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2018 - Cumberlands (Ky.) and Georgetown (Ky.) left the AAC as affiliate members for women's lacrosse to compete in their primary home conference in the Mid-South (where they began sponsoring that sport) after the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2018 -
Columbia International University
Columbia International University (CIU) is a private Christian university in Columbia, South Carolina.
Divisions
CIU has five colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Counseling, the College of Education, the College of Interc ...
joined the AAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
* 2019 - Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse as the school announced to discontinue the sport in mid-season after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
* 2019 -
Kentucky Christian University
Kentucky Christian University (KCU) is a private Christian university in Grayson, Kentucky. It was founded on December 1, 1919, as Christian Normal Institute, by J. W. Lusby and J. O. Snodgrass. As a "normal school" its programs included a hi ...
joined the AAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
* 2019 - Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
* 2020 - Allen left the AAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and to re-join the
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black co ...
(SIAC) after the 2019–20 academic year.
* 2020 -
Webber International University
Webber International University (Webber or WIU) is a private university in Babson Park, Florida.
History
Webber International was founded as Webber College by Roger Babson, an entrepreneur and business theorist in the first half of the 20th cent ...
joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year).
* 2021 - Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
* 2021 - The Tennessee campus of
Johnson University
Johnson University is a private Christian university with its main campus in Kimberlin Heights, Tennessee, and a second campus in Kissimmee, Florida. It is affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, a branch of the Restora ...
joined the AAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
* 2021 -
Keiser University
Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional branches are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provides ...
joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
* 2022 - Seven institutions will join the AAC as affiliate members:
Life University
Life University is a private university focused on training chiropractors and located in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It was established in 1974 by a chiropractor, Sid E. Williams.
History
The university was founded in 1974 by Williams as "Life C ...
for men's volleyball and men's wrestling;
Warner University
Warner University is a private Christian university in Lake Wales, Florida. It is affiliated with the Church of God.
History
Warner Southern College was founded in 1968 by the Southeastern Association of the Church of God in Anderson, Indi ...
Southeastern University
Southeastern University is a private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. It i ...
for men's wrestling, beginning the 2022–23 academic year. Point announced its departure from the conference in 2023–24 for the
Southern States Athletic Conference
The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The 11 member universities that compete in 19 sports are located in Louisiana, Mississi ...
(SSAC).
* 2022 - The AAC will begin sponsor football, with core members Bluefield, Kentucky Christian, Point, Reinhardt, St. Andrews, and Union (Ky.) in the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
Member schools
Current members
The AAC currently has 16 full members, all are
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools. It is the largest conference in the NAIA:
;Notes:
Affiliate members
The AAC currently has ten affiliate members, all but one are
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Former members
The AAC had seven former full members, all but one were
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The AAC had two former affiliate members, both were
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Membership timeline
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ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:2000 till:2028
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5
Colors =
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
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width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2005 text: Alice Lloyd (2000–2005)
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:end text: River States
bar:2 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2012 text: Bluefield (2000–2012)
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2014 text:
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to:
* Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri
* East South Central States, a region of the United States
* Memphis metropolitan area, Tennessee, U ...
South Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2017 till:end text: USA South
bar:5 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2009 text:
Covenant
Covenant may refer to:
Religion
* Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general
** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible
** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
(2000–2009)
bar:5 shift:(-20) color:OtherC1 from:2009 till:2010 text: D-III Ind.
bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2010 till:2012 text: Great South
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2013 text: D-III Ind.
bar:5 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2022 text: USA South
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text: C.C. of the South
bar:6 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2009 text: King (Tenn.) (2000–2009)
bar:6 shift:(-20) color:OtherC1 from:2009 till:2010 text: NAIA Ind.
bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2010 till:2011 text: D-II Ind.
bar:6 shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text:
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to:
* Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri
* East South Central States, a region of the United States
* Memphis metropolitan area, Tennessee, U ...
South Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
Point
Point or points may refer to:
Places
* Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States
* Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
* Point ...
Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to:
Buildings
* Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
* Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas
* Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Unive ...
West Virginia Tech
West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech, WVIT, WVU Beckley, or West Virginia Tech) is a public college in Beckley, West Virginia. It is a divisional campus of West Virginia University.
History
The college was founded in 189 ...
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
Warner
Warner can refer to:
People
* Warner (writer)
* Warner (given name)
* Warner (surname)
Fictional characters
* Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs''
* Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...
(m. volleyball, 2022–present)
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text:^"Appalachian Athletic Conference membership history"
#> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
<#
Conference sports
The Appalachian Athletic Conference currently fields 24 sports (13 men's and 11 women's):