The USC Beaufort Sand Sharks (also USCB Sand Sharks or South Carolina–Beaufort Sand Sharks) are the athletic teams that represent the

University of South Carolina Beaufort The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB or USC Beaufort) is a public university with three campuses located in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and enrolls about 1,900 student ...

, located in

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

ranks, primarily competing in the

Peach Belt Conference The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The 11 member institutions are located in the South Atlantic states of South Carolina ...

(PBC) since the 2022–23 academic year (while competing full-time in the NCAA since 2023–24). The Sand Sharks previously competed in the

Continental Athletic Conference NAIA independent schools are four-year institutional members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that do not have formal conference affiliations. NAIA schools that are not members of any other athletic conference are ...

, formerly known as the Association of Independent Institutions (AII), for the 2022–23 school year only (which they were a member on a previous stint during the 2007–08 school year, which was when the school began its athletics program and joined the NAIA), while they were continuing their transition as members of the Peach Belt and of NCAA Division II; and in the

Sun Conference The Sun Conference (TSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Seven of the ten full member institutions are located in Florida, with three in Georgia. The Sun Conference c ...

of 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), formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC), from 2008–09 to 2021–22.

Move to NCAA Division II

On April 14, 2021, South Carolina–Beaufort reported that the

's Peach Belt Conference invited the Sand Sharks to join the conference in 2022 after applying for membership in and gaining acceptance into the NCAA. Also on that day, USCB planned to add men's and women's basketball as a condition of its NCAA and Peach Belt membership. The teams in that sport played their first season in 2023–24. By July 15, 2022, USCB was already accepted into the Continental Athletic Conference for its first year of provisional membership while still playing a Peach Belt schedule as part of the Sand Sharks' one-year NAIA-NCAA dual membership, but are ineligible for a Peach Belt or NCAA postseason during the three-year transition.

Conference affiliations

NAIA * Association of Independent Institutions (2007–2008) *

(2008–2022) *

(2022–2023) NCAA *

(2022–present)

Varsity teams

USC Beaufort competes in eleven intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, and indoor and outdoor track and field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and indoor and outdoor track and field.

Facilities

Both the Sand Shark baseball and softball teams currently practice and play all home games at the City of Hardeeville's Recreation Complex (the Richard Gray Baseball Complex).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:University of South Carolina-Beaufort Sand Sharks