The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and began operating the Big South–OVC Football Association in partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023. The Big South, founded in 1983, is firmly rooted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Associate members are located in Georgia and South Carolina.
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.
The Stony Brook Seawolves football program represents Stony Brook University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, competing in CAA Football. The Seawolves play at the 12,300-seat Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, New York.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are the athletic teams that represent Coastal Carolina University. They participate in Division I of the NCAA as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in most sports, having joined that conference as a full but non-football member on July 1, 2016. At that time, the football team began a transition from the second-level Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the top-level Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The team played the 2016 season as an FCS independent, joined SBC football for the 2017 season, and became full FBS members for 2018 and beyond. A Chanticleer is a proud and fierce rooster. Before joining the SBC, the Chanticleers had been members of the Big South Conference since that league's formation in 1983. Coastal fields varsity teams in 19 sports, 8 for men and 11 for women. The university regularly competed for the Sasser Cup, the Big South's trophy for the university with the best sports program among the member institutions, winning the trophy nine times, tied with rival Liberty University.
The Liberty Flames and Lady Flames are the athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. They are a member of the NCAA Division I level in 20 sports. As of July 1, 2023, LU is a member of Conference USA (CUSA) for most sports, joining that league after five years as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).
The Charleston Southern Buccaneers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Charleston Southern University located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Big South–OVC Football Association. Charleston Southern's first football team was fielded in 1991. The team plays its home games at the 4,000 seat Buccaneer Field in North Charleston, South Carolina and are currently coached by Gabe Giardina.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team represents Coastal Carolina University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Chanticleers are members of the Sun Belt Conference, fielding its teams at the FBS level since 2017. The Chanticleers play their home games at James C. Benton Field at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
The 2011 Stony Brook Seawolves football team represented Stony Brook University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Big South Conference. The team was coached by Chuck Priore and played its home games at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, New York. The Seawolves finished the season 9–4, 6–0 in Big South play to win their third consecutive Big South championship and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time ever. They won their first ever playoff game against Albany, 31–28, before falling in the second round to #1 Sam Houston State 27–34. The program was ranked #18/#16 in the final Sports Network/Coaches Poll.
The 2009 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute during the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 119th all-time football season which started in 1891. They competed in the Big South Conference, and they were led by 2nd year head coach Sparky Woods, who was appointed VMI's 30th head coach in 2008. VMI played its home games at Alumni Memorial Field, as they still do ever since 1962.
The 2012 Stony Brook Seawolves football team represented Stony Brook University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Big South Conference. The team was coached by Chuck Priore and played its home games at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, New York. This was their final season as a member of the Big South as they will join the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013. They finished the season 10–3, 5–1 in Big South play to share the conference championship with Coastal Carolina and Liberty. They received an at-large bid into the FCS Playoffs, their second straight playoff appearance, where they defeated Villanova in the first round before falling in the second round to Montana State.
Jamey Chadwell is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Liberty University, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Chadwell served as the head football coach at North Greenville University from 2009 to 2011, Delta State University in 2012, Charleston Southern University from 2013 and 2016, and Coastal Carolina University, first in an interim capacity in 2017 and then on a permanent basis from 2019 to 2022.
The 2010 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team represented Coastal Carolina University as a member of the Big South Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach David Bennett, the Chanticleers compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, sharing the Big South title with Liberty and Stony Brook. Coastal Carolina received the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Chanticleers lost in the first round to Western Illinois. The team played home games at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
The 2014 Liberty Flames football team represented Liberty University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Turner Gill and played their home games at Williams Stadium. They were a member of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 9–4, 4–1 in Big South play to share the conference championship with Coastal Carolina. They received the Big South's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated James Madison in the first round before losing in the second round to Villanova.
The 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on September 3, 2015, and ended on December 12, 2015. The postseason concluded on January 11, 2016, with Alabama defeating Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. This was the second season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) championship system.
The 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 149th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 25, 2018, and ended on December 8, 2018. The postseason began on December 15, and aside from any all-star games that were scheduled, concluded on January 7, 2019, with the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Clemson Tigers won the title game over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the school's third national title and second in three years, and also becoming the first team since the 1897 Penn Quakers to have a perfect 15-0 season.
The Coastal Carolina–Liberty football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team of Coastal Carolina University and Liberty Flames football team of Liberty University.
The 2021 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Chad Lunsford until he was dismissed mid-season following his third consecutive loss within the first four games of the season. Cornerbacks coach Kevin Whitley was tapped to serve as interim coach until a new head coach was hired by the university. Whitley was in his third year as cornerbacks coach and previously played for Georgia Southern as a four year starter from 1988 to 1991, helping to win two national titles for the Eagles. On November 2, 2021, Clay Helton, former head coach of the USC Trojans, was hired to become the next head coach for Georgia Southern, starting in the 2022 season.
The 2022 Sun Belt Conference football season is the 22nd season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The season began on September 2, 2022, and will conclude with its conference championship game on December 3, 2022. It is part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The conference expanded to 14 football members for the 2022 season with the addition of 4 new member schools. The 14 members were divided into two divisions for play. The conference released its schedule on March 1, 2022.
