The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The 10 member institutions are located in the South Atlantic states of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In addition, seven affiliate members participate in one sport each; namely sports not sponsored by their home conferences.
Shorter University is a private Baptist university in Rome, Georgia. It was founded in 1873 and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through six colleges and schools. In addition Shorter operates the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business and the School of Nursing at off-campus facilities in the Rome area.
The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The Panthers athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision. EIU's colors are blue and gray. Selected as the team mascot in 1930, EIU's panther was informally known as "Billy" for many years and was officially named "Billy the Panther" in 2008. Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports. The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title.
The Jackson State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.
The Southern Jaguars and Lady Jaguars represent Southern University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Southern University's 13 athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Grambling State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Clifton Gilliard was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He has served the head football coach, head men's track and field and cross country coach, and interim athletic director at Prairie View A&M University. Clifton Gilliard was inducted into the Prairie View A&M University Hall of Fame in 1994 and Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.[1]
Hoover John Wright Sr. was an American football and track and field coach. He served as the head football coach at Paul Quinn College in Paul Quinn College form 1955 to 1960 and two stints at the head football coach at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, from 1966 to 1968 and 1973 to 1979.
The Indiana State Sycamores are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. Since the 1977–78 academic year, Indiana State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Indiana State football team has competed in Division I FCS since the 1982 season, and has been a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since it was spun off from the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (Gateway) when the latter league merged into the MVC in 1992. Past conference memberships include the Indiana College Athletic League (1895–1922), the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (1922–1950), the Indiana Collegiate Conference (1950–1968) and the Midwestern Conference (1970–1972). The women's teams were Gateway members from the league's 1982 founding until its absorption by the MVC. In 1986, a year after the Gateway took on football as its only men's sport, the Sycamores football team joined that conference.
The NAIA women's outdoor track and field championship is the annual track meet to determine the national champions of NAIA women's outdoor track and field in the United States and Canada. It has been held annually since 1981.
The Hillsdale Chargers are the athletic teams that represent Hillsdale College, located in Hillsdale, Michigan, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Chargers are currently members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference as of 2017. The Chargers had been members of the GLIAC since 1975.
The Azusa Pacific Cougars are the athletic teams that represent Azusa Pacific University, located in Azusa, California, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) for most of its sports since the 2012–13 academic year; while its women's swimming & diving team competes in the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference (PCSC) and its women's water polo team competes in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC). The Cougars previously competed in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1986–87 to 2011–12. On July 11, 2011 Azusa Pacific began the three-year transition process to becoming a member of the NCAA. Azusa Pacific University decided to end its football program in December 2020 due to financial restructuring.
The Oklahoma Baptist Bison are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great American Conference (GAC) since the 2015–16 academic year. They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level.
The Chicago State Cougars are the varsity athletic teams representing Chicago State University of Chicago, Illinois in intercollegiate athletics. The university currently sponsors 16 varsity teams. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division I in the Northeast Conference starting in 2024. They were previously members of the Western Athletic Conference from 2013 to 2022.
The Shorter Hawks are the athletic teams that represent Shorter University, located in Rome, Georgia, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Hawks have primarily competed in the Conference Carolinas since the 2023–24 academic year.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and Devilettes represent Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi in intercollegiate athletics. They field thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field; women's-only soccer, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball and football. The Delta Devils and Devilettes compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The McKendree Bearcats are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent McKendree University, located in Lebanon, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) as a provisional member since the 2012–13 academic year.
The UIS Prairie Stars are the athletic teams that represent the University of Illinois Springfield, located in Springfield, Illinois, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) since the 2009–10 academic year, which they became a full-fledged Division II member on Aug. 1, 2010. The Prairie Stars previously competed in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2003–04 to 2008–09.
The Southern–New Orleans Knights and Lady Knights are the athletic teams that represent Southern University at New Orleans, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) since the 2022–23 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1986–87 to 2018–19.
The Central State Marauders and Lady Marauders are the athletic teams that represent Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) since the 2015–16 academic year. The Marauders and Lady Marauders previously competed in the D-II Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) from 2012–13 to 2014–15, and as an NCAA D-II Independent from 2002–03 to 2011–12; as well as competing in the American Mideast Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2000–01 to 2001–02.
