Sun Conference

Last updated
Sun Conference
Sun Conference logo.svg
FormerlyFlorida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1990–1992)
Florida Sun Conference (1992–2008)
Association NAIA
Founded1990
CommissionerDustin Wilke
Sports fielded
  • 17
    • men's: 9
    • women's: 8
No. of teams9 (10 in 2024)
Headquarters Daytona Beach, Florida
Region Southern United States
Official website www.thesunconference.com
Locations
FSC-USA-states.PNG

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 competes in the NAIA in all sponsored sports.

Contents

History

The Sun Conference
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
150km
100miles
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Florida Memorial
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Coastal Georgia
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Keiser
White pog.svg
New College
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Southeastern (FL)
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Ave Maria
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
SCAD
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Webber International
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
Warner
Orange ff8040 pog.svg
St. Thomas (FL)
Sun Conference
Location of TSC members: Orange ff8040 pog.svg current and White pog.svg future

The conference was created in March 1990 as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC), and renamed to the Florida Sun Conference in 1992. Charter members consisted of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Flagler College, Florida Memorial University, Nova University of Advanced Technology (now Nova Southeastern University), Palm Beach Atlantic University, Saint Thomas University, Warner Southern College (now Warner University) and Webber International University.

The league later grew to nine members with the addition of Northwood University in 1994 (now Keiser University). Between 2002 and 2006, Nova Southeastern (2002), Palm Beach Atlantic (2003) and Flagler (2006) moved to NCAA Division II. But the league was able to recruit new members as Savannah College of Art and Design joined in 2004, followed by Edward Waters College (now a university) in 2006. It adopted its current name in August 2008 to reflect its expansion to institutions outside of Florida. [1] With the addition of the University of South Carolina at Beaufort in 2008, Johnson & Wales University, Southeastern University and Ave Maria University in 2009, and Thomas University of Georgia in 2012, along with Edward Waters' move to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after the 2009–10 season, the league membership stood at 12 schools as of the 2012–13 season.

In 2014, Point University and former member Edward Waters College joined the conference for football only. Starting with the 2016 season, all six football members moved to the Mid-South Conference for that sport. [2] Charter member Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University departed the conference on June 30, 2015 and joined the Sunshine State Conference (D-II). In 2017, the College of Coastal Georgia joined the Sun Conference, [3] with the conference again standing at a total of 12 members. In 2018, Sun Conference member Keiser added football [4] but Edward Waters left the Mid-South football league. In 2019, Saint Thomas also added football and Florida Memorial re-added the sport after more than 60 years, [5] [6] bringing the number of members participating in football to 8.

On June 25, 2020, Johnson & Wales announced it would close down its North Miami campus at the end of the 2020-21 school year, [7] and on July 28, Johnson & Wales North Miami discontinued all sports. [8]

On April 14, 2021, South Carolina–Beaufort reported its invitation to join the Division II Peach Belt Conference in 2022 after applying for membership in, and pending acceptance into, the NCAA. [9] The conference published on December 22 its reinstatement of football for the 2022 season, having grown to seven schools, [10] with Thomas initiating football to become the eighth football member. [11] By July 15, 2022, USCB was already accepted into the Continental Athletic Conference, formerly the Association of Independent Institutions, only for the first of its three-year NCAA provisional membership but with a Peach Belt schedule as part of the Sand Sharks' dual NAIA-NCAA membership. [12]

On July 1, 2022, Thomas announced that they would leave the conference and join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), starting in the 2023–24 academic year. [13] They remain in the Sun Conference as an affiliate member for football from that day forward.

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Current members

The Sun currently has nine full members, all but two are private schools. [16] [3] Departing members are highlighted in pink.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1] Basketball?
Ave Maria University Ave Maria, Florida 2003 Catholic
(Diocese of Venice)
1,200 Gyrenes 2009both
College of Coastal Georgia Brunswick, Georgia 1961Public3,438 Mariners 2017both
Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens, Florida 1879 American Baptist 1,784 Lions 1990both
Keiser University West Palm Beach, Florida 1977Nonsectarian19,510 Seahawks [lower-alpha 2] 2015both
St. Thomas University Miami Gardens, Florida 1961Catholic
(Archdiocese of Miami)
1,750 Bobcats 1990both
Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia 1978 Non-profit art school 11,897 Bees 2004none [lower-alpha 3]
Southeastern University Lakeland, Florida 1935 Assemblies of God 3,850 Fire 2009both
Warner University Lake Wales, Florida 1968 Church of God 1,037 Royals 1990both
Webber International University Babson Park, Florida 1927Nonsectarian616 Warriors 1990both
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Keiser University's teams were the teams of Northwood University's Florida campus until Keiser University purchased it in 2015 and made the teams its own.
  3. Savannah A&D had sponsored men's or women's basketball until after the 2008–09 school year.

Future members

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoiningBasketball?
New College of Florida Sarasota, Florida 1960Public675Mighty Banyans2024both

Current affiliate members

In 2021, the conference added the University of Mobile, St. Andrews University, Truett McConnell University, and William Carey University as affiliate members for beach volleyball. [17] Loyola of New Orleans also participates in beach volleyball. [18]

In 2022, Life University began participating in men's swimming, women's swimming, and women's lacrosse. [19]

Former members

The Sun had nine former full members, most are private schools, one is public, and two are defunct:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1] Left [lower-alpha 2] Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
(Daytona Beach Campus)
Daytona Beach, Florida 1926 Nonsectarian 6,794 Eagles 19902015 Sunshine State (SSC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2015–present)
Edward Waters College [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Jacksonville, Florida 1866 A.M.E. Church 966 Tigers 20062010 Gulf Coast (GCAC)
(2010–21)
Southern (SIAC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2021–present)
Flagler College St. Augustine, Florida 1968Nonsectarian2,046 Saints 19902006 D-II Independent
(2006–09)
Peach Belt (PBC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2009–present)
Northwood University–Florida West Palm Beach, Florida 1984NonsectarianN/A Seahawks 19942015N/A [lower-alpha 6]
Johnson & Wales University–Florida North Miami, Florida 1992NonsectarianN/A Wildcats 20092020Closed in 2021
Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1964Nonsectarian24,148 Sharks 19902002 Sunshine State (SSC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2002–present)
Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, Florida 1968 Nondenominational 3,764 Sailfish 19902003 D-II Independent
(2003–15)
Sunshine State (SSC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2015–present)
University of South Carolina Beaufort Beaufort, South Carolina 1959Public1,386 Sand Sharks 20082022 Continental (CAC)
(2022–23)
Peach Belt (PBC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2022–present)
Thomas University [lower-alpha 7] Thomasville, Georgia 1950Nonsectarian1,100 Night Hawks 20122023 Southern States (SSAC)
(2023–present)
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  4. Currently known as Edward Waters University since 2021.
  5. Edward Waters later joined The Sun as an affiliate member for football from the 2015 to 2016 fall seasons (2015–16 to 2016–17 school years).
  6. Northwood–Florida was sold to Keiser University in 2015.
  7. Thomas remains an affiliate member of the Sun Conference in football.

Former affiliate members

The Sun had two former affiliate members, both were private schools:

For the 2014 and 2015 football seasons, Edward Waters and Point joined the conference. All six members moved to the Mid-South Conference for the 2016 season. With the exception of Point, which participates in the Appalachian Division, these teams plus Faulkner University now form the Sun Division of the Mid-South Conference. [20]

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1] Left [lower-alpha 2] Sun
sport
Primary
conference
Conference
in former
Sun sport
Edward Waters College [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4] Jacksonville, Florida 1866 A.M.E. Church 966 Tigers 20142016football Southern (SIAC) [lower-alpha 5]
Point University West Point, Georgia 1937 Christian 1,000 Skyhawks Appalachian (AAC)
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. Currently known as Edward Waters University since 2021.
  4. Edward Waters was a full member of The Sun from 2006–07 to 2009–10.
  5. Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

Membership timeline

New College of FloridaCollege of Coastal GeorgiaKeiser UniversityPoint UniversityThomas UniversitySoutheastern University (Florida)Johnson %26 Wales University%23North Miami campusAve Maria UniversityPeach Belt ConferenceUniversity of South Carolina BeaufortSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceGulf Coast Athletic ConferenceGulf Coast Athletic ConferenceEdward Waters UniversitySavannah College of Art and DesignNorthwood University%23Florida SeahawksWebber International UniversityWarner UniversitySt. Thomas University (Florida)Sunshine State ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsPalm Beach Atlantic UniversitySunshine State ConferenceNova Southeastern UniversityFlorida Memorial UniversityPeach Belt ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsFlagler CollegeSunshine State ConferenceEmbry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona BeachSun Conference

 Full member (all sports)  Full member (non-football)  Associate member (football-only) 

Sports

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball Green check.svg
Basketball Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Beach Volleyball Green check.svg
Cross Country Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Flag football Green check.svg
Football Green check.svg
Golf Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Soccer Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Softball Green check.svg
Tennis Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Track & Field Outdoor Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Volleyball Green check.svg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference</span> Collegiate 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 colleges and universities (HBCUs), with all but one member located in the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-South Conference</span> College athletic conference in the United States

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 and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the commissioner is Eric Leach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of South Carolina Beaufort</span> Public university with three locations in South Carolina, U.S.

The University of South Carolina Beaufort is a public college with three campuses in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. It is part of the University of South Carolina System, enrolls about 2,000 students, and offers over 50 areas of study. The main campus is in Bluffton, South Carolina. The institution's campus in Beaufort houses the school's honor programs and the Department of Visual Arts & Design. The campus location on Hilton Head Island is home to the institution's program for hospitality management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NAIA independent schools</span>

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 members of the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC), formerly the Association of Independent Institutions (AII), which provides member services to the institution and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The CAC has one member institution in Canada's British Columbia. It provides services to the member institutions that are not fitting in any other NAIA conference and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The AII renamed itself the Continental Athletic Conference at the end of June 2021, citing the need to identify as a proper conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference</span> American college athletic conference

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peach Belt Conference</span> College athletic conference

The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is an 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.

Northwood University (NU) is a private university focused on business education with its main campus in Midland, Michigan. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TranSouth Athletic Conference</span>

The TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) was a college athletic conference for smaller colleges and universities located in the Southern United States. It was affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in that organization's Region XI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Waters University</span> Private historically Black college in Jacksonville, Florida

Edward Waters University is a private Christian historically Black university in Jacksonville, Florida. It was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church as a school to educate freedmen and their children. It was the first independent institution of higher education and the first historically black college in the State of Florida. It continues to be affiliated with the AME Church and is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian Athletic Conference</span>

The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was a former college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); which was predominantly for smaller, private colleges in Western and Middle Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern States Athletic Conference</span>

The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The 13 member universities that compete in 19 sports are located in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Basketball teams compete as a single division in the NAIA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sooner Athletic Conference</span> American college athletic conference

The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 12 schools in a league that spans four states – Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, with a Missouri based school to join in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Coast Athletic Conference</span>

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) is a college athletic conference made up entirely of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that's affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas as well as the U.S. territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiser University</span> Private university in Florida, US

Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional campuses are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provides educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels in both traditional and online delivery formats. The school is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Midwest Athletic Conference</span> College athletic conference from 2011

The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. It was named the 24th NCAA Division II conference and operates in the Great Lakes and East South Central States regions of the United States. The G-MAC began conference play in the 2012–13 academic year hosting 12 championships and continued to work through the educational assessment program. The conference received approval and became an active Division II conference in 2013–14, hosting 17 championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiser Seahawks</span> Athletics team for Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida

The Keiser Seahawks are the athletic teams that represent Keiser University, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference since the 2015–16 academic year. Prior to July 2015, the Seahawks represented Northwood University's West Palm Beach campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina–Beaufort Sand Sharks</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of South Carolina–Beaufort

The USC Beaufort Sand Sharks are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Carolina Beaufort, located in Beaufort, South Carolina, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Sand Sharks previously competed in the Continental Athletic Conference, formerly known as the Association of Independent Institutions (AII), for the 2022–23 school year only, while they were continuing their transition as members of the Peach Belt and of NCAA Division II; and in the Sun Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC), from 2008–09 to 2021–22.

References

  1. "About the Sun Conference" . Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  2. "Mid-South Conference Creates Largest College Football Conference". February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "COASTAL GEORGIA SET TO OFFICIALLY BECOME SUN CONFERENCE MEMBER". June 29, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  4. Evenson, Johyn (October 11, 2016). "Keiser University Athletics adds football starting in 2018" . Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. "St. Thomas to Launch Football in 2019; Joins MSC Sun Division". mid-southconference.org. August 29, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  6. "This is why Florida Memorial is bringing back college football after a 61-year hiatus". Miami Herald. June 4, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  7. "Johnson & Wales, which trained many local chefs, is closing its North Miami campus" . June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  8. "Johnson & Wales Discontinues Athletics". Victory Sports Network. July 30, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  9. "Peach Belt Accepts USCB as Newest League Member". USCB Sand Sharks. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  10. "Football Returns to the Sun Conference in 2022". Sun Conference. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  11. "Mitjans Named Head Coach of Thomas University's New Football Team". January 25, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  12. "USC Beaufort Approved for NCAA DII Membership". USCB Athletics (Press release). July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  13. "TU Set to Join SSAC in 2023-24". TU Night Hawks Athletics (Press release). July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  14. "TU Set to Join SSAC in 2023-24". TU Night Hawks Athletics (Press release). July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  15. "NAIA Announces Five New Members". NAIA. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  16. "The Sun Conference". The Sun Conference. August 18, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  17. "Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Adds Affiliate Members". July 29, 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  18. "Beach volleyball gets first conference win Saturday".
  19. "Life U Athletics Releases Conference Affiliations for 2022-23".
  20. Wilson, Michael (February 25, 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2016.