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, USCB 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]
In 2022, Life University began participating in men's swimming, women's swimming, and women's lacrosse.[15]
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.[16] They remain in the Sun Conference as an affiliate member for football, and men's and women's swimming from that day forward.
On October 2, 2023, the New College of Florida became the newest member to join the conference, starting in the 2024–25 academic year.[17]
2003 – Palm Beach Atlantic left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 2002–03 academic year.
2010 – Edward Waters left The Sun to join the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC; now the HBCU Athletic Conference or HBCUAC) after the 2009–10 academic year.
2012 – Thomas University joined The Sun in the 2012–13 academic year.
2014 – Point University joined The Sun as an affiliate member for football (with Edward Waters re-joining) in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
2015 – Embry–Riddle left The Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the SSC after the 2014–15 academic year.
2015 – Northwood–Florida left The Sun as the school announced that it would close after the 2014–15 academic year. However, Keiser University purchased the location, therefore it has inherited everything Northwood–Florida had sponsored (including its athletic program) and joined The Sun, beginning the 2015–16 academic year.
2017 – Point and Edward Waters left The Sun as affiliate members for football after the 2016 fall season (2016–17 academic year).
2022 – South Carolina–Beaufort (USCB or USC Beaufort) left The Sun to join the Continental Athletic Conference, in addition to the NCAA Division II ranks and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) in the 2022–23 academic year. USC Beaufort would later leave the CAC and the NAIA after that school year to focus on realigning to the Peach Belt and the NCAA.
2022 – Four institutions joined The Sun as affiliate members (and/or added other single sports into their affiliate memberships), all effective in the 2022–23 academic year:
Life University for women's lacrosse and men's & women's swimming
2023 – Thomas (Ga.) left The Sun and join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) after the 2022–23 academic year; while its football and men's & women's swimming teams remained as an affiliate member.
2023 – Point (Ga.) rejoined The Sun as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming in the 2023–24 academic year.
2024 – Point (Ga.) left The Sun as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming after the 2023–24 academic year.
↑ 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.
↑ Savannah A&D had sponsored men's or women's basketball until after the 2008–09 school year.
Current affiliate members
The Sun has ten former affiliate members, all but one are private schools:
↑ USC Beaufort had dual membership with the NCAA (in its provisional transition phase) as the Sand Sharks remained in the NAIA as an Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference until spring 2023.
↑ Thomas remains an affiliate member of The Sun in football and men's & women's swimming.
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.[19]
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