 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921; 104 years ago (1921) |
| Commissioner | Michael Cross (since 2023) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | FCS |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Headquarters | Spartanburg, South Carolina |
| Region | Southeast |
| Official website | soconsports |
| Locations | |
 | |
TheSouthern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiateathletic conference affiliated with theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division I. Southern Conferencefootball teams compete in theFootball Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). Member institutions are located in thestates ofAlabama,Georgia,North Carolina,South Carolina,Tennessee, andVirginia. Established in 1921, the Southern Conference ranks as the fifth-oldest major college athletic conference in the United States, and either the third or fourth oldest in continuous operation, depending on definitions.[1][i]
The Southern Conference is considered one of the stronger football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision and is considered amid-major conference in basketball. The three-time Division I NCAA FootballchampionAppalachian State Mountaineers were a member of the conference when they stunned thefifth-rankedMichigan Wolverines34–32 on September 1, 2007.[2] TheDavidson Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in the2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by upsetting power programsGonzaga,Georgetown, andWisconsin.[3] More recently, the six-time Division I NCAA footballchampionGeorgia Southern Eagles stunnedSoutheastern Conference power-houseFlorida Gators 26–20 inThe Swamp on November 23, 2013—the first loss to a lower-division opponent in the Florida program's history.[4] In 2015,Furman defeatedUCF 16–15 andThe Citadel toppedSouth Carolina 23–22 for their second win over the Gamecocks in the past three meetings. On September 4, 2021,East Tennessee State University stunnedVanderbilt 23–3 in their opening game. The SoCon also frequently sees multiple teams selected to participate in theNCAA Division I baseball championship.[5]
The SoCon was the first conference to use thethree-point field goal in basketball in a November 29, 1980, game atWestern Carolina againstMiddle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where Ronnie Carr shot the historic shot from 22 feet (6.7 m) away and the Catamounts won 77–70.[6][7]
| Wallace Wade | 1951–1960 |
| Lloyd Jordon | 1960–1973 |
| Ken Germann | 1974–1986 |
| Dave Hart | 1986–1991 |
| Wright Waters | 1991–1998 |
| Alfred B. White | 1998–2001 |
| Danny Morrison | 2001–2005 |
| John Iamarino | 2006–2019 |
| Jim Schaus | 2019–2023 |
| Michael Cross | 2023–present |
Talks of a new conference forSouthern athletics had started as early as fall of 1920.[8] The conference was formed on February 25, 1921, inAtlanta as fourteen member institutions split from theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[1] Southern Conference charter members wereAlabama,Auburn,Clemson,Georgia,Georgia Tech,Kentucky,Maryland,Mississippi State,North Carolina,North Carolina State,Tennessee,Virginia,Virginia Tech, andWashington & Lee. In 1922, six more universities—Florida,LSU,Mississippi,South Carolina,Tulane, andVanderbilt joined the conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, effective January 1.[9][10] The new rules banned freshman play.[11] Later additions includedSewanee (1924),Virginia Military Institute (1924), andDuke (1929).
The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, the 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, University of the South (Sewanee), Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) all departed the SoCon to form theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). In 1953, seven additional schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[1] The ACC and SEC have gone on to surpass their parent conference in prestige; while the ACC and SEC are considered "power" conferences in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A), the SoCon dropped to Division I-AA (FCS) in 1982, four years after the top division was split into two levels in 1978.
The SoCon became the first league to hold a post-season basketball tournament to decide a conference champion. Although first played in 1921, it did not become "official" until 1922, and in its first few years included teams which were not conference members.[12] Held at theMunicipal Auditorium in Atlanta from February 24 to March 2, 1922, the first meeting was won by North Carolina who defeated non-member Mercer in the Finals 40–25.[13] The SoCon Basketball Tournament continues as the nation's oldest conference tournament. The next-oldest tournament overall is theSEC men's basketball tournament, founded in 1933, but that event was suspended after its 1952 edition and did not resume until 1979. With the demise of theDivision IIWest Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013, whose tournament had been continuously held since 1936, the next-oldest conference tournament in continuous existence is now theACC men's basketball tournament, first held in 1954.
The all-sports membership changed to 10 schools in 2014 following the departure of Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, and Georgia Southern, plus the arrival of East Tennessee State (ETSU), Mercer, and VMI. The current football membership stands at nine. UNC Greensboro does not sponsor football, whileETSU relaunched its previously dormant football program in 2015 and rejoined SoCon football in 2016 after one season as anindependent.[14]
The 10 members of the Southern Conference are:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1886 | 1976 | Public | 11,728 | $195 | Mocs | |
| The Citadel | Charleston, South Carolina | 1842 | 1936 | Senior Military College | 3,693 | $423.6 | Bulldogs | |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, Tennessee | 1911 | 2014[a] | Public | 9,151 | $87.8 | Buccaneers | |
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | 1826 | 1936 | Private | 2,629 | $812 | Paladins | |
| Mercer University | Macon, Georgia | 1833 | 2014 | 9,026 | $502 | Bears | ||
| Samford University | Homewood, Alabama | 1841 | 2008 | 5,729 | $403.5 | Bulldogs | ||
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | 1997 | Public | 19,764 | $368.6 | Spartans | |
| Virginia Military Institute (VMI) | Lexington, Virginia | 1839 | 2014[b] | Senior Military College | 1,772 | $703.1 | Keydets | |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, North Carolina | 1889 | 1976 | Public | 12,243 | $130 | Catamounts | |
| Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1854 | 1997 | Private | 1,773 | $417.4 | Terriers |
On January 9, 2014, the SoCon and Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as theASUN Conference, announced a new alliance in lacrosse that took effect with the 2015 spring season (2014–15 school year). Under its terms, sponsorship of men's lacrosse shifted from the ASUN to the SoCon, while women's lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN. Bellarmine, which had announced it would join the ASUN for men's lacrosse for the 2015 spring season, instead joined the SoCon.[15] The alliance remains in effect in men's lacrosse, but the leagues amicably ended their full alliance in women's lacrosse once the SoCon began sponsoring that sport in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 school year).[16] However, the conferences maintained their working relationship in women's lacrosse, with the SoCon addingCoastal Carolina as an associate member effective with the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year) in order to keep both conferences at five women's lacrosse members for 2021.[17] Coastal was intended to play in SoCon women's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) as well, but the SoCon decided to drop the sport after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year). While no formal announcement was made, the SoCon–ASUN women's lacrosse partnership definitively ended at that time, as the three full SoCon members who sponsored women's lacrosse moved that sport to theBig South Conference. Coastal and Delaware State both returned women's lacrosse to the ASUN Conference.[18]
The men's lacrosse partnership took a slightly different form from the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) forward, as the ASUN reinstated its men's lacrosse league. The two full ASUN members with men's lacrosse programs separated, with Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men's lacrosse while Bellarmine joined the ASUN men's lacrosse league. SoCon associate Air Force also left for ASUN men's lacrosse.[19] The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth with the addition ofHampton.[20]
Before the addition of Hampton men's lacrosse, the most recent addition to the associate membership wasPresbyterian wrestling, which joined during summer 2019.[21] Two women's lacrosse members,Central Michigan andDetroit Mercy, left after the 2020 season (2019–20 school year) to join the new women's lacrosse league of Central's full-time home of theMid-American Conference;[22] this move contributed to the eventual demise of the SoCon women's lacrosse league.
Men's soccer member Belmont left the SoCon after the 2021–22 school year when it joined theMissouri Valley Conference, which sponsors that sport.[23] At the same time, Hampton moved men's lacrosse to its new full-time home of the Colonial Athletic Association, now known as theCoastal Athletic Association.[24]
The addition of men's lacrosse by theAtlantic 10 Conference, announced on May 23, 2022,[25] led to the demise of the SoCon men's lacrosse league after the 2022 season. In addition to Hampton joining the CAA, SoCon associate members High Point and Richmond (the latter a full A-10 member) moved to the A-10, and Jacksonville returned to ASUN men's lacrosse.
In the table below, the "Joined" column denotes the start of the school year in which the institution became an associate member, which for spring sports differs from the first season of competition.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Sport | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) | Birmingham, Alabama | 1969 | 2016 | Public | 18,568 | Blazers | rifle[26] | The American | |
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | 1899 | 2014[a] | 20,641 | Mountaineers | wrestling | Sun Belt | ||
| Bellarmine University | Louisville, Kentucky | 1950 | 2020 | Private | 3,846 | Knights | wrestling | ASUN | |
| Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | 1887 | 2011 | 11,241 | Fighting Camels | wrestling | CAA | ||
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | 2014[b] | 1,850 | Wildcats | wrestling | Atlantic 10 | ||
| Gardner–Webb University | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | 1905 | 2011 | 5,000 | Runnin' Bulldogs | wrestling | Big South | ||
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia | 1906 | 2016 | Public | 20,517 | Eagles | rifle[26] | Sun Belt | |
| University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, Georgia | 1873[c] | 2016 | Public | 16,064 | Nighthawks | rifle[26] | Peach Belt[d] | |
| Presbyterian College | Clinton, South Carolina | 1880 | 2019 | Private | 1,403 | Blue Hose | wrestling | Big South |
Most former members are currently members of either theSoutheastern Conference or theAtlantic Coast Conference. Two of the former full members, Appalachian State and Davidson, maintain SoCon associate membership inwrestling. A third former full member, Georgia Southern, became an associate member inrifle when the SoCon added the sport for the 2016–17 school year.
In the table below, the "Joined" and "Left" columns denotes the calendar year in which each school joined and left the SoCon. For fall sports, the year of departure differs from the final year of competition. For spring sports, the year of arrival differs from the first season of competition.
Full membersFull members (except football)Other ConferenceOther Conference
The Southern Conference sponsors championship competition in 11 men's, 9 women's, and one co-educational NCAA-sanctioned sports.[27][better source needed] Five schools are associate members for wrestling. Under a cooperative agreement with theASUN Conference, the SoCon began sponsoring men's lacrosse in the 2014–15 school year (2015 season) with three full members (Furman, Mercer, VMI) and four associates (Bellarmine, High Point, Jacksonville, Richmond). SoCon men's lacrosse has since added Air Force. Women's lacrosse was sponsored by the ASUN through the 2017 season,[15] after which the SoCon launched its own women's lacrosse league.[16] Beginning in the 2016–17 academic year, after a 30-year hiatus, the SoCon resumed rifle as its 21st sport. Members for conference competition are full members The Citadel, VMI, and Wofford as well as associate members UAB, Georgia Southern, and North Georgia. The SoCon is one of only two all-sports conferences to sponsor rifle, joining the Ohio Valley Conference. Rifle is technically a men's sport for NCAA purposes, but men's, women's, and co-ed teams all compete against each other.[28] Women's lacrosse was added as the 22nd sport for 2017–18, but was dropped after the 2020–21 school year.[29]
The SoCon dropped men's lacrosse after the 2022 season. Affiliate member Hampton joined the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors that sport, and the Atlantic 10 Conference, full-time home to men's lacrosse affiliate Richmond, launched a men's lacrosse league in the 2023 season, also taking in another SoCon affiliate in High Point.[25] With SoCon men's lacrosse being gutted by these changes, VMI moved that sport to its former men's lacrosse home of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the two remaining men's lacrosse members, Jacksonville and Mercer, moved that sport to the ASUN.[25][30][31]
| Sport | Men's | Women's | Co-ed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 8 | – | – |
| Basketball | 10 | 8 | – |
| Cross Country | 10 | 10 | – |
| Football | 9 | – | – |
| Golf | 8 | 9 | – |
| Rifle | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Soccer | 6 | 10 | – |
| Softball | – | 8 | – |
| Tennis | 8 | 8 | – |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 9 | 9 | – |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 9 | 10 | – |
| Volleyball | – | 9 | – |
| Wrestling | 9 | – | – |
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross country | Football | Golf | Rifle[a] | Soccer | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Wrestling | Total SoCon sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | 6 |
| The Citadel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[b] | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| East Tennessee State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | 8 |
| Furman | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
| Mercer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | 8 |
| Samford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
| UNC Greensboro | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 8 |
| VMI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[b] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Western Carolina | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | 7 |
| Wofford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[c] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 10 |
| Totals | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3+2[d] | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 3+6[e] | 82+8 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools:
| School | Lacrosse | Swimming & diving |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer | ASUN | No |
| VMI | NEC | America East |
| School | Basketball | Cross country | Golf | Rifle[a] | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total SoCon teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| The Citadel | No | Yes | Yes | Yes[b] | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| East Tennessee State | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Furman | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Mercer | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Samford | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| UNC Greensboro | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| VMI | No | Yes | No | Yes[b] | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | 5 |
| Western Carolina | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Wofford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[c] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Totals | 8 | 10 | 9 | 3+3[d] | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 87+4 |
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools:
| School | Beach volleyball | Lacrosse | Swimming & diving | Water polo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | OVC | No | No | No |
| Furman | No | Big South | No | No |
| Mercer | Sun Belt | Big South | No | No |
| VMI | No | No | America East | MAAC |
| Wofford | No | Big South | No | No |
This is a list of recent champions. For the full history, seeList of Southern Conference football champions.
| Year | Champion | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Chattanooga | 7–0 |
| 2015 | Chattanooga† The Citadel | 6–1 |
| 2016 | The Citadel† | 8–0 |
| 2017 | Wofford† | 7–1 |
| 2018 | East Tennessee State Furman Wofford† | 6–2 |
| 2019 | Wofford† | 7–1 |
| 2020 | VMI† | 6–1 |
| 2021 | East Tennessee State† | 7–1 |
| 2022 | Samford† | 8–0 |
| 2023 | Furman† | 7–1 |
| 2024 | Mercer† | 10–2 |
† Automatic bid toNCAA Division I Football Championship
This is a partial list of the last 10 regular-season and tournament champions. For the full history, seeList of Southern Conference men's basketball champions.
| Year | Regular season champion | Record | Tournament champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Davidson | 15–1 | Wofford |
| 2014–15 | Wofford | 16–2 | Wofford |
| 2015–16 | Chattanooga | 15–3 | Chattanooga |
| 2016–17 | East Tennessee State[a] UNC Greensboro Furman | 14–4 | East Tennessee State |
| 2017–18 | UNC Greensboro | 15–3 | UNC Greensboro |
| 2018–19 | Wofford | 18–0 | Wofford |
| 2019–20 | East Tennessee State | 16–2 | East Tennessee State |
| 2020–21 | UNC Greensboro | 13–5 | UNC Greensboro |
| 2021–22 | Chattanooga | 14–4 | Chattanooga |
| 2022–23 | Furman[a] Samford | 15–3 | Furman |
This is a partial list of the last 10 tournament champions. For the full history, seeSouthern Conference women's basketball tournament
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Chattanooga |
| 2015 | Chattanooga |
| 2016 | Chattanooga |
| 2017 | Chattanooga |
| 2018 | Mercer |
| 2019 | Mercer |
| 2020 | Samford |
| 2021 | Mercer |
| 2022 | Mercer |
| 2023 | Chattanooga |
This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, seeSouthern Conference baseball tournament.
| Year | Reg. season champion | Tournament champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Western Carolina | Elon |
| 2014 | Western Carolina | Georgia Southern |
| 2015 | Mercer | Mercer |
| 2016 | Mercer | Western Carolina |
| 2017 | Mercer | UNC Greensboro |
| 2018 | UNC Greensboro | Samford |
| 2019 | Samford | Mercer |
| 2020 | Season canceled due toCOVID-19 | |
| 2021 | Wofford | Samford |
| 2022 | Wofford | UNC Greensboro |
| 2023 | Samford | Samford |
| Year | Air rifle champion | Smallbore champion | Overall champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Georgia Southern | North Georgia | North Georgia |
| 2018 | North Georgia | North Georgia | North Georgia |
| 2019 | Georgia Southern | UAB | UAB |
| 2020 | North Georgia | UAB | UAB |
| 2021 | North Georgia | Georgia Southern | North Georgia |
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2015 | High Point |
| 2016 | Air Force |
| 2017 | Air Force |
| 2018 | Richmond |
| 2019 | Richmond |
| 2020 | Not Held |
| 2021 | High Point |
The Commissioner's and Germann Cups are awarded each year to the top men's and women's program in the conference.[32] The Commissioner's Cup was inaugurated in 1970. The Germann Cup, named for former Southern Conference Commissioner Ken Germann, was first awarded in 1987. The completion of the 2013–2014 athletics season saw Appalachian State winning its 33rd Commissioner's Cup and Furman its 13th Germann Cup.[33]
| Year | Commissioner's Cup | Germann Cup |
|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | East Carolina William & Mary | — |
| 1970–71 | William & Mary | — |
| 1971–72 | William & Mary | — |
| 1972–73 | William & Mary | — |
| 1973–74 | East Carolina | — |
| 1974–75 | East Carolina | — |
| 1975–76 | William & Mary | — |
| 1976–77 | East Carolina | — |
| 1977–78 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1978–79 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1979–80 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1980–81 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1981–82 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1982–83 | East Tennessee State | — |
| 1983–84 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1984–85 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1985–86 | Appalachian State | — |
| 1986–87 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 1987–88 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 1988–89 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 1989–90 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 1990–91 | Furman | Appalachian State |
| 1991–92 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 1992–93 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1993–94 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1994–95 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1995–96 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1996–97 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1997–98 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1998–99 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 1999–00 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2000–01 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2001–02 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2002–03 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2003–04 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2004–05 | Chattanooga | College of Charleston |
| 2005–06 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 2006–07 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 2007–08 | Appalachian State | Chattanooga |
| 2008–09 | Appalachian State | College of Charleston |
| 2009–10 | Appalachian State | Samford |
| 2010–11 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 2011–12 | Appalachian State | College of Charleston |
| 2012–13 | Appalachian State | Appalachian State |
| 2013–14 | Appalachian State | Furman |
| 2014–15 | Chattanooga | Samford |
| 2015–16 | East Tennessee State | Furman |
| 2016–17 | East Tennessee State | Furman |
| 2017–18 | East Tennessee State | Furman |
| 2018–19 | East Tennessee State | Furman |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
