Originally known as theMid-South Athletic Conference orMid-South Conference, the Gulf South Conference was formed by six universities in the summer of 1970:Delta State, Florence State (nowNorth Alabama),Jacksonville State, Livingston (nowWest Alabama),Tennessee–Martin, and Troy State (nowTroy). Scheduling problems for the 1970–71 academic year limited the league tofootball, won by Jacksonville State.
2006–07 was another season of change for the GSC. Central Arkansas moved toDivision I, leaving the West Division with eight schools while Lincoln Memorial left for theSouth Atlantic Conference due to travel and location issues, leaving the East Division with seven schools.
Montevallo announced on June 27, 2008 that they would be leaving for thePeach Belt Conference following the 2008–09 season due to issues between the University's President and the Commissioner.
The GSC moved away from divisional play after the 2010-11 season after its six Arkansas members broke away, dropping the membership to eight. Thanks to an aggressive expansion plan, the GSC sponsored the Division II applications ofUnion University (TN) andShorter University (GA), which became official members in 2014-15. The next step in bolstering its membership came in 2012, backing the Division II application ofLee University (TN) which was on track to join the league officially in 2015-16. The league added its first-ever associate member,Florida Tech, in football only in 2013. The Conference planned to add an old friend back into the fold when Mississippi College submitted its application to rejoin Division II and was on track for 2016-17 membership.
Former Commissioner Jim McCullough brought the GSC office to Birmingham when he was hired in 1979. The conference welcomed its seventh commissioner in May 2014 when Matt Wilson was selected to follow Nate Salant who retired after a 22-year stint.
Beginning with the 2011–12 academic year; Arkansas Tech University, University of Arkansas at Monticello, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist University, and Southern Arkansas University left the GSC to form theGreat American Conference.[1]
TheUniversity of New Orleans, which was transitioning from Division I to Division II, was accepted into the conference in June 2011,[2] but the school announced intentions to stay at Division I in March 2012.[3] In July 2011,Shorter University andUnion University (Jackson, Tenn.) were accepted into the NCAA and began the multi-year transition process from theNAIA toNCAA.[4] Both universities began GSC competition in the 2012–13 academic year but will not be eligible for NCAA national tournaments until the 2014–15 academic year.[5] In August 2011, the GSC added theFlorida Institute of Technology as an associate member for football beginning in the 2013 season.[6]
On October 11, 2012,Mississippi College announced that it would petition the NCAA to leave Division III and return to the conference.[7] The transition was a lengthy process; Mississippi College officially became a Division II candidate starting with the 2013–14 academic year, with the school becoming a full Division II member for 2016–17.[8]
In 2013,Lee University joined the GSC, bringing the membership to 11. Lee University moved to Division II provisional membership for the 2014-15 season. They will complete transition to Division II in the 2015-16 season. Mississippi College entered its second candidacy year with the 2014-15 season in its path to full Division II membership in 2016-17 and added Gulf South Conference teams to its schedule.[9]
The next change to the conference's membership was officially announced on December 6, 2016 when North Alabama was accepted to theASUN Conference and would begin a transition toDivision I sports in 2018.[10] In May 2020, affiliate member Florida Tech announced the discontinuation of their football program due to the financial fallout of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11]
1971 – The MSAC added more sports to be a full-fledged athletic conference and was rebranded as the Gulf South Conference, beginning the 1971–72 academic year.
1979 – Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana left the GSC to becomeNCAA D-II Independents (who both would later join the NCAA Division I ranks: Nicholls State to the TAAC, beginning the 1982–83 school year as a provisional member; and Southeastern Louisiana to theGulf Star Conference (GSC), beginning the 1984–85 school year) after the 1978–79 academic year.
1981 –Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University) joined the GSC in the 1981–82 academic year.
1983 –West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia) joined the GSC in the 1983–84 academic year.
1991 – Tennessee–Martin (UT Martin) and Troy State left the GSC to becomeNCAA D-II Independents (who both would later join the NCAA Division I ranks: Tennessee–Martin (UT Martin) to theOhio Valley Conference (OVC), beginning the 1992–93 school year; and Troy State to theEast Coast Conference (ECC), beginning the 1993–94 school year) after the 1990–91 academic year.
1993 – Jacksonville State left the GSC to become anNCAA D-II Independent (who would later join the NCAA Division I ranks and the TAAC, beginning the 1995–96 school year) after the 1992–93 academic year.
2009 – Montevallo left the GSC to join thePeach Belt Conference (PBC) after the 2008–09 academic year.
2011 – Arkansas Tech, Arkansas–Monticello, Harding, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas left the GSC to join with a few Oklahoma schools to form the newly createdGreat American Conference after the 2010–11 academic year. However, only Harding and Ouachita Baptist remained in the GSC as affiliate members for men's soccer just for the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
2011 –University of New Orleans joined the GSC as an associate member for some sports in the 2011–12 academic year.
2012 – New Orleans left the GSC to fully align with the NCAA Division I ranks (which would later join the Southland, beginning the 2013–14 school year) after the 2011–12 academic year.
2013 –Lee University joined the GSC in the 2013–14 academic year.
2013 –Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) joined the GSC as an affiliate member for football in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
2014 – Mississippi College rejoined the GSC in the 2014–15 academic year.
2014 –Spring Hill College joined the GSC as an affiliate member for women's golf, and men's & women's soccer, all effective in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
2015 –Young Harris College joined the GSC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse (with Montevallo rejoining for that sport) in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
2017 –Auburn University at Montgomery joined the GSC (with Montevallo rejoining for all sports) in the 2017–18 academic year.
2018 – North Alabama left the GSC to join the NCAA Division I ranks and theASUN Conference (formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference) after the 2017–18 academic year.
2018 –North Greenville University joined the GSC as an affiliate member for football in the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
2020 – Florida Tech left the GSC as an affiliate member for football due to the school discontinuing the sport after the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
2023 –Chowan University joins the GSC as an affiliate member for football in the 2023 and 2024 fall seasons (2023–24 and 2024–25 academic years).
2024 – Two institutions left the GSC to join in their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2023–24 academic year:
2024 –Erskine College joined the GSC as an affiliate for football in the 2024 fall season only (2024–25 academic year).
2025 – Chowan, Erskine, and North Greenville all left the GSC as affiliate members for football to move their programs to Conference Carolinas after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
2025 –Virginia State University joined the GSC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse in the 2026 spring season (2025–26 academic year).
^Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^abCharter member institution began competition for football during the 1970 fall season (1970–71 school year) as theMid-South Conference, due to scheduling issues; while later began competing for all sports as theGulf South Conference, beginning the 1971–72 school year.
^Mississippi College left the GSC after the 1995–96 school year to join NCAA Division III and theAmerican Southwest Conference; but later rejoined in the 2014–15 school year.
^Montevallo competed in the GSC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse from the 2016 to 2017 spring seasons (2015–16 to 2016–17 school years).
^Montevallo left the GSC after the 2008–09 school year to join thePeach Belt Conference, but later rejoined in the 2017–18 school year.
^abHarding and Ouachita Baptist competed in the GSC as affiliate members for men's soccer during the 2011 fall season (2011–12 school year).
^abcdCharter member institution began competition for football during the 1970 fall season (1970–71 school year) as theMid-South Conference, due to scheduling issues; while later began competing for all sports as theGulf South Conference, beginning the 1971–72 school year.
^New Orleans was a provisional full member in the GSC that competed in baseball, men's & women's cross country, men's & women's golf, men's & women's tennis, and women's volleyball during the 2011–12 school year. The Privateers would later return back to theNCAA Division I ranks, and subsequently joined theSouthland Conference, beginning the 2013 14 school–year.
The GSC sponsors competition in 8 men's sports and 9 women's sports. The conference began sponsoring women's lacrosse and men's / women's track & field in the 2015–16 school year.[13][14]
Valdosta State won 1979 baseball national championship prior to joining the GSC.
Mississippi College's 1989 football tournament participation and national championship were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for recruiting violations.
^Pickle, David (March 9, 2011)."GAC becomes 23rd DII conference".NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2011. RetrievedApril 18, 2011.
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