USA South Athletic Conference
The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or the Dixie Conference) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky.
| USA South Athletic Conference | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1963 |
| Association | NCAA |
| Division | Division III |
| Members | 18 (19 in 2021) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Region | South |
| Former names | Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Dixie Conference |
| Headquarters | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| Commissioner | Dr. Tom Hart |
| Website | usasouth.net |
| Locations | |
 | |
History
The Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was founded in 1963 as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) with the philosophy that participation would be strictly amateur, so no athletic financial aid or scholarships would be awarded by its affiliate institutions. The six charter members were Charlotte College, College of Charleston, Methodist College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and Lynchburg College.[1] In 1973, when the National Collegiate Athletic Association divided into a three-division format, the Dixie Conference left the NAIA and moved into the non-scholarship NCAA Division III.[1]
On June 30, 2003, the conference changed to its name to the USA South Athletic Conference.[2]
During the 2010–11 school year, changes to the membership of the USA South were announced. Three colleges announced plans to join the USA South Conference beginning in the 2012–13 season while one will depart the league. Piedmont College,[3] LaGrange College [4] and Maryville College joined the Great South Athletic Conference on July 1, 2012.
Shenandoah University left the USA South on July 1, 2012, to become a full member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, a league in which it held associate membership in several sports.
Christopher Newport University left the USA South after the 2012-2013 season to join the Capital Athletic Conference in all sports except for football which will remain a USA South affiliate member through the 2015 season.
On May 10, 2012, Covenant College and Huntingdon College announced plans to leave the Great South and join USA South Athletic Conference beginning in the 2013-2014 season.
On May 6, 2015, the USA South announced that Agnes Scott College, Salem College, and Wesleyan College would leave the Great South Athletic Conference and join the USA South beginning in the 2016–17 school year.[5] The conference announced the future arrival of three more schools during the 2015–16 school year. First, it announced on December 9, 2015 that Brevard College, transitioning from the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference to Division III, would join for 2017–18 and beyond.[6] Then, on May 4, 2016, two more incoming members were announced: Berea College, nearing completion of a transition from the NAIA to Division III, and Pfeiffer University, transitioning from the Division II Conference Carolinas to Division III. Both joined in 2017–18 as well.[7]
On June 27, 2017, Ferrum College, a conference member since 1988, announced that it would leave for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference after the 2017–18 school year.[8]
The most recent change to the USA South membership was announced on December 11, 2019, with the addition of Southern Virginia University who will join in the 2021–22 academic year.[9]
Member schools
Current members
- Notes
† - Women's college, therefore not competing in men's sports.
^ - Football-playing member
Future members
| Institution | Location | Nickname | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Joining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Virginia University^ | Buena Vista, Virginia | Knights | 1867 | Private/LDS Church | 1,106 | 2021 |
Former members
Membership timeline
Sports
The conference sponsors championships in the following sports:
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  | |
| Basketball | | |
| Cross Country | | |
| Football | | |
| Golf | | |
| Lacrosse | | |
| Soccer | | |
| Softball | | |
| Track and field (outdoor) | | |
| Tennis | | |
| Volleyball | |
Conference facilities
Future member Southern Virginia in gray.
| School | Football | Basketball | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | |
| Agnes Scott | Non-football school | -- | Woodruff Athletic Complex | -- |
| Averett | Cougars Den | 5,000 | Grant Center | 2,500 |
| Berea | Non-football school | -- | Seabury Center Arena | 2,000 |
| Brevard | Brevard Memorial Stadium | 5,000 | Boshamer Gymnasium | 1,000 |
| Covenant | Non-football school | -- | Barnes Physical Education Center | 650 |
| Greensboro | Jamieson Stadium | 10,000 | Hanes Gymnasium | 850 |
| Huntingdon | Charles Lee Field at Samford Stadium | 2,500 | Catherine Dixon Roland Arena | 976 |
| LaGrange | Callaway Stadium | 5,000 | Mariotti Gymnasium | 500 |
| Maryville | Lloyd L. Thornton Stadium | 3,000 | Boydson-Baird Gymnasium | 2,000 |
| Mary Baldwin | Non-football school | -- | MBC Physical Activities Center | -- |
| Meredith | Non-football school | -- | Weatherspoon Gymnasium | 500 |
| Methodist | Monarch Field | 1,500 | March F. Riddle Center | 1,200 |
| North Carolina Wesleyan | Rocky Mount Athletic Stadium[10] | 5,000 | Everett Gymnasium | 800 |
| Pfeiffer | Non-football school | -- | Merner Gymnasium | 1,500 |
| Piedmont | Non-football school | -- | Johnny Mize Athletic Center and Cave Arena[11] | 1500 |
| Salem | Non-football school | -- | Spirit Center | -- |
| Southern Virginia | Knight Stadium | 1,000 | Knight Arena | 525 |
| Wesleyan | Non-football school | -- | Porter Gymnasium | -- |
| William Peace | Non-football school | -- | Hermann Center | 1,000 |
References
- 2007 Football Media Guide (PDF), USA South Athletic Conference, archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-03, retrieved 2008-04-28
- "Dixie Conference Chooses New Name", Greensboro News Record, pp. C1, 2003-02-03
- McCormack, Timmy (11 April 2011). "Piedmont College Announces Plan To Join USA South Athletic Conference". Piedmont College Athletics. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- "LaGrange College accepts invitation to join USA South Athletic Conference". LaGrange Panthers. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- "Agnes Scott, Salem and Wesleyan Set to Join USA South". May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- "Brevard College Set to Join USA South" (Press release). USA South Athletic Conference. December 9, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
- "Berea College and Pfeiffer University Set to Join USA South" (Press release). USA South Athletic Conference. May 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- "ODAC Membership Set to Expand with Inclusion of Ferrum College" (Press release). Old Dominion Athletic Conference. June 27, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
- "Southern Virginia Set to Join USA South" (Press release). Southern Virginia University Athletics. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- http://ncwesleyan.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201307313ogh1r
- "Johnny Mize Athletic Center with Video". Piedmont Lions. Piedmont College. Retrieved 12 April 2014.