National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
(NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the south ...
in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
, and
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
.
History
The conference is the successor to the
Volunteer State Athletic Conference
The Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) was a college athletic conference which was predominantly for smaller colleges in the U.S. state of Tennessee. and later the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC) that operated during the 1980s and 1990s. The Appalachian Athletic Conference was formed in 2000 with the additions of members from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. In 2019 the conference added Kentucky Christian University as a full member and Savannah College of Art and Design as an associate member in men's and women's lacrosse.
Bluefield College
Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus is about from the state line between Virginia and West Virg ...
was a member of the AAC from 2000 until 2012 when it left to join the
Mid-South Conference
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, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lo ...
. On March 3, 2014, Bluefield announced that it would return to the AAC in fall 2014.
Chronological timeline
* 2000 - In 2000, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) was founded from the remnants of the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC). Charter members included
Bryan College
Bryan College is a private Christian college in Dayton, Tennessee. It was founded in the aftermath of the 1925 Scopes Trial to establish an institution of higher education that would teach from a Christian worldview.
History
During the Sco ...
,
Brevard College
Brevard College is a private college in Brevard, North Carolina. The college grants the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.
History
Brevard College was named for Ephraim Brevard, a teacher and one of the local leaders that produ ...
Alice Lloyd College
Alice Lloyd College is a private work college in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. It was co-founded by the journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd (a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts) and June Buchanan (a native of New York City) in 1923, at first unde ...
,
Bluefield College
Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The campus is about from the state line between Virginia and West Virg ...
(now Bluefield University), and Montreat College, beginning the 2000-01 academic year
* 2002 -
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
joined the AAC in the 2002-03 academic year.
* 2005 - Alice Lloyd left the AAC to re-join the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now the River States Conference) after the 2004–05 academic year.
* 2006 - Brevard left the AAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
South Atlantic Conference
The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...
, beginning in the 2008–09 academic year) after the 2005–06 academic year.
* 2009 - Covenant left the AAC and the NAIA to join the
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their ...
Great South Athletic Conference
The Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) was an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions were located nationwide, but was originally based in the southeastern United States.
History
Th ...
(GSAC), beginning the 2010–11 academic year) after the 2008–09 academic year.
* 2009 - King (Tenn.) left the AAC to become an NAIA Independent (to later join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent during the 2010–11 academic year; before join
Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisi ...
, beginning the 2011–12 academic year) after the 2008–09 academic year.
* 2009 -
Reinhardt College
Reinhardt University is a private university in Waleska, Georgia. The university has an off-campus center in Alpharetta and offers some programs in Cartersville, Marietta, and Canton, and online. Reinhardt is affiliated with the United Method ...
(now Reinhardt University) joined the AAC in the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2010 - UVa Wise left the AAC to join the
Mid-South Conference
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, Ohio, and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Lo ...
(MSC) after the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2011 - Columbia College and Point University (formerly Atlanta Christian College) joined the AAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 - Bluefield left the AAC to join the Mid-South after the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 -
St. Andrews University
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
Truett McConnell University
Truett McConnell University is a private Baptist university in Cleveland, Georgia. It is operated under the auspices of the Georgia Baptist Convention and controlled by a board of trustees elected by the convention. The university was named to ho ...
joined the AAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 - Virginia Intermont left the AAC when the school announced its closure after the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 - Bluefield re-joined back to the AAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
* 2015 - Asbury University and the University of the Cumberlands joined the AAC as affiliate members for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
* 2016 - West Virginia University Institute of Technology (West Virginia Tech) joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2016 - Allen University joined the AAC in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2017 -
Brenau University
Brenau University is a private university with its historic campus in Gainesville, Georgia. Founded in 1878, the university enrolls more than 2,800 students from approximately 48 states and 17 foreign countries who seek degrees ranging from assoc ...
joined the AAC in the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2017 - Georgetown College joined the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse, while West Virginia Tech added men's wrestling to its AAC affiliate membership, both effective in the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2018 - Cumberlands (Ky.) and Georgetown (Ky.) left the AAC as affiliate members for women's lacrosse to compete in their primary home conference in the Mid-South (where they began sponsoring that sport) after the 2017–18 academic year.
* 2018 - Columbia International University joined the AAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
* 2019 - Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse as the school announced to discontinue the sport in mid-season after the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
* 2019 - Kentucky Christian University joined the AAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
* 2019 - Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
* 2020 - Allen left the AAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and to re-join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after the 2019–20 academic year.
* 2020 - Webber International University joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year).
* 2021 - Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
* 2021 - The Tennessee campus of
Johnson University
Johnson University is a private Christian university with its main campus in Kimberlin Heights, Tennessee, and a second campus in Kissimmee, Florida. It is affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, a branch of the Restorati ...
joined the AAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
* 2021 - Keiser University joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
* 2022 - Seven institutions will join the AAC as affiliate members: Life University for men's volleyball and men's wrestling; Warner University and Webber International for men's volleyball; Keiser, Brewton-Parker College, St. Thomas University, and Southeastern University for men's wrestling, beginning the 2022–23 academic year. Point announced its departure from the conference in 2023–24 for the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).
* 2022 - The AAC will begin sponsor football, with core members Bluefield, Kentucky Christian, Point, Reinhardt, St. Andrews, and Union (Ky.) in the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
Member schools
Current members
The AAC currently has 16 full members, all are
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools. It is the largest conference in the NAIA:
;Notes:
Affiliate members
The AAC currently has ten affiliate members, all but one are
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Former members
The AAC had seven former full members, all but one were
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The AAC had two former affiliate members, both were
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
schools:
;Notes:
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:2000 till:2028
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5
Colors =
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
PlotData =
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2005 text: Alice Lloyd (2000–2005)
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:end text: River States
bar:2 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2012 text: Bluefield (2000–2012)
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2014 text:
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to:
* Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri
* East South Central States, a region of the United States
* Memphis metropolitan area, Tennessee, U ...
South Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2017 till:end text: USA South
bar:5 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2009 text: Covenant (2000–2009)
bar:5 shift:(-20) color:OtherC1 from:2009 till:2010 text: D-III Ind.
bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2010 till:2012 text: Great South
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2013 text: D-III Ind.
bar:5 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2022 text: USA South
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text: C.C. of the South
bar:6 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2009 text: King (Tenn.) (2000–2009)
bar:6 shift:(-20) color:OtherC1 from:2009 till:2010 text: NAIA Ind.
bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2010 till:2011 text: D-II Ind.
bar:6 shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text:
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nor ...
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to:
* Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri
* East South Central States, a region of the United States
* Memphis metropolitan area, Tennessee, U ...
South Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...
St. Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's four ...
Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to:
Buildings
* Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
* Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas
* Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...
West Virginia Tech
West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech, WVIT, WVU Beckley, or West Virginia Tech) is a public college in Beckley, West Virginia. It is a divisional campus of West Virginia University.
History
The college was founded in 1895 ...
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
(m. volleyball, m. wrestling, 2022–present)
bar:33 shift:(-30) color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text: St. Thomas (Fla.) (m. wrestling, 2022–present)
bar:34 shift:(-30) color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text: Southeastern (Fla.) (m. wrestling, 2022–present)
bar:35 shift:(-30) color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text: Warner (m. volleyball, 2022–present)
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text:^"Appalachian Athletic Conference membership history"
#> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
<#
Conference sports
The Appalachian Athletic Conference currently fields 24 sports (13 men's and 11 women's):