The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is a
college athletic conference affiliated with the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) at the
Division II level. The 10 member institutions are located in the
South Atlantic states of
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, and
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. In addition, seven affiliate members participate in one sport each; namely sports not sponsored by their home conferences.
Since its inception came in the 1990–91 school year, the Peach Belt has, across all sanctioned sports, produced 30 national champions and an additional 27 national finalists. Starting with only two championships in 1991, in men's and women's basketball, the conference has expanded to 18 championship sports with the addition of men's lacrosse in the summer of 2020 and men's and women's indoor track and field in 2023.
History
The conference traces its roots November 1988 when 11 schools first met in Greenville, S.C. to form a Division II conference. Following a second meeting on Dec. 3, 1989, five of those 11 schools, plus two others, formed the Peach Belt Athletic Conference and began play in the fall of 1990.
The seven charter members of the conference were
Armstrong Atlantic State University (later Armstrong State University),
Columbus State University,
Francis Marion University,
Georgia College
Georgia College & State University (Georgia College or GCSU) is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States. The university enrolls approximately 7,000 students and is a member of the University System of Georgi ...
(now Georgia College & State University),
Lander University,
USC Aiken, and
USC Spartanburg (now USC Upstate). The name Peach Belt Athletic Conference was adopted in January 1990 and modified to Peach Belt Conference in May 2000.
Augusta State University joined the conference as the eighth member in 1991 and
UNC Pembroke became the ninth member on July 1, 1992. They were followed by
Kennesaw State University on July 1, 1994,
Clayton State University on July 1, 1995 and the
University of North Florida on July 1, 1997. Kennesaw State and North Florida departed for the Division I ranks in 2005, USC Upstate did the same in 2007, and the conference welcomed in
North Georgia College & State University in 2005 and
Georgia Southwestern State University in 2006. In 2009–10, the
University of Montevallo and
Flagler College
Flagler College is a private university, private liberal arts college in St. Augustine, Florida. The school was founded in 1968 and offers 37 undergraduate majors and two master's programs. It also had a Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus, ...
were added, returning a league presence to Florida and breaking new ground in Alabama. In 2012–13, the Peach Belt expanded to 14 members, the most the league has ever had, with the addition of
Young Harris College. On January 8, 2013, the
University System of Georgia finalized the mergers of two conference members into new institutions. Augusta State was merged into Georgia Regents University, which was renamed in 2015 as
Augusta University, and NGCSU was merged into the
University of North Georgia. In both cases, the new institutions inherited the Peach Belt memberships of the older schools.
The Peach Belt was less than a year old before capturing its first of many national championships. The Columbus State men's golf team took the honor by winning the 1992 national crown, the first of three golf championships the Cougars own. One year later, the Lander men's tennis team began their record-breaking run of eight straight national titles, the first PBC dynasty. Since then, USCA men's golf won three straight national titles from 2004 to 2006 while AASU women's tennis captured four titles overall.
The 2010–11 season was one of the most memorable the league has ever had. Clayton State became the first PBC women's basketball team to capture a national championship. Montevallo watched their men's basketball team reach the Elite Eight, eventually competing in the National Championship Game. Unfortunately, their run came to an end with a loss to
Western Washington University
Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, s ...
. The Columbus State men's tennis team reached the national semifinals while the Clayton State and Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis teams also played in the national semifinals. The North Georgia softball team made an unprecedented third straight appearance in the NCAA Women's College World Series, while Columbus State's Meshack Koyiaki registered a runner-up finish at the Men's Cross Country National Championships. In all, 46 Peach Belt teams made appearances in the NCAA postseason, including seven men's tennis teams and six each in the sports of men's golf and women's tennis.
David Brunk was named the second PBC commissioner in May 2007, replacing Marvin Vanover, who was the first PBC commissioner from 1991 to 2007. Brunk is charged with continuing the strong growth of the conference as its second era begins.
Dr. Kendall Blanchard, president of Georgia Southwestern State University, began the second of his two-year term as the league president in July 2011.
In April 2020, Francis Marion University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced that they would leave the Peach Belt Conference starting in 2021–22, both joining
Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...
.
On April 14, 2021, the conference invited the
NAIA's
University of South Carolina Beaufort to join in 2022–23 after applying for membership in Division II and gaining acceptance into the NCAA. By July 14, 2022, USCB was accepted into the NAIA's
Continental Athletic Conference for its first year of provisional membership while still playing a Peach Belt schedule as part of the Sand Sharks' dual NAIA-NCAA membership. USCB is ineligible for a Peach Belt or NCAA postseason during the three-year transition.
The conference currently holds championships in 16 sports, eight for men and eight for women. The championship sports are men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball, men's and women's track & field, and men's and women's golf. Men's lacrosse was added on July 10, 2020, with its first season was in spring 2021, and men's and women's indoor track and field was added on August 11, 2023.
On December 13, 2023, the
Sunshine State Conference, primary home of PBC track affiliate
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (and former affiliate
Nova Southeastern University), announced it would start sponsoring men's and women's outdoor track & field in the 2025 spring season (2024–25 school year), and accordingly, both schools moved their respective programs to the SSC. Embry–Riddle would remain a PBC affiliate in men's and women's indoor track.
On January 10, 2024,
Middle Georgia State University announced that it had received an invitation by the PBC and would join the conference, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
Chronological timeline
* 1989 – On December 3, 1989, the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) was founded as the Peach Belt Athletic Conference (PBAC). Charter members included
Armstrong State College (later Armstrong Atlantic University before merging with Georgia Southern University),
Columbus College (now Columbus State University),
Francis Marion College (now Francis Marion University),
Georgia College
Georgia College & State University (Georgia College or GCSU) is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States. The university enrolls approximately 7,000 students and is a member of the University System of Georgi ...
(now Georgia College & State University),
Lander College (now Lander University), the
University of South Carolina at Aiken (USC Aiken) and the
University of South Carolina at Spartanburg (USC Spartanburg, now the University of South Carolina Upstate or USC Upstate), beginning the 1990–91 academic year.
* 1991 –
Augusta College (later Augusta State University, now Augusta University) joined the PBAC in the 1991–92 academic year.
* 1992 – The
Pembroke State University (now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, or UNC Pembroke) joined the PBAC in the 1992–93 academic year.
* 1994 –
Kennesaw State College (now Kennesaw State University) joined the PBAC in the 1994–95 academic year.
* 1995 –
Clayton State College (later Clayton College and State University, now Clayton State University) joined the PBAC in the 1995–96 academic year.
* 1997 – The
University of North Florida joined the PBAC in the 1997–98 academic year.
* 2000 – The PBAC was renamed by shortening its name to the Peach Belt Conference (PBC), beginning the 2000–01 academic year.
* 2005 – Kennesaw State and North Florida left the PBC to join the
Division I ranks
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) and the
Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) after the 2004–05 academic year.
* 2005 –
North Georgia College & State University (now the University of North Georgia) joined the PBC in the 2005–06 academic year.
* 2006 –
Georgia Southwestern State University joined the PBC in the 2006–07 academic year.
* 2007 – USC Upstate left the PBC to join the NCAA Division I ranks and the Atlantic Sun after the 2006–07 academic year.
* 2009 –
Flagler College
Flagler College is a private university, private liberal arts college in St. Augustine, Florida. The school was founded in 1968 and offers 37 undergraduate majors and two master's programs. It also had a Flagler College – Tallahassee Campus, ...
and the
University of Montevallo joined the PBC in the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2012 –
Young Harris College joined the PBC in the 2012–13 academic year.
* 2012 – The
University of Alabama in Huntsville,
Nova Southeastern University and
Shorter University joined the PBC as affiliate members for men's & women's outdoor track & field in the 2013 spring season (2012–13 academic year).
* 2014 – The
Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) joined the PBC as an affiliate member for men's & women's outdoor track & field in the 2015 spring season (2014–15 academic year).
* 2021 – Alabama–Huntsville (UAH) and Shorter left the PBC as affiliate members for men's & women's outdoor track & field after the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
* 2017 – Two institutions left the PBC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both after the 2016–17 academic year:
** Montevallo to rejoin the
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) 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.
History
Originally known as the ...
(GSC)
** and Armstrong State to discontinue its athletic program when it was merged into
Georgia Southern University
* 2017 – The Daytona Beach campus of
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University joined the PBC as an affiliate member for men's and women's outdoor track & field in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
* 2019 – Two institutions joined the PBC as affiliate members, both effective in the 2019–20 academic year:
**
Albany State University for women's soccer
** and
Claflin University for baseball
* 2021
** Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke left the PBC to join the
Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...
(CC) after the 2020–21 academic year.
** Nova Southeastern left the PBC as an affiliate member for men's and women's outdoor track & field after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year).
** Alabama–Huntsville (UAH) and Shorter rejoined the PBC as affiliate members for men's lacrosse (with former full member Montevallo also rejoining that sport) in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
**
Savannah State University joined the PBC as an affiliate member for women's golf in the 2021–22 academic year.
* 2022 – The
University of South Carolina at Beaufort (South Carolina–Beaufort or USC Beaufort) joined the PBC in with the 2022–23 academic year.
* 2023
** Young Harris left the PBC to join the
Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...
(CC) after the 2022–23 academic year.
**
Central State University (and Embry–Riddle adding the sport into its PBC affiliate membership) joined the PBC as an affiliate member for men's and women's indoor track & field in the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year).
* 2024
** Embry–Riddle left the PBC as an affiliate member for men's and women's outdoor track & field after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year); although Embry–Riddle would remain in the conference for men's and women's indoor track & field.
** Shorter left the PBC to join the Conference Carolinas for all sports after the 2023–24 academic year, including its PBC affiliated sport of men's lacrosse.
**
Edward Waters University joined the PBC as an affiliate member for women's golf in the 2024–25 academic year.
* 2025
**
Middle Georgia State University will join the PBC beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
**
Salem University will join the PBC as an affiliate member for women's volleyball in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).
Member schools
Current members
The PBC currently has 10 full members, with all but one being
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
schools. Reclassifying members listed in yellow.
;Notes:
Future member
The PBC will have one new full member, also a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
school.
;Notes:
Affiliate members
The PBC currently has eight affiliate members, three being
private schools and five being public.
;Notes:
Future affiliate members
;Notes:
Former members
The PBC has eight former full members, all but one are
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
schools:
;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The PBC has five former affiliate members, one was a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
school, while four were
private schools:
;Notes:
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1990 till:2030
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
id:MSCF value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved its football to another conference
PlotData =
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1990 till:2017 text: Armstrong State (1990–2017)
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1990 till:end text: Columbus State (1990–present)
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1990 till:2021 text:Francis Marion
Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...
(1990–2021)
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:Carolinas
The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, 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 (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1990 till:end text:Georgia College
Georgia College & State University (Georgia College or GCSU) is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States. The university enrolls approximately 7,000 students and is a member of the University System of Georgi ...
(1990–present)
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1990 till:end text: Lander (1990–present)
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1990 till:end text: USC Aiken (1990–present)
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1990 till:2007 text: USC Upstate (1990–2007)
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2018 text: Atlantic Sun
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2018 till:end text: Big South
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1991 till:end text: Augusta (1991–present)
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1992 till:2021 text: UNC Pembroke (1992–2021)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:end text:Carolinas
The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, 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 (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1994 till:2005 text: Kennesaw State (1994–2005)
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2025 text: Atlantic Sun
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2025 till:end text: C-USA
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1995 till:end text: Clayton State (1995–present)
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1997 till:2005 text: North Florida (1997–2005)
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:end text: Atlantic Sun
bar:13 color:FullxF from:2005 till:end text: North Georgia (2005–present)
bar:14 color:FullxF from:2006 till:end text: Georgia Southwestern State (2006–present)
bar:15 color:FullxF from:2009 till:end text: Flagler (2009–present)
bar:16 color:FullxF from:2009 till:2017 text: Montevallo (2009–2017)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2017 till:2021 text: Gulf South
bar:16 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end text: Gulf South (2021–present; PBC m.lax.)
bar:17 color:FullxF from:2012 till:2023 text: Young Harris (2012–2023)
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:Carolinas
The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, 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 (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2016 text: Alabama–Huntsville (2012–2016)
bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end text:(2021–present)
bar:19 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2021 text: Nova Southeastern (2012–2021)
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2016 text: Shorter (2012–2016)
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:2024 text:(2021–2024)
bar:21 color:AssocOS from:2014 till:2018 text: Florida Tech (2014–2018)
bar:22 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:end text: Embry–Riddle (2017–present)
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text: Albany State (2019–present)
bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text: Claflin (2019–present)
bar:25 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end text: Savannah State (2021–present)
bar:26 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:2023 text: USC Beaufort (2022–present)
bar:26 color:FullxF from:2023 till:end text:
bar:27 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text: Central State (2023–present)
bar:28 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text: Edward Waters (2024–present)
bar:29 shift:(-60) color:FullxF from:2025 till:end text: Middle Georgia State (2025–future)
bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text: Salem (2025–future)
bar:N color:green from:1990 till:2000 text:Peach Belt Athletic Conference
bar:N color:orange from:2000 till:end text:Peach Belt Conference
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1990
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textcolor:black
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text:^"Peach Belt 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.
<#
Sports
Men's sponsored sports by school
Departing members/teams in pink.
;Notes:
Women's sponsored sports by school
Departing members/teams in pink.
;Notes:
Other sponsored sports by school
;Notes:
Championships
References
External links
*
{{NCAA Division II conferences
Sports in the Southern United States