Elon University has accepted an invitation to join the Southern Conference, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious NCAA Division I athletics conferences. Elon will officially become a league member on July 1, 2003. The Southern Conference Executive Committee extended the invitation May 30, following its spring meeting in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
“This is an exciting day for Elon University and its athletics program,” Elon President Leo M. Lambert said at a May 31 news conference. “Elon has associated academically with Southern Conference schools for many years, and our teams have competed against those schools in all sports. Elon students, faculty, staff and alumni are familiar with the commitment to superior academic programs at Southern Conference schools, and our fans look forward to spirited athletic rivalries and successful seasons.”
“I am proud and excited as Elon makes another bold step forward, this time into the Southern Conference,” said Athletics Director Alan White. “The Southern Conference name is highly regarded in athletics circles, and this association will be a source of pride for our coaches, student-athletes, alumni and friends. We look forward to becoming a competitive, active member of the conference.”
Elon will end its current membership in the Big South Conference following the 2002-03 academic year. The Southern Conference membership will remain at 12 after Elon joins, since current member Virginia Military Institute will join the Big South in 2003.
This latest move completes a dramatic period of transition for Elon’s athletics program, which joined the NCAA at the Division II level in 1991. Just six years
later, Elon joined the Division I ranks in all sports except for football, where it competes as a I-AA member.
In recent years, Elon has made substantial investments in athletics programs, scholarships and facilities, highlighted by the opening of Rhodes Stadium in September 2001, major renovations to Walter C. Latham Baseball Park and the scheduled opening of Irwin Belk Track this fall.
Prior to 1991, Elon built a solid reputation as a longtime member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), winning four national championships in football, men’s golf and men’s tennis, along with numerous conference and district titles.
Elon sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports. Men’s sports include football, cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and tennis. Women’s sports include volleyball, cross country, track and indoor track, soccer, basketball, softball, golf and tennis.
The Southern Conference, with headquarters in Asheville, N.C., is the nation’s fourth oldest Division I conference. Formed in 1921, the league was the forerunner to the modern day Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. Charter members included the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, the University of Virginia and Clemson University. Other members throughout the years have included the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond, Duke University and Wake Forest University.
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The conference’s current membership includes:
- Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.
- College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C.
- The Citadel, Charleston, S.C.
- Davidson College, Davidson, N.C.
- East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tenn.
- Furman University, Greenville, S.C.
- Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Ga.
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, N.C.
- University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va.
- Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C.
- Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C.