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Atlantic Sun Conference

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Atlantic Sun Conference
NameAtlantic Sun Conference
Established1978
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision I
SubdivisionNon-football
Members12
Sports19
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
CommissionerJeff Bacon
Since2023
RegionSoutheastern United States

Atlantic Sun Conference. The Atlantic Sun Conference is a collegiate athletic conference operating in the NCAA's Division I, primarily composed of universities in the Southeastern United States. Founded in 1978, it sponsors competition in nineteen sports and does not sponsor football. The conference is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and its member institutions compete for automatic bids to NCAA championships.

History

The conference was founded in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) by a group of universities seeking an alternative to the Sun Belt Conference. Charter members included Georgia State, Mercer, and Samford. In 2001, the league rebranded, adopting its current name to better reflect its geographic footprint along the Atlantic seaboard. Throughout its history, it has experienced significant membership turnover, with schools like the Central Florida, Florida International, and Belmont departing for other leagues such as Conference USA and the Ohio Valley Conference. Recent expansion has focused on adding universities in the Southeast transitioning from Division II, including the North Alabama and Queens.

Member institutions

The conference currently comprises twelve full member institutions. The full members are Austin Peay, the Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, the North Alabama, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, the North Florida, Queens, Stetson, and Bellarmine. Several schools, including Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and the Central Arkansas, maintain their football programs in other conferences like the United Athletic Conference. Associate members include the Alabama in Huntsville for men's ice hockey and Coastal Carolina for women's lacrosse.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors nineteen championship sports, nine for men and ten for women. Men's sponsored sports include basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include basketball, softball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, lacrosse, and beach volleyball.

Conference facilities

Member institutions compete in a variety of on-campus venues. Notable basketball arenas include Kennesaw State's Convocation Center, Florida Gulf Coast's Alico Arena, and Eastern Kentucky's Alumni Coliseum. Baseball is prominently featured at Florida Gulf Coast's Swanson Stadium and Stetson's Melching Field. Soccer and lacrosse are hosted at venues like the North Florida's Hodges Stadium and the Central Arkansas's Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex.

Championships

The conference awards championships in each sponsored sport, with winners receiving automatic qualification to NCAA tournaments. The men's basketball tournament, known for its "March Madness" automatic bid, has been won by programs like Florida Gulf Coast, which famously advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013. In baseball, teams such as Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast have made repeated NCAA regional appearances. The conference also crowns champions in women's soccer, softball, and women's lacrosse.

Commissioners

The conference has been led by several commissioners since its inception. The first commissioner was Bill Bibb, who served from the league's founding. He was succeeded by Ted Gumbart, who oversaw the conference's rebranding and expansion for over a decade. In 2023, Jeff Bacon, previously a senior executive with Learfield IMG College, was appointed as the current commissioner. The commissioner's office, located in Atlanta, manages media rights agreements with partners like ESPN and oversees conference championships and governance.

Category:NCAA Division I conferences Category:Athletic conferences in the United States Category:Sports in Atlanta Category:1978 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)