USA South Athletic Conference

USA South Athletic Conference
Name	USA South Athletic Conference
Established	1963
Association	NCAA
Division	NCAA Division III
Members	10
Sports	18
Region	Southeastern United States
Headquarters	Fayetteville, North Carolina
Commissioner	Dr. Tom Hart

USA South Athletic Conference. The USA South Athletic Conference is a NCAA Division III athletic conference comprising private colleges and universities primarily in the Southeastern United States. Founded in 1963 as the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, it adopted its current name in 2003. The conference sponsors championships in 18 sports and is headquartered in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

History

The conference was founded in 1963 as the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, with charter members including Guilford College, Emory & Henry College, and Hampden–Sydney College. A significant early period of expansion occurred in the late 1980s and 1990s, adding institutions like Christopher Newport University and North Carolina Wesleyan College. The league rebranded as the USA South Athletic Conference in 2003 to better reflect its geographic scope beyond the traditional "Dixie" label. The conference has undergone substantial membership changes, most notably with the 2013 departure of several schools to form the new Old Dominion Athletic Conference football league and the 2022 exit of Christopher Newport University to the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference.

Member institutions

The conference currently has 10 full member institutions. The full members include Brevard College, Greensboro College, and Huntingdon College. Other members are LaGrange College, Maryville College, and Methodist University. The roster is completed by Pfeiffer University, Covenant College, Southern Virginia University, and William Peace University. Several schools, such as Brevard College and Southern Virginia University, joined in the 2010s following shifts in other conferences like the South Atlantic Conference and the Capital Athletic Conference.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and nine women's sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, and wrestling. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Some sports, like wrestling and lacrosse, are offered as single-sport conferences or through affiliate membership agreements with other leagues such as the Midwest Conference.

Conference championships

The conference awards team and individual championships in each sponsored sport, with automatic qualification to NCAA Division III championships for most winners. Historically dominant programs include the Christopher Newport University women's basketball team, which won multiple titles before its departure, and the Methodist University golf programs, which have claimed numerous national championships. The Maryville College football team and the Covenant College baseball team have also been frequent contenders for conference titles. Championship events are often held at campus sites, including the Brevard College track and the LaGrange College softball complex.

Conference facilities

Member institutions host championships at various on-campus venues. Notable facilities include the Methodist University golf course, which has hosted the NCAA Division III national championships, and the Huntingdon College football stadium. Other significant venues are the Neal Field at LaGrange College for baseball, the March F. Riddle Center at Pfeiffer University for basketball, and the William Peace University soccer field. The conference basketball tournaments have frequently been held at the Reynolds Center on the campus of Greensboro College.

Notable alumni

Conference alumni have achieved success in professional sports, coaching, and other fields. Notable athletes include Major League Baseball player Jerry Sands (Catawba College), National Football League veteran Rico Council (Methodist University), and professional golfer Pete McDaniel (Methodist University). Coaching figures include former National Basketball Association coach Mike D'Antoni (Marshall University, though his brother Dan D'Antoni coached at Marshall University and played at Guilford College). Other distinguished alumni span fields beyond athletics, such as U.S. Congressman Mark Walker (Greensboro College).

Category:NCAA Division III conferences Category:Athletic conferences in the United States Category:Sports in North Carolina Category:Sports in the Southern United States Category:1963 establishments in North Carolina