Atlantic Sun Conference

Atlantic Sun Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that operates in the Southeastern United States, comprising schools from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The conference is a member of the NCAA and competes at the Division I level, with its teams regularly competing against those from the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, and Conference USA. The conference has undergone several changes since its inception, with schools such as Georgia State University, Campbell University, and Belmont University having been members in the past, while current members include Stetson University, Jacksonville University, and University of North Florida. The conference has also had partnerships with other athletic conferences, including the Ohio Valley Conference and the Southern Conference.

● History

The Atlantic Sun Conference was founded in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference, with charter members including Georgia Southern University, University of South Carolina Upstate, and Mercer University. Over the years, the conference has undergone several name changes, becoming the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, and has seen the addition of new member schools such as Florida Gulf Coast University, Kennesaw State University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. The conference has also been led by several notable commissioners, including Bill Bibb and Ted Gumbart, who have played a significant role in shaping the conference's history and direction. The conference has also been affiliated with several notable athletic directors, including Jim Senter of University of North Florida and Lee Moon of Kennesaw State University, who have worked to promote the conference's athletic programs and secure partnerships with other conferences, such as the Colonial Athletic Association and the America East Conference.

● Member Schools

The Atlantic Sun Conference currently consists of nine member schools, including Stetson University, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of Central Arkansas, and Austin Peay State University. These schools are located in the Southeastern United States and compete against each other in various sports, including basketball, baseball, and volleyball. The member schools have also been affiliated with other athletic conferences, including the ASUN Conference's former members, such as Belmont University, which is now a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, and East Tennessee State University, which is now a member of the Southern Conference. The conference's member schools have also produced several notable athletes, including Chris Sale of Florida Gulf Coast University and Adam Brett Walker of Jacksonville University, who have gone on to compete in professional sports leagues, such as Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.

● Championships

The Atlantic Sun Conference sponsors several championships in various sports, including men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, and volleyball. The conference's championship games are often held at neutral sites, such as the Hartman Arena in Wichita, Kansas, and the UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. The conference's member schools have also won several national championships, including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, which was won by Florida Gulf Coast University in 2013, and the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which was won by Stetson University in 2018. The conference has also been affiliated with several notable coaches, including Joe Dooley of Florida Gulf Coast University and Tony Jasick of Jacksonville University, who have led their teams to conference championships and national tournament appearances, including the NCAA Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament.

● Sports Sponsored

The Atlantic Sun Conference sponsors several sports, including men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's cross country, and women's cross country. The conference's member schools also offer several other sports, including men's tennis, women's tennis, men's golf, and women's golf, which are not sponsored by the conference but are still competed at the NCAA Division I level. The conference has also been affiliated with several notable athletic facilities, including the Swisher Gymnasium at Jacksonville University and the Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University, which have hosted several conference championship games and national tournament games, including the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship and the College Basketball Invitational.

● Conference Facilities

The Atlantic Sun Conference does not have a central office or conference facility, but its member schools have several notable athletic facilities, including the JSU Stadium at Jacksonville State University, the UNF Arena at University of North Florida, and the FGCU Soccer Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University. These facilities have hosted several conference championship games and national tournament games, including the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship and the NCAA Women's Division I Volleyball Championship. The conference's member schools have also invested in several other athletic facilities, including the Kennesaw State University Convocation Center and the Lipscomb University's Allen Arena, which have hosted several conference games and national tournament games, including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The conference has also been affiliated with several notable events, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, which have been hosted by its member schools and have featured teams from other conferences, such as the Big 12 Conference and the Pac-12 Conference.