Logo for the Collegiate Conference of the South.
The Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) is an athletic conference which competes in the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Member schools are located in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
CCS was formed in February 2022, with play starting in the 2022–23 school year, by an amicable split of the USA South Athletic Conference, which before the split was the largest conference in any NCAA division with 19 members. The split, agreed to by the conference presidents, created two more geographically compact leagues, although CCS remains one of the more geographically sprawling D-III conferences.[1] Of the 19 pre-split members, eight left to form CCS, 10 remained in the USA South, and one left for a third conference. Belhaven, which had previously been announced as a 2022 USA South entry, also joined CCS.
Unlike its parent conference, CCS does not sponsor football. Under terms of the separation agreement, all football-playing CCS members continue to play that sport in the USA South.
Current members[]
All CCS members to date have been private and faith-based schools. The only members not linked to one or more specific Christian denominations are former member Berea and current member Asbury, though Asbury is historically associated with the Methodist movement. Two of the charter and current members, Agnes Scott and Wesleyan, are women's colleges.
Maryville will leave in 2025 for the Southern Athletic Association.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes Scott College | Decatur, Georgia | 1889 | 914 | Scotties | 2022 |
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | 1,054 | Eagles | 2024 |
| Belhaven University | Jackson, Mississippi | 1883 | 3,245 | Blazers | 2022 |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, Georgia | 1955 | 1,282 | Scots & Lady Scots | 2022 |
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, Alabama | 1854 | 900 | Hawks | 2022 |
| LaGrange College | LaGrange, Georgia | 1831 | 1,137 | Panthers | 2022 |
| Maryville College | Maryville, Tennessee | 1819 | 1,103 | Scots | 2022 |
| Piedmont University | Demorest, Georgia | 1897 | 2,640 | Lions | 2022 |
| Wesleyan College | Macon, Georgia | 1836 | 550 | Wolves | 2022 |
Former members[]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berea College | Berea, Kentucky | 1855 | Mountaineers | 2022 | 2024 | HCAC |
References[]
- ↑ "USA South Announces Conference Restructuring". USA South Athletic Conference. February 18, 2022. https://www.usasouth.net/general/2021-22/releases/20220215h90h97.