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The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) is a conference that competes in NCAA Division III. It was founded in 2011 by seven former members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) plus former D-III independent Berry College, and began play in 2012. It had no changes in membership until founding member Birmingham–Southern closed at the end of the 2023–24 school year.
The formation of the SAA was largely driven by the desire of certain SCAC members for a more geographically compact league. At the dawn of the 2010s, the SCAC had an unusually large geographic footprint for a D-III league, with members ranging from Indiana in the north to Texas in the south, plus an east-west span from Kentucky to Colorado.
A harbinger of the split came in 2010 when DePauw announced its departure for the North Coast Athletic Conference effective in 2011.[1] At that time, DePauw's place was taken by the University of Dallas, which became the SCAC's fourth Texas member.[2]
Shortly before DePauw's formal departure, the school's student newspaper reported that four SCAC members—Centre, Hendrix, Rhodes, and Sewanee—had notified the league that they planned to leave after the 2011–12 school year.[3] In June 2011, the four named schools, plus three other SCAC members (Birmingham–Southern, Millsaps, and Oglethorpe) and D-III independent Berry, announced they would form a new D-III conference that eventually became the SAA.[4]
After the closure of Birmingham–Southern, the next changes in membership will be in 2025, when charter member Hendrix will return to the SCAC and two current SCAC members, Southwestern and Trinity (TX), will become full SAA members. Trinity had joined SAA football in 2017, and Southwestern became an SAA football member in 2023.
Current members[]
| Institution | Location | Type | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry College | Mount Berry, Georgia | Private (nondenominational) | Vikings | 2012 |
| Centre College | Danville, Kentucky | Private (Presbyterian) | Colonels | 2012 |
| Hendrix College | Conway, Arkansas | Private (United Methodist) | Warriors | 2012 |
| Millsaps College | Jackson, Mississippi | Private (United Methodist) | Majors | 2012 |
| Oglethorpe University | Brookhaven, Georgia | Private (nonsectarian) | Stormy Petrels | 2012 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis, Tennessee | Private (Presbyterian) | Lynx | 2012 |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee, Tennessee | Private (Episcopal) | Tigers | 2012 |
Future members[]
| Institution | Location | Type | Nickname | Joining | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern University | Georgetown, Texas | Private (Methodist) | Pirates | 2025 | SCAC |
| Trinity University | San Antonio, Texas | Private (nonsectarian) | Tigers | 2025 | SCAC |
Former member[]
| Institution | Location | Type | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham–Southern College | Birmingham, Alabama | Private (United Methodist) | Panthers | 2012 | 2024 | None (closed in 2024) |
References[]
- ↑ "DePauw Accepts Invitation to Join North Coast Athletic Conference" (Press release). DePauw University. June 9, 2010. http://www.depauw.edu/athletics/news/details/25449/. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ↑ "University of Dallas to join Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference" (Press release). University of Dallas. September 22, 2010. http://www.udallasathletics.com/information/releases/SCAC. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ↑ Appelgate, Michael; Gaber, Leslie (May 4, 2011). "Four schools consider SCAC departure in 2012". The DePauw. http://www.thedepauw.com/sports/four-schools-consider-scac-departure-in-2012-1.2225563#.T-Te545lI0M. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Seven SCAC schools to form new DIII conference". NCAA. June 8, 2011. https://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/June/Seven+SCAC+schools+to+form+new+DIII+conference. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
External links[]
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