Appalachian Athletic Conference
The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference that competes in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competition.[1] Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.[1] The conference is the successor to the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC), which began in the 1940s;[1] and later the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC) that operated during the 1980s and 1990s.[1] The Appalachian Athletic Conference was formed in 2001 with the additions of members from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina.[1] In 2019 the conference added Kentucky Christian University as a full member and Savannah College of Art and Design as an associate member in Men's and Women's lacrosse.[2]
| Appalachian Athletic Conference | |
|---|---|
| AAC | |
 | |
| Established | 2001 |
| Association | NAIA |
| Members | 16 |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Region | Southeastern United States |
| Headquarters | Asheville, North Carolina |
| Commissioner | Col. John Sullivan |
| Website | aacsports.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
Bluefield College was a member of the AAC from 2001 until 2012 when it left to join the Mid-South Conference. On March 3, 2014, Bluefield College announced that it would return to the AAC effective fall 2014.[3]
Membership history
- 2001 - On 2001, the AAC was founded from the remnants of the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC). Charter members included Bryan College, Brevard College, King College (now King University), Milligan College (now Milligan University), Tennessee Wesleyan College (now Tennessee Wesleyan University), Virginia Intermont College and the University of Virginia–Wise; as well as the additions of Alice Lloyd College, Bluefield College, Montreat College and Union College.
- 2005 - Alice Lloyd left the AAC to re-join the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC), now the River States Conference, effectively the 2004-05 academic year.
- 2006 - Brevard left the AAC to become an NCAA Division II independent school (to later join the South Athletic Conference in the 2008-09 season), effectively the 2005-06 academic year.
- 2009 - Covenant left the AAC to join the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) of the NCAA Division III, effectively the 2008-09 academic year.
- 2009 - King (Tenn.) left the AAC to become an NAIA independent school (to later become an NCAA Division II indepdenent school in the 2010-11 season, to later join Conference Carolinas in the 2011-12 season), effectively the 2008-09 academic year.
- 2009 - Reinhardt College (now Reinhardt University) joined the AAC, effectively the 2009-10 academic year.
- 2010 - Virginia–Wise left the AAC to join the Mid-South Conference, effectively the 2009-10 academic year.
- 2011 - Columbia College and Point University (formerly Atlanta Christian College) join the AAC, effectively the 2011-12 academic year.
- 2012 - Bluefield left the AAC to join the Mid-South Conference, effectively the 2011-12 academic year.
- 2012 - St. Andrews University (formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College) and Savannah College of Art and Design at Atlanta join the AAC, effectively the 2012-13 academic year.
- 2013 - Truett McConnell University joins the AAC, effectively the 2013-14 academic year.
- 2014 - Virginia Intermont left the AAC due to the school's closure, effectively the 2013-14 academic year.
- 2014 - Bluefield re-joins the AAC, effectively the 2014-15 academic year.
- 2015 - Three institutions join the AAC as associate members, effectively the 2015-16 academic year. These institutions are: Asbury University the University of the Cumberlands on men's and women's lacrosse; and West Virginia University Institute of Technology (West Virginia Tech) on men's and women's swimming.
- 2016 - Allen University joins the AAC, effectively the 2016-17 academic year.
- 2017 - Brenau University joins the AAC, effectively the 2017-18 academic year.
- 2018 - Columbia International University joins the AAC, effectively the 2018-19 academic year.
- 2019 - Kentucky Christian University joins the AAC, effectively the 2019-20 academic year.
- 2019 - Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah joins the AAC as an associate member on men's and women's lacrosse, effectively the 2019-20 academic year.
- 2020 - Allen left the AAC to re-join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), effectively the 2019-20 academic year.
- 2021 - The Tennessee campus of Johson University joins the AAC, effectively the 2021-22 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The league currently has 16 full members. It is the largest conference in the NAIA.[2]
Affiliate members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Sport | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | Private (Christian) | 1,300 | Eagles | 2015 | lacrosse (M); lacrosse (W) |
River States |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia | 1978 | Private (nonprofit art school) | 10,584 | Bees | 2019 | lacrosse (M); lacrosse (W) |
The Sun |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, Kentucky | 1887 | Private (Christian) | 1,743 | Patriots | 2015 | lacrosse (M); lacrosse (W) |
Mid-South |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, West Virginia | 1895 | Public | 2,252 | Golden Bears | 2016 | swimming (M); swimming (W) |
River States |
Former members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, Kentucky | 1925 | Private (Christian) | Eagles | 2001 | 2005 | River States |
| Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | 1870 | Private (A.M.E. Church) | Yellow Jackets | 2016 | 2020 | SIAC (NCAA D-II) |
| Brevard College | Brevard, North Carolina | 1853 | Private (United Methodist) | Tornados | 2001 | 2006 | USA South (NCAA D-III) |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, Georgia | 1955 | Private (Presbyterian – PCA) | Scots | 2001 | 2009 | USA South (NCAA D-III) |
| King College | Bristol, Tennessee | 1867 | Private (Presbyterian) | Tornados | 2001 | 2009 | Carolinas (NCAA D-II) |
| Virginia Intermont College | Bristol, Virginia | 1884 | Private (Baptist) | Cobras | 2001 | 2014 | Closed in 2014 |
| University of Virginia's College at Wise | Wise, Virginia | 1954 | Public | Highland Cavaliers[lower-alpha 3] | 2001 | 2010 | South Atlantic (NCAA Division II) |
Membership timeline
Full member (non-football) Associate member (sport)
Conference sports
The Appalachian Athletic Conference currently fields 20 sports (10 men's and 10 women's):
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  | |
| Basketball | | |
| Cross Country | | |
| Golf | | |
| Lacrosse | | |
| Soccer | | |
| Softball | | |
| Tennis | | |
| Track & Field Outdoor | | |
| Track & Field Indoor | | |
| Volleyball | | |
| Wrestling | |
Notes
- Bluefield — left the AAC after the 2011-12 season to join the Mid-South Conference; before re-joining back the AAC in the 2014-15 season.
- Brenau — women's institution that does not field men's sports.
- UVA Wise — dropped "Highland" from its athletic nickname in 2017.
References
- "NAIA Conference Profile: Appalachian Athletic Conference" (PDF). NAIA. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- "AAC OFFICIALLY WELCOMES KCU TO LEAGUE, BECOMES LARGEST CONFERENCE IN NAIA". Appalachian Athletic Conference. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- "Bluefield College returns to Appalachian Athletic Conference". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
External links
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