Southern Conference
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The Southern Conference (or SoCon) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I-AA for football and Division I for all other sports. Member institutions are located in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Formed in 1921 as a result of a split from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Southern Conference ranks as the fourth oldest major college athletic conference in the United States.
Charter members included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington & Lee.
The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1933, 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference. In 1953, seven schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Other former members (in addition to those listed above) include ETSU (1979-2005), Marshall (1977-1996), Richmond (1936-1976), Virginia (1921-1937), Virginia Military Institute (1925-2003), Virginia Tech (1921-1964), Washington & Lee (1921-1953), William & Mary (1936-1976), and West Virginia (1950-1967).
Current members
There are eleven full member schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Year Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | 1899 | Public | 14,653 | 1972 |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 1886 | Public | 8,689 | 1977 |
| The Citadel | Charleston, South Carolina | 1842 | Public | 3,138 | 1936 |
| College of Charleston | Charleston, South Carolina | 1770 | Public | 11,320 | 1998 |
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | Private | 1,700 | 1936 |
| Elon University | Elon, North Carolina | 1889 | Private/United Church of Christ | 4,800 | 2003 |
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | 1826 | Private/Non-sectarian | 3,100 | 1936 |
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia | 1906 | Public | 16,500 | 1992 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | Public | 15,347 | 1997 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, North Carolina | 1889 | Public | 8,396 | 1977 |
| Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1854 | Private/Methodist | 1,133 | 1997 |
There is one associate member school:
- Virginia Military Institute [wrestling-only member]
Also, Davidson College's football team competes in the Pioneer Football League, not the Southern Conference
Conference Stadia
| School | Football stadium | Stadium capacity | Basketball arena | Arena capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium | 16,650 | Holmes Center | 8,325 |
| Chattanooga | Finley Stadium | 20,668 | McKenzie Arena | 11,218 |
| The Citadel | Johnson Hagood Stadium | 21,000 | McAlister Field House | 6,000 |
| College of Charleston | Non-football School | N/A | John Kresse Arena | 3,500 |
| Davidson | Smith Field at Richardson Stadium | 5,000 | Belk Arena | 5,700 |
| Elon | Rhodes Stadium | 11,250 | Alumni Gym | 1,585 |
| Furman | Paladin Stadium | 16,000 | Timmons Arena | 5,000 |
| Georgia Southern | Paulson Stadium | 18,000 | Hanner Fieldhouse | 4,358 |
| UNC-Greensboro | Non-football School | N/A | Fleming Gymnasium | 2,320 |
| Western Carolina | Whitmire Stadium | 13,742 | Ramsey Center | 7,826 |
| Wofford | Gibbs Stadium | 13,000 | Benjamin Johnson Arena | 3,500 |