Appalachian Athletic Conference
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Association | NAIA |
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Commissioner | Col. John Sullivan |
Sports fielded |
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Region | Southeastern United States |
Official website | aacsports.com |
Locations | |
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The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference that competes in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II 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]
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]
Member schools
Current members
The league currently has 16 full members. It is the largest conference in the NAIA.[2]
- Brenau University and Columbia College — women's institutions which do not field men's sports.
Affiliate members
Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Sport | Primary Conference |
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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 |
Brevard College | Brevard, North Carolina | 1853 | Private (United Methodist) | Tornados | 2001 | 2006 | USA South Athletic Conference (NCAA D-III) |
Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, Georgia | 1955 | Private (Presbyterian – PCA) | Scots | 2001 | 2011 | USA South Athletic Conference (NCAA D-III) |
King College | Bristol, Tennessee | 1867 | Private (Presbyterian) | Tornados | 1990 | 2010 | Carolinas (NCAA D-II) |
Virginia Intermont College | Bristol, Virginia | 1884 | Private (Baptist) | Cobras | 2001 | 2014 | Closed in 2014 |
Membership timeline
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/dndccghinmz6pkbpnqa4ej9cqm7dc16.png)
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 |
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Baseball | ![]() |
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Basketball | ![]() |
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Cross Country | ![]() |
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Golf | ![]() |
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Lacrosse | ![]() |
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Soccer | ![]() |
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Softball | ![]() | |
Tennis | ![]() |
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Track & Field Outdoor | ![]() |
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Track & Field Indoor | ![]() |
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Volleyball | ![]() | |
Wrestling | ![]() |
References
- ^ a b c d e "NAIA Conference Profile: Appalachian Athletic Conference" (PDF). NAIA. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ a b "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.