SoCon Sponsorship
The History of Southern Conference
The Southern Conference, which enters its 84th season of intercollegiate competition in 2004, has become known as one of the nation's leaders in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and defining the league's role in helping to build lifelong leaders and role models.
The Southern Conference has excelled as the premier Division I-AA football conference since earning that classification in 1981. The Conference currently consists of 12 members in four states throughout the Southeast and sponsors 19 varsity sports and championships that produce participants for NCAA Division I Championships.
The Southern Conference is the nation's fourth oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), and the Pacific 10 (1915) conferences are older in terms of origination.
Throughout its history, the Southern Conference has been an innovator in college athletics. The Southern Conference was the first "super conference" with its charter membership including the likes of Alabama, Auburn, and North Carolina. The SoCon, as it has come to be known by headline writers throughout the country, is the league that gave birth to the three-point shot in college basketball and was the college home of such sporting greats as Arnold Palmer, Jerry West and Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice.
Academic excellence has been a major part of the Southern Conference's tradition. League athletes have been recognized countless times on Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America and district teams. Nineteen Rhodes-Scholarship winners have been selected from the conference.
The Southern Conference office relocated to Spartanburg, SC in 2002 after having spent 15 years in Asheville, NC. The Conference office is moved into its permanent home at the Beaumont Mills site in Spartanburg on January 21, 2005.
MEMBERSHIP HISTORY
The Southern Conference was formed on February 25, 1921 at a meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Fourteen institutions from the 30-member Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) reorganized as the Southern Conference. Those 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. Athletic competition began in the fall of 1921.
In 1922, six more schools - Florida, Louisiana State, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tulane and Vanderbilt - joined the fold. A year later, the University of the South joined the ranks. Virginia Military Institute became a member in 1925 and Duke University came into the fold in 1929. Since then, conference membership has experienced a series of membership changes with 42 institutions having been affiliated with the league. The league has undergone two major transitions during its history.
The first occurred in December 1932 when the Southeastern Conference was formed out of the 23-school Southern Conference. The league's 13 members west and south of the Appalachian Mountains reorganized to help reduce the extensive travel demands that were present in the league at the time. In 1936, the Southern Conference invited The Citadel, William & Mary, Davidson, Furman, Richmond and Wake Forest to join the membership.
The second major shift happened in 1953 when Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest officially withdrew from the league to form the Atlantic Coast Conference. This change was brought about due to the desire of many of those schools to schedule a greater number of regular season basketball games against their local rivals.
Today, the league continues to thrive with a membership that spans four Southeastern states. Current league members are Appalachian State, College of Charleston, The Citadel, Davidson, East Tennessee State, Elon, Furman, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, Chattanooga, Western Carolina and Wofford. The most recent addition, Elon University, joined the Southern Conference on July 1, 2003. The Phoenix replaced Virginia Military Institute which left the conference on June 30, 2003
Prior to Elon, the most recent expansion had taken place in December 1995 when three schools were approved for admission: College of Charleston, UNC Greensboro and Wofford. UNC Greensboro and Wofford began competing in the league in 1997-98 and College of Charleston entered the league during the 1998-99 season.
CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
The first Southern Conference Championship was the league basketball tournament held in Atlanta in 1922. The North Carolina Tar Heels won the tournament to become the first recognized league champion in any sport. The Southern Conference Tournament remains the oldest of its kind in college basketball.
In May of 1923, the league held its first outdoor track and field championship in Montgomery, Ala. Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State) captured six individual titles on its way to winning the team championship. Two other sports - cross country and tennis - held their first championships during the 1920s. North Carolina won the initial cross country team championship in 1926 in Athens, Ga. Tennis crowned its first singles and doubles champions in New Orleans, La. in 1928. Donald Cram of Vanderbilt was the league's first singles champion, while Leonard Chamberlin and Maurie Bayon of Tulane won the doubles title.
The 1930s saw four more sports - wrestling, indoor track and field, swimming and golf - celebrate their first conference championships. VMI played host to and won the first league wrestling team championship in 1930. Washington & Lee won the first indoor track team championship, which also took place in 1930 and was held at Chapel Hill, N.C. The University of Virginia hosted and won the first league swimming championship in 1933, while Duke captured the first conference golf team title at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. later that same year.
Baseball was introduced as a Southern Conference sport in 1947 as Clemson captured the league championship that year. Rifle held its first conference championship in 1956, while soccer was the most recently added men's sport in 1967.
The Southern Conference began sponsoring women's sports during the 1983-84 season. That year, volleyball, basketball and tennis championships were held in the league. Cross country joined the mix in 1985 and the league began holding indoor and outdoor track championships in 1988. Most recently, the conference instituted golf and softball championships in the spring of 1994 and added soccer in the fall of 1994.
The Southern Conference currently declares champions in 10 men's sports - football, soccer, cross country, basketball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, wrestling, baseball, tennis and golf - and nine women's sports - soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis, golf and softball.
FOOTBALL
The Southern Conference has the most prolific history among Division I-AA football conferences. The league boasts the best winning percentage in the history of the I-AA Playoffs (.625). League players have garnered over 200 All-America selections and numerous national player- or coach-of-the-year awards. The conference has had at least one team in the Top 10 of the final I-AA poll for 20 consecutive years with at least two teams finishing in the Top 20 in every season since 1982.
The conference has placed multiple representatives in the I-AA Playoffs in 18 of 22 seasons, with 13 Championship Game appearances and five national titles. Georgia Southern won back-to-back national championships including a 27-25 win over Montana in the 2000 title game and a 59-24 win over Youngstown State in 1999. Furman advanced to the championship title game in 2001 before falling to Montana. The SoCon has had at least one team reach the semifinals in each of the last six years and in 11 of the last 12 seasons.
Before it was a league member, Georgia Southern made five championship appearances with four titles, giving SoCon members 17 title games and nine championships. The Eagles's six national titles mark the most in I-AA football. Georgia Southern won back-to-back national championships in 1985-86 and 1989-90.
In 1988, Furman won the I-AA national championship in its second trip to the title game. The Paladins defeated Georgia Southern 17-12, avenging a loss to the Eagles in the 1985 championship game.
Marshall ended its I-AA career with its second national title. The Thundering Herd advanced to the national championship game five times during the 1990s, winning the title over Youngstown State in 1992 and Montana in 1996.
Prior to the conference's reclassification, Southern Conference football teams appeared in a total of 34 bowl games, posting a record of 16-17-2. There are nearly 40 former Southern Conference players in the College Football Hall of Fame. One of the most recognizable of these names is former North Carolina running back Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. During his four years as a Tar Heel, Justice helped guide North Carolina to three major bowl appearances. He was a first team All-America selection in 1948 and 1949. In 1949, Justice earned first team all-conference honors for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the first player in league history to achieve that feat. Only three other football players have earned all-conference honors four times since Justice.
Another of the league's football products that made it to the College Football Hall of Fame is Sam Huff of West Virginia. Huff was a three-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Mountaineers. In 1955, Huff earned first team All-America honors on the field and was a first team Academic All-America for his work in the classroom. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was a five-time All-Pro defensive lineman and is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In recent years, the SoCon has continued to produce outstanding student-athletes. Two of the last five winners of the Walter Payton Award have come from the Southern Conference. Georgia Southern's Adrian Peterson captured the trophy given annually to Division I-AA's most outstanding offensive player in 1999. Furman's Louis Ivory was awarded the honor in 2000. Appalachian State's Dexter Coakley was a three-time all-conference selection and consensus All-America in 1994, '95 and '96 before going on to stardom with the Dallas Cowboys. Coakley won a pair of Buck Buchanan Awards, given to I-AA's top defensive player each year. Terrell Owens went from catching passes at Chattanooga to a stellar NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. Western Carolina's David Patten and Appalachian State's Matt Stevens were both members of the New England Patriots Super Bowl Champion team in 2002.
BASKETBALL
Men's basketball was the first sport in which the conference produced a championship. The league tournament is the nation's oldest, with the inaugural championship held in Atlanta in 1922.
The Southern Conference has been and continues to be one of the most innovative leagues in the nation. The conference helped change the face of college basketball in 1980 when, at the request of the NCAA Rules Committee, the league began a season-long experiment with a 22-foot three-point field goal. Ronnie Carr of Western Carolina made the first three-point field goal in college basketball history in a game against Middle Tennessee State. Davidson holds the league record with 15 conference titles. East Tennessee State is the defending Southern Conference Tournament champion and appeared in the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Tournaments.
In 1997, Chattanooga made one of the more memorable runs in NCAA history. The 14th-seeded Mocs were the talk of the tournament after upsetting third-seeded Georgia and sixth-seeded Illinois en route to the league's first Sweet Sixteen appearance since the 1970s.
West Virginia's 10 tournament championships are still the most in league history. The Mountaineers were led by the incomparable Jerry West from 1958 through '60. West, a two-time All-America selection, spurred West Virginia to the Final Four in 1959. The Mountaineers lost in the championship game that season to California, 71-70, but West earned Final Four Most Valuable Player honors. West was a three-time Southern Conference tournament MVP, a two-time league regular season MVP, and was twice named the conference's Athlete-of-the-Year. He went on to a spectacular career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. He was a 14-time NBA All-Star while with the Lakers. It is West's silhouette that comprises the NBA's globally recognized logo.
Frank Selvy set the NCAA record for points in a game while at Furman. As a Paladin senior in 1954, Selvy lit up Newberry College for 100 points, a record that still stands. Selvy was the Southern Conference Most Valuable Player in 1953 and 1954 and the league's Athlete-of-the-Year in 1954. He went on to a 10-year career in the NBA with seven different teams.
Rod Hundley was another West Virginia star during the 1950s. "Hot Rod" made a name for himself as one of the most spectacular players to tour the league during his era. Hundley averaged 24.5 points per game in his three seasons as a Mountaineer and was an all-conference and all-tournament performer in each of those three years. He was the Southern Conference Most Valuable Player and Athlete-of-the-Year as a senior in 1957. He was the first player selected in the 1957 NBA draft and enjoyed a six-year career in that league. The flamboyant Hundley is recognized today as the voice of the NBA's Utah Jazz.
East Tennessee State's Keith "Mister" Jennings made his mark on the college basketball world in the early 1990s. Despite standing under six feet tall, Jennings was a two-time all-conference choice and the league's Player-of-the-Year and Athlete-of-the-Year in 1991. Jennings played with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.
Most recently, Chattanooga's Johnny Taylor became the league's highest NBA pick since 1968. After being named the conference's Player-of-the-Year in 1996-97, Taylor was the first-round selection of the Orlando Magic in the 1997 draft, the 17th pick overall.
Besides West Virginia's team in 1959, the Southern Conference has been represented in the Final Four on two other occasions. North Carolina advanced to the NCAA championship game in 1943 before falling 43-40 to Oklahoma State. North Carolina State finished third in the tournament in 1950.
Women's basketball competition began in the Southern Conference in 1983-84 with seven teams, six of whom are still members of the league: Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Davidson, East Tennessee State, Furman and Western Carolina. In the sport's history, six schools have won the league's tournament at least once with Chattanooga winning eight and Appalachian State owning six titles. UNC Greensboro won the 1998 tournament as head coach Lynne Agee became the first coach to take a team to the NCAA Tournament in all three Divisions - I, II & III. In 2001, Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore became the first coach in NCAA history to take three different teams to the NCAA Tournament in all three Divisions.
Since 1984, seven different teams have claimed at least a share of the regular season crown. Chattanooga has the most overall titles with nine, five of them shared. Chattanooga owns the most outright championships with three. Only three players have won the conference Player of the Year award twice: ETSU's DeShawne Blocker in 1992-93 and 1994-95; Furman's Jackie Smith, 1997-98 and 1998-99; and most recently Chattanooga's Damita Bullock, who won the award in 2000 and 2001.
OTHER SPORTS
In baseball, Wake Forest advanced to the championship game of the NCAA College World Series in 1949 before falling to Texas. Demon Deacon second baseman Charles Teague was named the CWS Most Valuable Player. The Citadel made history in 1990 by becoming the first military school to make an appearance at the College World Series. The Bulldogs were joined that season at the CWS by current conference member Georgia Southern.
One of the Southern Conference's more famous baseball alums is Duke's Dick Groat. The Blue Devil shortstop, who was also a basketball standout, was the conference's Athlete-of-the-Year in 1951 and 1952. He went on to a 14-year career in the major leagues. In 1960, he was named the National League MVP after he led the league in batting with a .325 average for the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.
Among Southern Conference alums to grace Major League Baseball fields have been Atlee Hammaker (East Tennessee State), Jeff Montgomery (Marshall) and Mike Ramsey (Appalachian State). SoCon active MLB players include pitcher Britt Reames (The Citadel), currently in the Oakland system after pitching for both St. Louis and Montreal in the Major Leagues, and hurler Ryan Glynn (VMI) who is currently in the Toronto farm system after making his big league debut with the Rangers. Arnold Palmer, perhaps the most famous golfer to have ever lived, competed under the Southern Conference banner as a collegian at Wake Forest. He took medalist honors at the Southern Conference Tournament in 1948 and 1949 and was the tournament's runner-up in 1950. Palmer was the medalist at the NCAA Golf Championships in 1949 and 1950. He went on to become one of the most accomplished golfers to play on the professional tour. Palmer won 60 tournaments while competing on the PGA Tour and has added 10 more victories as a member of the Senior PGA Tour. He has also won eight major championships - four Masters, two British Opens, one US Open and one US Amateur.
Women's sports are relatively young in the league's history. In 1992-93, the Southern Conference celebrated its 10th Anniversary of women's athletics. Furman golfer Dottie Pepper was named the Southern Conference Women's Athlete-of-the-Decade in conjunction with that event. Appalachian State's Mary Jayne Harrelson won the NCAA Outdoor title at 1500 meters in 1999 and 2001. Most recently, Furman's Brandi Jackson won the NCAA Women's Golf East Regional in the spring of 2003.
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