The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the commissioner is Eric Leach.
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| Association | NAIA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Commissioner | Eric Leach (since July 1, 2023) |
| Sports fielded |
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| No. of teams | 7 |
| Headquarters | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| Region | Southern United States |
| Official website | mid-southconference.org |
| Locations | |
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The Mid-South Conference has 7 full members: Bethel (TN), Campbellsville, Cumberland (TN), Cumberlands (KY), Freed–Hardeman, Georgetown (KY) and Lindsey Wilson. Six of these members sponsor football; Freed–Hardeman does not.
The Mid-South Conference also has six associate members that compete primarily in other conferences. Faulkner, Kentucky Christian, Union Commonwealth and recently former member Bluefield are associate members of the MSC for football and men's volleyball, and Reinhardt is an associate member of the MSC for football and men's volleyball. This gave the conference 13 members for football. In the spring of 2016, the conference expanded to 20 members, adding the six football members of the Sun Conference, as well as Faulkner University for football,[1] On January 4, 2018, the conference added Keiser University for football,[2] and St. Thomas announced in July they were joining the conference for football in 2019.[3] Another Sun Conference member, Florida Memorial in Miami Gardens, Florida, joined the MSC as an affiliate member for football in 2020, after re-adding the sport.[4]
History
edit
In April 2018, Thomas More University (then Thomas More College), which had been an NAIA member before moving to NCAA Division III in 1990, announced that it had been formally invited to re-join the NAIA in the 2019–20 academic year as a member of the Mid-South Conference. The school, while acknowledging that it was considering this move, denied published reports that it had accepted the invitation.[5] Thomas More eventually confirmed in July that it would join the Mid-South in 2019.[6]
In 2020, Bethel University became a Mid-South full member, brought track and field back to the MSC, and transferred all sports other than football and archery to the conference (prior to that, Bethel was an associate member of the MSC for football and archery only); additionally, Freed–Hardeman and UT Southern, then known as Martin Methodist College, also joined Mid-South.[7]
In December 2020, Life University also announced its departure from the MSC for the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2022–23.[8]
Most recently, Thomas More announced in August 2021 that it would return to the NCAA, but this time in Division II as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). It joined the G-MAC as a provisional member in July 2022, but continued as an NAIA member and in the Mid-South through 2022–23, after which it started G-MAC competition.[9] Later, the Sun Conference announced on December 22, 2021, that it would reinstate football starting with the 2022 season.[10] Then in July 2022, the Appalachian Athletic Conference announced it would add football as a sponsored sport.[11]
Chronological timeline
edit- 1987 – The Mid-South Conference (MSC) was founded as a football-only conference. Charter members included Campbellsville College (now Campbellsville University), Cumberland College of Kentucky (now the University of the Cumberlands), Georgetown College and Union College (now Union Commonwealth University), beginning the 1987 fall season (1987–88 academic year).
- 1988 – The University of Evansville joined the conference in the 1988 fall season (1988–89 academic year).
- 1989 – Kentucky Wesleyan College and Tennessee Wesleyan University joined the conference in the 1989 fall season (1989–90 academic year).
- 1990 – Kentucky Wesleyan dropped out of the conference after the 1989 fall season (1989–90 academic year).
- 1990 – Cumberland College of Tennessee (now Cumberland University) and Lambuth University joined the Mid-South in the 1990 fall season (1990–91 academic year).
- 1991 – Cumberland College and Tennessee Wesleyan departed from the conference after the 1990 fall season (1990–91 academic year).
- 1991 – Tusculum University joined the Mid-South in the 1991 fall season (1991–92 academic year).
- 1992 – Evansville left the Mid-South after the 1991 fall season (1991–92 academic year).
- 1995 – The Mid-South became a multi-sport conference. North Greenville College (now North Greenville University) joined the conference beginning the 1995–96 academic year, while Bethel College of Tennessee joined as an affiliate member for football (with Cumberland College rejoining as well).
- 1996 – Tusculum departed from the conference as a football affiliate after the 1995 fall season (1995–96 academic year).
- 1996 – Cumberland College and Lambuth moved their other sports to the Mid-South as full members for the 1996–97 academic year.
- 1997 – Bethel (Tenn.) left the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football after the 1996 fall season (1996–97 academic year).
- 2000 – Lindsey Wilson College and Pikeville College (now the University of Pikeville; a.k.a. UPike) joined the Mid-South in the 2000–01 academic year.
- 2001 – North Greenville left the Mid-South to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 2000–01 academic year.
- 2002 – Two institutions left the Mid-South as full members to join their respective new home primary conferences: Cumberland (Tenn.) to the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC), and Union (Ky.) to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC), while they remained in the conference as affiliate members for football and some Olympic sports after the 2001–02 academic year.
- 2003 – Kentucky Wesleyan rejoined the MSC as an affiliate member for football in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
- 2004 – The University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVA Wise) joined the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football with Bethel (Tenn.) rejoining for football and some Olympic sports in the 2003 fall season (2003–04 academic year).
- 2006 – Lambuth left the Mid-South as a full member, while remaining in the conference as an affiliate member for football after the 2005–06 academic year.
- 2006 – West Virginia University Institute of Technology (West Virginia Tech or WVU Tech) joined the Mid-South in the 2006–07 academic year. Kentucky Wesleyan quit again.
- 2008 – St. Catharine College joined the Mid-South in the 2008–09 academic year.
- 2009 – The University of Rio Grande joined the Mid-South in the 2009–10 academic year.
- 2010 – Lambuth left the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football after the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
- 2010 – Shawnee State University joined the Mid-South (with UVA Wise joining for all sports) in the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2012 – West Virginia Tech left the Mid-South to become an NAIA Independent (which would later join the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now known as the River States Conference) beginning the 2015–16 academic year) after the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2012 – Bluefield College (now Bluefield University) joined the Mid-South (with Cumberland (Tenn.) rejoining for all sports) in the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2013 – UVA Wise left the Mid-South and the NAIA entirely to fully align with the NCAA Division II ranks, while joining the Mountain East Conference after spending provisionally one season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) after the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2014 – Bluefield left the Mid-South as a full member to rejoin the AAC, while remaining in the conference as an affiliate member for football and some Olympic sports after the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2014 – Rio Grande left the Mid-South to join the KIAC after the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2014 – Life University joined the Mid-South in the 2014–15 academic year.
- 2016 – St. Catherine's left the Mid-South as the school announced that it would close after the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2019 – Thomas More University joined the Mid-South in the 2019–20 academic year.
- 2020 – Freed–Hardeman University and Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the Mid-South (with Bethel (Tenn.) joining for all sports) in the 2020–21 academic year.
- 2022 – Life would leave the Mid-South to join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) beginning the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2022 – Thomas More returned to the NCAA, but in the NCAA Division II ranks and joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a provisional member in the 2022–23 academic year. Until then, they would remain committed in the Mid-South and the NAIA, until full membership in the G-MAC and NCAA D-II would begin in the 2023–24 academic year.
- 2022 – Wilberforce University joined the Mid-South in the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – Four institutions left the Mid-South to join their respective new home primary conferences: Shawnee State to the RSC, Pikeville (UPike) to the AAC, UT Southern going back to the SSAC, and Wilberforce as an NAIA Independent, all beginning the 2023–24 academic year.
Member schools
editCurrent members
editThe Mid-South currently has seven full members, all are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel University | McKenzie, Tennessee | 1842 | Cumberland Presbyterian |
2,975 | Wildcats | 2020[b] |
| Campbellsville University | Campbellsville, Kentucky | 1906 | Baptist | 3,318 | Tigers | 1987 |
| Cumberland University | Lebanon, Tennessee | 1842 | Nonsectarian | 1,345 | Phoenix | 1996; 2012[c] |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, Kentucky | 1889 | Nondenominational | 1,743 | Patriots | 1987 |
| Freed–Hardeman University | Henderson, Tennessee | 1869 | Churches of Christ | 2,050+ | Lions | 2020 |
| Georgetown College | Georgetown, Kentucky | 1829 | Baptist | 1,400 | Tigers | 1987 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | Columbia, Kentucky | 1903 | United Methodist | 2,677 | Blue Raiders | 2000 |
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ Bethel (TN) left the Mid-South after the 1996 fall season (1996–97 season) for football; later re-joined in the 2003 fall season (2003–04 school year). It also added archery during the 2017–18 school year. In the 2020 fall season (2020–21 school year), Bethel moved track & field back to the Mid-South after initially joining as an affiliate from 2007–08 to 2012–13, and transferred all other sports to the conference as a full member.
- ^ Cumberland (TN) left the Mid-South after the 2001–02 school year to join the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth); before re-joining the Mid-South, which transferred all other sports to the conference as a full member in the 2012–13 school year
Affiliate members
editThe Mid-South currently has 23 associate members, all are private schools:
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ Ave Maria competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football from the 2017 to 2021 fall seasons (2017–18 to 2021–22 school years).
- ^ Bluefield was a full member of the Mid-South from 2012–13 to 2013–14.
- ^ Bluefield competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football from the 2014 to 2021 fall seasons (2014–15 to 2021–22 school years).
- ^ Brewton–Parker competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball during the 2019 spring season (2018–19 school year).
- ^ Kentucky Christian competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for baseball and softball from the 2018 to 2019 spring seasons (2017–18 to 2018–19 school years; and for football from the 2009 to 2021 fall seasons (2009–10 to 2021–22 school years).
- ^ Marian (Ind.) competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's and women's bowling from 2019–20 to 2020–21.
- ^ Reinhardt competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football from the 2013 to 2021 fall seasons (2013–14 to 2021–22 school years).
- ^ Rio Grande was a full member of the Mid-South from 2009–10 to 2013–14.
- ^ Rio Grande competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming during the 2020–21 school year.
- ^ St. Andrews competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's wrestling from 2015–16 to 2016–17; and for football from the 2017 to 2021 fall seasons (2017–18 to 2021–22 school years).
- ^ Truett McConnell competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's wrestling from 2015–16 to 2016–17.
- ^ Formerly known as Union College until 2024; Union (Ky.) was a full member of the Mid-South from 1995–96 to 2001–02.
- ^ Union (Ky.) competed in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football from the 1987 to 1994 and 2002 to 2021 fall seasons (1987–88 to 1994–95 and 2002–03 to 2021–22 school years).
Former members
editThe Mid-South has fourteen former full members, all but three are private schools:
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- ^ Currently known as Bluefield University since 2021.
- ^ Bluefield still remains as a member of the Mid-South for football and men's volleyball in the 2014–15 school year.
- ^ Lambuth still remained as a member of the Mid-South for football from 2006–07 to 2009–10 and previously from 1990–91 to 1995–96.
- ^ Currently known as North Greenville University since 2006.
- ^ North Greenville adopted its current nickname of Trailblazers in 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
- ^ Rio Grande still remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball and men's wrestling since the 2020–21 school year.
- ^ Thomas More left the Mid-South after the 2022–23 school year. Initially the school joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a provisional member for most sports as a transitional NCAA Division II member school during 2022–23; but was fulfilling its commitments to the final year of competition in the Mid-South and in the NAIA.
- ^ Union Commonwealth, Union (Ky.) until 2024, still remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football since the 2002–03 school year.
- ^ UVA Wise dropped "Highland" from its athletic nickname in 2017.
- ^ a b UVA Wise left the Mid-South after the 2012–13 school year. Originally it joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a charter member for most sports as a transitional NCAA Division II member school during the 2012–13 school year, but was fulfilling its commitments to the final year of competition in the Mid-South and in the NAIA. However it has never began competition as a full G-MAC member, as it would later announce that it would join the Mountain East Conference (MEC) beginning the 2013–14 school year.
- ^ UVA Wise had joined the following subsequent conferences: the Great Midwest Athletic Conference[h][m] (G-MAC) during the 2012–13 school year; and the Mountain East Conference[h] (MEC) from 2013–14 to 2018–19.
- ^ WVU Tech's campus is now in Beckley, West Virginia, but was in Montgomery during the school's tenure in the Mid-South Conference.
- ^ Also a Historically black college and university.
Former affiliate members
editThe Mid-South had 28 associate members, all but two were private schools:
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- ^ Ave Maria remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse.
- ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
- ^ Bethel (Tenn.) re-joined the Mid-South during the 2020–21 school year and transferred all other sports to the conference as a full member.
- ^ Bluefield was a full member of the Mid-South from 2012–13 to 2013–14.
- ^ Bluefield remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball.
- ^ Brewton–Parker remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's and women's wrestling.
- ^ Cincinnati Christian closed at the end of the 2019 fall semester, without completing the rest of the 2019–20 school year.
- ^ Cumberland (Tenn.) was a full member of the Mid-South in 1990–91 and from 1995–96 to 2001–02, before re-joining the Mid-South in the 2012–13 school year.
- ^ Cumberland (Tenn.) changed its nickname from Bulldogs to Phoenix in 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
- ^ Currently an NCAA Division I conference.
- ^ Kentucky Christian remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for archery.
- ^ Lambuth was a full member of the Mid-South from 1995–96 to 2005–06.
- ^ Marian (Ind.) remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball, men's wrestling, men's and women's bowling, and men's and women's swimming.
- ^ Martin Methodist joined the Mid-South during the 2020–21 school year and transferred all other sports to the conference as a full member. In July 2021, Martin Methodist joined the University of Tennessee system to become the University of Tennessee Southern.
- ^ Martin Methodist (now UT Southern) changed its nickname from RedHawks to FireHawks in 2021.
- ^ Reinhardt remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball.
- ^ Rio Grande was a full member of the Mid-South from 2009–10 to 2013–14; but still remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's wrestling and men's volleyball.
- ^ St. Andrews remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for men's volleyball and women's wrestling.
- ^ Union Commonwealth, Union (Ky.) until 2024, was a full member of the Mid-South from 1995–96 to 2001–02; but still remains in the Mid-South as an affiliate member for archery and men's & women's bowling
- ^ UVA Wise later became a full member of the Mid-South from 2010–11 to 2012–13
- ^ UVA Wise dropped "Highland" from its athletic nickname in 2017.
Membership timeline
edit
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football only) Associate member (sport)
Sports
editMember teams compete in 28 sports: 13 men's, 13 women's and 2 mixed.
| Sport | Men's | Women's | Mixed |
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| Swimming | |
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| Tennis | |
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In addition, the Mid-South Conference also conducts championships for Esports and competitive dance. The MSC also stages invitational tournaments for junior varsity squads in the sports of men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and women's volleyball, if enough schools sponsor JV teams in a given year.[13]
Football divisions
editBeginning with the 2017 season, The Sun Conference and Mid-South merged their football conferences into the largest football conference in college sports.[14][15] Edward Waters was previously a full member of the Sun Conference from 2006 to 2010 and a football affiliate member from 2014 to 2016 seasons. Edward Waters left after the 2018 football season.
However, the Sun Division folded when its teams left the Mid-South after the Sun Conference reinstated football for 2022, leaving the Mid-South with 15 football members.[10] Later, the Appalachian Division folded when the AAC announced to sponsor the sport for the 2022 fall season, leaving the Mid-South with 9 football members.[11]
- Bethel (Tenn.)*
- Campbellsville*
- Cumberland (Tenn.)*
- Cumberlands (Ky.)*
- Faulkner**
- Georgetown*
- Lindsey Wilson*
- Pikeville*
- Thomas More*
- Notes
* - Mid-South full member ** - Mid-South affiliate member
References
edit- ^ Wilson, Michael (February 25, 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ Evenson, Johyn (October 11, 2016). "Keiser University Athletics adds football starting in 2018". Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ McPherson, Jordan (August 29, 2018). "This South Florida college will have a football team. And it'll start playing next year". Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^ "Football Joins Mid-South Conference As Affiliate Member". fmuathletics.com. October 15, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Kyle; Weber, James (April 17, 2018). "Thomas More College approved to move to NAIA beginning in 2019". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ^ Weber, James (July 24, 2018). "Thomas More College to join the NAIA in 2019". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Bethel, Freed-Hardeman and Martin Methodist Renew Rivalries with Mid-South Conference Move". Mid-South Conference. July 25, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ "Life U Athletics Headed to Southern States Athletic Conference in 2022-23". Life Running Eagles. December 16, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Thomas More University Unanimously Approved for Provisional Membership to Join Great Midwest" (Press release). Great Midwest Athletic Conference. August 18, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Football Returns to the Sun Conference in 2022". Sun Conference. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ a b "Football, Men's Volleyball Newest Championships Sponsored by the AAC". Appalachian Athletic Conference. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "Tennessee Southern Approved For SSAC Membership In 2023-24". SSAC. July 1, 2022.
- ^ Mid-South Conference. "2021-22 MSC Championships". Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "Mid-South Conference Creates Largest College Football Conference". The Sun Conference. February 25, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ "Mid-South, Sun conferences unite for 20-team football league". Tennessean.com. February 25, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.