The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The 13 member universities that compete in 19 sports are located in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Basketball teams compete as a single division in the NAIA.
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| Formerly | Georgia Alabama Carolina Conference (1999–2004) |
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| Association | NAIA |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Commissioner | Mike Hall |
| Sports fielded |
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| No. of teams | 13 (12 in 2025) |
| Headquarters | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Region | Southeastern United States |
| Official website | ssacsports |
| Locations | |
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History
editThe Southern States Athletic Conference was established as the Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) on March 16, 1999. On June 27, 2004, the conference changed its name to the Southern States Athletic Conference.[1]
Chronological timeline
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- 1999 – On March 16, 1999, the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) was founded as the Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC). Charter members included Auburn University at Montgomery, Brenau University, Brewton–Parker College, Emmanuel College (now Emmanuel University), Faulkner University, Georgia Southwestern State University, North Georgia College & State University (now the University of North Georgia), Shorter College (now Shorter University), Southern Polytechnic State University, and Southern Wesleyan University beginning the 1999-2000 academic year.
- 2000 – Reinhardt College (now Reinhardt University) joined the GACC in the 2000–01 academic year.
- 2004 – On June 27, 2004, the GACC was rebranded as the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) in the 2004–05 academic year.
- 2004 – Berry College and Lee University joined the SSAC in the 2004–05 academic year.
- 2005 – North Georgia left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) after the 2004–05 academic year.
- 2005 – Columbia College of South Carolina joined the SSAC in the 2005–06 academic year.
- 2006 – Georgia Southwestern State left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Peach Belt (PBC) after the 2005–06 academic year.
- 2009 – Reinhardt left the SSAC to join the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) after the 2008–09 academic year.
- 2010 – Berry left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division III ranks as an NCAA D-III Independent (which would later join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) beginning the 2012–13 academic year) after the 2009–10 academic year.
- 2010 – Belhaven University, Loyola University New Orleans, the University of Mobile, Spring Hill College, Truett–McConnell College (now Truett–McConnell University), and William Carey University joined the SSAC in the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2011 – Columbia (S.C.) left the SSAC to join the Appalachian (AAC) after the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2012 – Shorter left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Gulf South Conference (GSC) after the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2012 – The College of Coastal Georgia joined the SSAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2016 – Lee left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Gulf South (GSC) after the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2013 – Bethel University of Tennessee, Blue Mountain College (now Blue Mountain Christian University), and Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the SSAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2014 – Three institutions left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and their respective new home primary conferences: Emmanuel (Ga.) and Southern Wesleyan to the Conference Carolinas (CC) and Spring Hill to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Southern Poly announced that it would drop its athletic program and close once it is consolidated by Kennesaw State University. All changes were effective after the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2014 – Dalton State College and Middle Georgia State University joined the SSAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
- 2015 – Belhaven left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division III ranks and the American Southwest Conference after the 2014–15 academic year.
- 2016 – Auburn–Montgomery left the SSAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the Gulf South (GSC) beginning the 2017-18 academic year) after the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2017 – Two institutions left the SSAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Brenau to join the Appalachian (AAC) and Coastal Georgia to join the Sun Conference, both effective after the 2016–17 academic year.
- 2018 – Florida College and Stillman College joined the SSAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
- 2020 – Bethel (Tenn.) and Martin Methodist left the SSAC to join the Mid-South Conference (MSC) after the 2019–20 academic year.
- 2021 – Florida College left the SSAC to become an NAIA Independent within the Continental Athletic Conference after the 2020–21 academic year.
- 2021 – Talladega College joined the SSAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
- 2022 – Life University joined the SSAC in the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – Talladega left the SSAC to join the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC, now the HBCU Athletic Conference) after the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – Point University and Thomas University joined the SSAC (with the University of Tennessee Southern, formerly Martin Methodist, re-joining) in the 2023–24 academic year.
- 2024 – Stillman left the SSAC to join the HBCUAC after the 2023–24 academic year.
- 2024 – Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College joined the SSAC in the 2024–25 academic year.
- 2025 – Middle Georgia State will leave the SSAC to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) after the 2024–25 academic year.
Member schools
editCurrent members
editThe SSAC currently has 13 full members, all but four are private schools:
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ a b c Part of the University System of Georgia.
- ^ Middle Georgia State's main campus is in Macon, where the women's cross-country and volleyball teams and men's and women's tennis teams are housed; the other intercollegiate athletics teams compete on the Cochran campus.
- ^ Middle Georgia State, pending approval from the NCAA, will leave the SSAC for Division II's Peach Belt Conference, projected to be in 2025.
- ^ Part of the University of Tennessee System.
- ^ UT Southern initially joined the SSAC in the 2013–14 school year under its old name Martin Methodist College, before leaving after the 2019–20 school year, and then rejoining under its current name before the 2023–24 school year.
Former members
editThe SSAC had 20 former full members, all but five were private schools. School names and nicknames reflect those used in the final school year of SSAC membership:
- Notes
- ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
- ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
- ^ Bethel was already a Mid-South Conference affiliate in archery and football. Bethel returned to the MSC in track and field, and transferred all other sports to that conference as a full member.
- ^ This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
- ^ a b c d Part of the University System of Georgia.
- ^ This institution was a women's college, but has since then been a co-educational institution, therefore it does compete in some men's sports [Columbia (S.C.) since 2020–21].
- ^ Currently known as Emmanuel University since 2023.
- ^ North Georgia State consolidated with Gainesville State College in 2013 to form the current University of North Georgia.
- ^ Since the 2013 merger, North Georgia has competed as the North Georgia Nighthawks.
- ^ Currently known as Reinhardt University since 2010.
- ^ Southern Poly had consolidated with Kennesaw State University in 2014.
Membership timeline
edit
Full member (non-football)
Sports
editThe SSAC holds championships in the following 19 sports:
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
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| Baseball |  |
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| Basketball | |
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| Bowling | |
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| Cross Country | |
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| Golf | |
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| Soccer | |
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| Softball |
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| Tennis | |
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| Track & Field Indoor | |
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| Track & Field Outdoor | |
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| Volleyball |
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References
edit- ^ "The Governance Structure of the SSAC". Southern States Athletic Conference. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Life U Athletics Headed to Southern States Athletic Conference in 2022-23". Life Running Eagles. December 16, 2020.
- ^ "Middle Georgia State University's athletics program to shift from NAIA to NCAA Division II" (Press release). 41 WMGT. February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Point University Approved For SSAC Membership In 2023-24". SSAC. August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Point to join Southern States Athletic Conference in 2023-24". Point University. August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Thomas University Approved For SSAC Membership In 2023-24". SSAC. July 1, 2022.
- ^ "Tennessee Southern Approved For SSAC Membership In 2023-24". SSAC. July 1, 2022.
- ^ "Bethel, Freed–Hardeman and Martin Methodist Renew Rivalries with Mid-South Conference Move". Mid-South Conference. July 25, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.