- For the North Carolina high school association formerly known as the "Appalachian Athletic Conference", see Western North Carolina Athletic Conference.
| Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) | |
| Established | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Association | NAIA |
| Division | Division II |
| Members | 16 |
| Sports fielded | 17 (men's: 8; women's: 9) |
| Region | Southeastern United States Region XII of the NAIA |
| Headquarters | Asheville, North Carolina |
| Commissioner | Col. John Sullivan |
| Website | aacsports.com |
| Locations | |
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]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | 1870 | 600 | Yellow Jackets | 2016 |
| Bluefield College | Bluefield, Virginia | 1922 | 793 | Rams | 2001; 2014 |
| Brenau University | Gainesville, Georgia | 1878 | 3,500 | Golden Tigers | 2017 |
| Bryan College | Dayton, Tennessee | 1930 | 1,044 | Lions | 2001 |
| Columbia College | Columbia, South Carolina | 1854 | 1,200 | Koalas | 2011 |
| Columbia International University | Columbia, South Carolina | 1923 | 1,250 | Rams | 2018 |
| Kentucky Christian University | Grayson, Kentucky | 1919 | 550 | Knights | 2019 |
| Milligan College | Johnson City, Tennessee | 1866 | 1,006 | Buffaloes | 2001 |
| Montreat College | Montreat, North Carolina | 1916 | 1,145 | Cavaliers | 2001 |
| Point University | West Point, Georgia | 1937 | 1,000 | Skyhawks | 2011 |
| Reinhardt University | Waleska, Georgia | 1883 | 1,057 | Eagles | 2009 |
| St. Andrews University | Laurinburg, North Carolina | 1958 | 800 | Knights | 2012 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta campus) | Atlanta, Georgia | 2005 | 2,000 | Bees | 2012 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | Athens, Tennessee | 1857 | 1,103 | Bulldogs | 2001 |
| Truett McConnell University | Cleveland, Georgia | 1946 | 1,600 | Bears | 2013 |
| Union College | Barbourville, Kentucky | 1879 | 1,368 | Bulldogs | 2001 |
- Brenau University and Columbia College — women's institutions which do not field men's sports.
Affiliate members[]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Sport | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | 1,300 | Eagles | 2015 | lacrosse (M); lacrosse (W) |
River States |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia | 1978 | 10, 584 | Bees | 2019 | lacrosse (M);
lacrosse (W) |
The Sun |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, Kentucky | 1887 | 1,743 | Patriots | 2015 | lacrosse (M); lacrosse (W) |
Mid-South |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, West Virginia | 1895 | 2,252 | Golden Bears | 2016 | swimming (M); swimming (W) |
River States |
Former members[]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, Kentucky | 1925 | Eagles | 2001 | 2005 | River States |
| King College | Bristol, Tennessee | 1867 | Tornado | 1990 | 2010 | Carolinas (NCAA D-II) |
| Virginia Intermont College | Bristol, Virginia | 1884 | Cobras | 2001 | 2014 | Closed in 2014 |
| Brevard College | Brevard, North Carolina | 1853 | Tornados | 2001 | 2006 | USA South Athletic Conference (NCAA D-III) |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, Georgia | 1955 | Scots | 2001 | 2011 | USA South Athletic Conference (NCAA D-III) |
Membership timeline[]
Full member (non-football) Associate member (sport)
Conference sports[]
The Appalachian Athletic Conference currently fields 20 sports (10 men's and 10 women's):
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "NAIA Conference Profile: Appalachian Athletic Conference". NAIA. http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/conferences/profiles/NAIA_ConferenceProfile_Appalachian.pdf. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "AAC OFFICIALLY WELCOMES KCU TO LEAGUE, BECOMES LARGEST CONFERENCE IN NAIA". http://www.aacsports.com/article/4212. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ↑ "Bluefield College returns to Appalachian Athletic Conference". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. http://www.bdtonline.com/collegesports/x2118253674/Bluefield-College-returns-to-Appalachian-Athletic-Conference. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
External links[]
Template:Appalachian Athletic Conference navbox
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