A Comprehensive Overview of the Big South Conference Football History and Statistics
The Big South Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference, has a rich history, particularly in football. This article delves into the conference's formation, its evolution in sponsoring football, significant milestones, and its current structure.
Foundation and Early Years
Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference initially focused on sports other than football. Its roots are firmly planted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with member institutions primarily located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The conference experienced considerable expansion throughout the 1980s and 1990s, setting the stage for its eventual foray into football.
Emergence of Football in the Big South
The Big South Conference began sponsoring football in 2002, joining the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The inaugural football lineup included Charleston Southern, Elon, and Liberty, with Gardner-Webb University joining as a football-only member. Coastal Carolina and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) expanded the football ranks in 2003 as football-only members; in that same athletic year, VMI also joined the conference for all sports, but left to re-join the Southern Conference in 2014. Presbyterian College transitioned from Division II in 2007 and became eligible for regular-season championships and conference honors during the 2008-09 athletic year. Gardner-Webb, previously a football-only member since 2002, integrated all its sports into the conference on July 1, 2008. Campbell rejoined the Big South for all sports except football in the 2011-12 athletic year. Longwood University became a full member on July 1, 2012, after being independent since 2004 during their transition to Division I.
Conference Structure and Realignment
In 2014, following VMI's departure, the conference returned to a single-division structure. Coastal Carolina announced its departure on September 1, 2015, to transition to FBS-level football and join the Sun Belt Conference following the 2015-16 school year. Before joining the Sun Belt, Coastal Carolina notably won the 2016 College World Series in baseball on June 30, 2016.
Partnership with the ASUN Conference
In September 2016, the Big South and the ASUN Conference (ASUN) formed a football partnership, effectively merging their football programs. According to the agreement, any members from either conference adding or upgrading to scholarship football within the leagues' geographic footprint would automatically join Big South football. At the time of the announcement, Kennesaw State, the only ASUN member with a scholarship football program, was already a Big South football member.
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Further Expansion and Transitions
In December 2016, the University of North Alabama (ASUN) and the Big South Conference announced that the school would leave the Division II Gulf South Conference in 2018 to join ASUN for non-football sports and the Big South for football. However, in March 2022, Big South added Bryant University as an associate football member. Three months later, Liberty announced its transition to FBS football in July 2017, leaving the Big South football league in 2018. Liberty and the Big South later agreed that the school would continue to house all its non-football sports (except field hockey and women's swimming) in the conference for the immediate future.
Recent Developments
North Carolina A&T State University joined from the MEAC as a full member, including football, in July 2021. Robert Morris University was also slated to join as a football-only member around the same time; North Carolina A&T joined on the originally planned schedule, but Robert Morris became a Big South football member in November 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic led the conference to move its 2020 football season to spring 2021. More recently, the Big South added three new single-sport members in women's lacrosse effective with the 2022 season: Furman University, Mercer University, and Wofford College. Hampton University joined the Colonial Athletic Association (now the Coastal Athletic Association) on July 1, 2022, including its football league, CAA Football. North Carolina A&T State University also left the Big South, joining the all-sports CAA on July 1. Campbell University also accepted an invitation to join the Colonial Athletic Association in 2023.
OVC-Big South Football Association
The Big South began operating the OVC-Big South Football Association in partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023.
Media Coverage
Member schools of the Big South Conference are required to provide a live stream of all home games in some sports (football, M/W basketball) and a selection of games in others (M/W soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, W lacrosse). These streams are produced by the university hosting the event, and this collective production effort has operated under the name of "Big South Network" since 2009. Many of the league's championships are also streamed by the membership if hosted on campus, or by a production team provided by the conference if played at a neutral site.
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