Sun Conference

The Sun Conference (TSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Eight of the twelve full member institutions are located in Florida, with three in Georgia and one in South Carolina. The Sun Conference competes in the NAIA in all sponsored sports.

Sun Conference
TSC
Established1990
AssociationNAIA
Members11 (10 in 2022)
Sports fielded
  • 16 (17 in 2022)
    • men's: 8 [9 in 2022]
    • women's: 8
RegionSouthern United States
Former namesFlorida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1990–1992)
Florida Sun Conference (1992–2008)
HeadquartersDaytona Beach, Florida
CommissionerDustin Wilke
Websitethesunconference.com
Locations

History

The conference was created in March 1990 as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC), and renamed to the Florida Sun Conference in 1992. Charter members consisted of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Flagler College, Florida Memorial University, Nova University of Advanced Technology (now Nova Southeastern University), Palm Beach Atlantic University, Saint Thomas University, Warner Southern College (now Warner University) and Webber International University.

The league later grew to nine members with the addition of Northwood University in 1994 (now Keiser University). Between 2002 and 2006, Nova Southeastern (2002), Palm Beach Atlantic (2003) and Flagler (2006) moved to NCAA Division II. But the league was able to recruit new members as Savannah College of Art and Design joined in 2004, followed by Edward Waters College in 2006. It adopted its current name in August 2008 to reflect its expansion to institutions outside of Florida.[1] With the addition of the University of South Carolina at Beaufort in 2007, Johnson & Wales University, Southeastern University and Ave Maria University in 2009, and Thomas University of Georgia in 2012, years, along with Edward Waters’ move to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after the 2009–10 season, the league membership stood at 12 schools as of the 2012–13 season.

In 2014, Point University and former member Edward Waters College joined the conference for football only. Starting with the 2016 season, all six football members moved to the Mid-South Conference for that sport.[2] Charter member Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University departed the conference on June 30, 2015 and joined the Sunshine State Conference (D-II). In 2017, the College of Coastal Georgia joined the Sun Conference,[3] with the conference again standing at a total of 12 members. In 2018, Sun Conference member Keiser added football[4] but Edward Waters left the Mid-South football league. In 2019, Saint Thomas also added football and Florida Memorial re-added the sport after more than 60 years,[5][6] bringing the number of members participating in football to 8.

On June 25, 2020, Johnson & Wales announced it would close down its North Miami campus at the end of the 2020-21 school year,[7] and on July 28, Johnson & Wales North Miami discontinued all sports.[8]

On April 14, 2021, South Carolina–Beaufort reported its invitation to join the Division II Peach Belt Conference in 2022 after applying for membership in, and pending acceptance into, the NCAA.[9] The conference published on December 22 its reinstatement of football for the 2022 season, having grown to seven schools,[10] with Thomas initiating football to become the eighth football member.[11]

Chronological timeline
  • 1992 - The FIAC was rebranded as the Florida Sun Conference, effective the 1992-93 academic year.
  • 2003 - Palm Beach Atlantic left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an Division II Independent, effective after the 2002-03 academic year.
  • 2006 - Flagler left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an Division II Independent, effective after the 2005-06 academic year.
  • 2006 - Edward Waters College (now Edward Waters University) joined the Florida Sun, effective the 2006-07 academic year.
  • 2008 - The Florida Sun has rebranded as The Sun Conference, effective the 2008-09 academic year.
  • 2012 - Thomas University joined the Sun Conference, effective the 2012-13 academic year.
  • 2014 - Point University joined the Sun Conference as an affiliate member for football (with Edward Waters re-joining), effective the 2014 fall season (2014-15 academic year).
  • 2015 - Embry–Riddle left the Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the SSC, effective after the 2014-15 academic year.
  • 2015 - Northwood–Florida left the Sun Conference as the school announced that it would close, effective after the 2014-15 academic year. However, Keiser University purchased the location, therefore it has inherited everything Northwood–Florida had sponsored (including its athletic program) and joined the Sun Conference, effective the 2015-16 academic year.
  • 2017 - Point and Edward Waters left the Sun Conference as affiliate members for football, effective after the 2016 fall season (2016-17 academic year).
  • 2020 - Johnson and Wales–Florida left the Sun Conference as the school announced that it would close, effective after the 2019-20 academic year.
  • 2022 - South Carolina–Beaufort will leave the Sun Conference to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC), effective beginning the 2022-23 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The Sun currently has 11 full members, all but two are private schools:.[12][3]

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Basketball?
Ave Maria University Ave Maria, Florida 2003 Catholic 1,200 Gyrenes 2009 both
College of Coastal Georgia Brunswick, Georgia 1961 Public 3,438 Mariners 2017 both
Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens, Florida 1879 Baptist 1,784 Lions 1990 both
Keiser University West Palm Beach, Florida 1977 Nonsectarian 19,510 Seahawks[lower-alpha 1] 2015 both
St. Thomas University Miami Gardens, Florida 1961 Catholic 1,750 Bobcats 1990 both
Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia 1978 nonprofit art school 11,897 Bees 2004 none
University of South Carolina Beaufort[lower-alpha 2] Beaufort, South Carolina 1959 Public 1,386 Sand Sharks 2007 none
Southeastern University Lakeland, Florida 1935 Assemblies of God 3,850 Fire 2009 both
Thomas University Thomasville, Georgia 1950 Nonsectarian 1,100 Night Hawks 2012 both
Warner University Lake Wales, Florida 1968 Church of God 1,037 Royals 1990 both
Webber International University Babson Park, Florida 1927 Nonsectarian 616 Warriors 1990 both
Notes
  1. Keiser University's teams were the teams of Northwood University's Florida campus until Keiser University purchased it in 2015 and made the teams its own.
  2. South Carolina–Beaufort has planned to move to NCAA Division II in the fall of 2022.[13]

Former members

The Sun had seven former full members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)		 Current
conference
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University–Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, Florida 1926 Nonsectarian 6,794 Eagles 1990–91 2014–15 Sunshine State (NCAA D-II)
(2015–16 to present)
Edward Waters College[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Jacksonville, Florida 1866 A.M.E. Church 966 Tigers 2006–07 2009–10 Gulf Coast (GCAC)
(2010–11 to 2020–21)		 Southern (SIAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2021–22 to present)
Flagler College St. Augustine, Florida 1968 Nonsectarian 2,046 Saints 1990–91 2005–06 D-II Independent
(2006–07 to 2008–09)		 Peach Belt (NCAA D-II)
(2009–10 to present)
Northwood University–Florida West Palm Beach, Florida 1984 Nonsectarian N/A Seahawks 1994–95 2014–15 N/A[lower-alpha 3]
Johnson & Wales University–Florida North Miami, Florida 1992 Nonsectarian N/A Wildcats 2009–10 2019–20 Closed in 2021
Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1964 Nonsectarian 24,148 Sharks 1990–91 2001–02 Sunshine State (NCAA D-II)
(2002–03 to present)
Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, Florida 1968 Christian 3,764 Sailfish 1990–91 2002–03 D-II Independent
(2003–04 to 2014–15)		 Sunshine State (NCAA D-II)
(2015–16 to present)
Notes
  1. Currently known as Edward Waters University since 2021.
  2. Edward Waters later joined The Sun as an affiliate member for football from the 2015 to 2016 fall seasons (2015–16 to 2016–17 school years).
  3. Northwood–Florida was sold to Keiser University in 2015.

Former affiliate members

The Sun had two former affiliate members, both were private schools:

For the 2014 and 2015 football seasons, Edward Waters and Point joined the conference. All six members moved to the Mid-South Conference for the 2016 season. With the exception of Point, which participates in the Appalachian division, these teams plus Faulkner University now form the Sun Division of the Mid-South Conference.[14]

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Sun
sport		 Primary
conference
Edward Waters College[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Jacksonville, Florida 1866 A.M.E. Church 966 Tigers 2014–15 2015–16 football Southern (SIAC)
(NCAA D-II)
Point University West Point, Georgia 1937 Christian
Churches and
Churches of
Christ		 1,000 Skyhawks 2014–15 2015–16 football Appalachian (AAC)
Notes
  1. Currently known as Edward Waters University since 2021.
  2. Edward Waters was a full member of The Sun from 2006–07 to 2009–10.

Membership timeline

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only) 

Sports
Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
BaseballY
BasketballYY
Beach Volleyball Y
Cross CountryYY
Flag footballY
FootballY
GolfYY
SoccerYY
SoftballY
TennisYY
Track & Field OutdoorYY
VolleyballY

References
  1. "About the Sun Conference". Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  2. "Mid-South Conference Creates Largest College Football Conference". February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  3. "COASTAL GEORGIA SET TO OFFICIALLY BECOME SUN CONFERENCE MEMBER". June 29, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  4. Evenson, Johyn (October 11, 2016). "Keiser University Athletics adds football starting in 2018". Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. "St. Thomas to Launch Football in 2019; Joins MSC Sun Division". mid-southconference.org. August 29, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  6. "This is why Florida Memorial is bringing back college football after a 61-year hiatus". Miami Herald. June 4, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  7. "Johnson & Wales, which trained many local chefs, is closing its North Miami campus". June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  8. "Johnson & Wales Discontinues Athletics". Victory Sports Network. July 30, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  9. "Peach Belt Accepts USCB as Newest League Member". USCB Sand Sharks. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  10. "Football Returns to the Sun Conference in 2022". Sun Conference. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  11. "Mitjans Named Head Coach of Thomas University's New Football Team". January 25, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  12. "The Sun Conference". The Sun Conference. August 18, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  13. Murdaugh, Shellie (April 15, 2021). "University of South Carolina Beaufort plans move to NCAA Division II". Bluffton Today. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  14. Wilson, Michael (February 25, 2016). "Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference". The Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
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