Brevard accepted for membership in USA South Athletic Conference

December 9, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The USA South Athletic Conference Presidents Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to welcome Brevard into the conference in the fall of 2017, marking a major milestone in Brevard’s reclassification into NCAA Division III competition.

“From the beginning of the reclassification process, we have wanted to make the USA South our new conference home,” said Athletic Director Juan Mascaro. “We felt that we were a great fit for the USA South. I’m thrilled that the conference presidents agreed and that we’ll have a new home as we begin our provisional Division III membership period in 2017.”

"We believe the USA South is a good match for Brevard," added President David Joyce. "We did our due diligence to ensure we were a good fit in terms of academics, enrollment size, culture and geography. It became obvious that the USA South would by far be the best conference for our athletic programs. We look forward to creating new and exciting rivalries in the near future."

The Tornados will begin USA South competition in the fall of 2017 as the school enters the first year of provisional membership into non-scholarship Division III. The provisional membership period typically lasts four years. Brevard will be eligible for conference and NCAA championships after its status has changed from provisional to full Division III membership.

"We are pleased to welcome Brevard College as the newest member of the USA South", stated Rita Wiggs, USA South Commissioner. "They have great leadership, are eager to begin the process of Division III membership while already exemplifying many pillars of the Division III and USA South philosophy. We look forward to their coaches and student-athletes competing in the USA South."

The USA South is headquartered in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently boasts 13 teams representing private colleges that compete in 14 sponsored sports. Formerly known as the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the league was formed in 1963 and counted six original members, two of which (Methodist University and North Carolina Wesleyan College) still remain in the league.

In its earliest days, the league was affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics but held to a strictly amateur philosophy, with no athletically-related financial aid permitted. When the NCAA split into multiple divisions in 1973, the USA South became one of the original conferences accepted into Division III membership.

In recent years, the conference has grown to 13 member institutions, with three new members set to join in the league during the 2016-17 academic year. See below for a listing of USA South members and future members. Click here to read the USA South's press release announcing Brevard's acceptance, and find a listing of all stories related to Brevard's Division III transition here.

Current USA South members

Future USA South members

* - Women's only member

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