ASHEVILLE, N.C. –Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) John Sullivan announced Friday the addition of five new affiliate members and the addition of men’s volleyball as a championship sport for 2022-23.

The addition of the affiliate members allows the AAC to make men’s volleyball a championship sport and adds more schools in the sport of men’s wrestling.

The new affiliates come to the AAC as full members of The Sun Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference.

“The commissioners from The Sun Conference, the Southern States Athletic Conference, and myself have been working on this agreement over the past year,” said Sullivan. “By adding these affiliate members, we are able to sponsor men’s volleyball as a conference sport and increase the number of teams sponsoring men’s wrestling to the advantage of all three conferences by reducing travel and missed class time. It also makes us one of the largest wrestling conferences in the country and moves men’s volleyball forward on the path to national championship status.”

The schools joining the AAC are:

• Life University (Ga.) – men’s volleyball and men’s wrestling;
• Webber International University (Fla.)* – men’s volleyball;
• Warner University (Fla.) – men’s volleyball;
• Brewton-Parker College (Ga.) – men’s wrestling;
• St. Thomas University (Fla.) – men’s wrestling;
• Keiser University (Fla.)* – men’s wrestling;
• Southeastern University (Fla.) – men’s wrestling.

*-Webber and Keiser are already affiliate members of the AAC in the sport of men’s lacrosse.

These institutions will join Bluefield, Columbia International, Reinhardt, St. Andrews, and Truett McConnell in men’s volleyball, and Bluefield, Montreat, Reinhardt, St. Andrews, Truett McConnell, and WVU Tech.

With the addition of men’s volleyball, the AAC will offer a total of 24 championship sports in 2022-23.

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is proud to welcome Johnson University as a full member effective for the 2021-22 season.

Located in Knoxville, Tenn., Johnson gives the AAC 16th full members. The AAC Council of Presidents approved Johnson for membership earlier this spring pending admittance into the NAIA, which was granted during the NAIA Convention in May .

“We are very happy to welcome Johnson University to the AAC,” said Commissioner John Sullivan. “We have watched Johnson grow over the past years to the point that they were ready for the AAC and the NAIA. They bring a sizable and growing number of teams sponsored by the AAC, they sit in the geographic center of our conference, and we have compatible philosophies on the role of college athletics and faith. I know that they are excited to be able to compete for championships in their first year and we look forward to having them.”

Johnson is the fourth member of the AAC from Tennessee, joining Bryan College, Milligan University, and Tennessee Wesleyan University.

“We are so excited about the AAC, and I was personally impressed about so many aspects of the conference,” said Johnson Director of Athletics Brandon Perry. “Obviously, there are great teams to compete against who are in our geographic region. I felt strongly that the AAC gives us a great opportunity for continual athletic department growth because of the great reputation and brand the AAC carries. I love that the leadership is just as concerned with academics and student-athlete as they are concerned with athletic success. However, the thing that impressed me the most was the true sense of partnership shared between the members. Each administrator cares about the well-being of the other institutions. We wanted more than just an athletic conference to compete in. We wanted partnership, and I believe that we have found it in the AAC. We can’t wait to see what the future looks like for Johnson and the AAC.”

Found as the School of Evangelists in 1893, the institution was renamed to Johnson Bible College in 1909 and eventually to Johnson University in 2011. From its beginning, Johnson has been a place of deep faith, consistent prayer, and hard work.

Currently, Johnson sponsors nine intercollegiate athletic programs, all of which will compete in the AAC. Johnson competes in baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.

Here are more facts about Johnson:

• Enrollment: 774
• Institution website: www.johnsonu.edu
• Athletic website: www.johnsonroyals.com
• Mascot: Royals
• School Colors: Navy, Gray, and White
• President: Dr. Thomas L. Smith

The NAIA recently passed a resolution at the most recent convention to allow first-year members of the association to compete in postseason play. Therefore, Johnson will be able to vie for championships in the AAC and the NAIA immediately.

The AAC has full members in six southeastern states. The other full members included: Bluefield College (Va.), Brenau University (Ga.), Bryan College (Tenn.), Columbia International University (S.C.), Columbia College (S.C.), Kentucky Christian University, Milligan University (Tenn.), Montreat College (N.C.), Point University (Ga.), Reinhardt University (Ga.), SCAD Atlanta (Ga.), St. Andrews University (N.C.), Tennessee Wesleyan University, Truett McConnell University (Ga.) and Union College (Ky.).

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Council of Presidents on Monday announced that we intend to begin fall competition for the sports of men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer on Sept. 15, 2020.

It is the AAC’s intention to play conference-only games in the fall, and that the regularly scheduled conference championships will be completed as scheduled in the fall. Championship dates may change if needed to accommodate the conference-only schedules.

No outside competition in any sport will be permitted before Sept. 15 to include scrimmages and exhibition games. Inter-squad scrimmages are permitted. Member institutions may schedule non-conference games in the spring as desired up to the maximum allowable by the NAIA. Our member schools will provide non-conference competition in the Spring for those AAC teams selected for the NAIA national tournaments if needed.

As a result of the recent decision by the full NAIA Council of Presidents to allow conferences to determine their own testing protocols, the AAC will not require preparticipation COVID-19 testing for all student-athletes. Each member institution may establish its own testing requirements consistent with local and state guidelines and policies. However, should a student-athlete present with symptoms Conference and institution policies will be followed.

The AAC recognizes that as circumstances change, we will remain flexible to respond keeping the safety and well-being of our students and staff at the forefront of our decisions.

“We want to get our students on campus and settled into the ‘new routine’ before allowing athletic competition,” Commissioner John Sullivan said. “Delaying competition until Sept. 15 gives us that ‘breathing room’ to establish new habits to ensure that we do not have an outbreak of COVID-19. From that point on we can complete our conference-only schedule and still finish before Thanksgiving. Pushing soccer and volleyball to the Spring would over-tax our facilities with multiple sports competing for time on a single field or gymnasium. Additionally, our athletic training and sports information staffs would be overwhelmed with trying to accommodate double the normal load of student-athletes and contests. Finally, and most importantly, the academic disruption with games nearly every day is clearly undesirable.

“Since the NAIA has moved the national championships for soccer and volleyball to the spring, our national tournament qualifiers will be able to compete in non-conference contests in the spring, including conference opponents if needed, to prepare for the championships.

“We continue to monitor the federal, state, and local guidelines and policies and remain flexible to make changes as the situation develops. Our goal is to continue to provide a great student-athlete experience while maintaining the highest competitive and safety standards.”

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