ROCK HILL, S.C.  – The South Atlantic Conference had three schools ranked in the NCAA Southeast Region Women’s Basketball poll released by the NCAA on Wednesday (Feb. 17). Wingate, Carson-Newman and Catawba are all under consideration for this year’s NCAA Southeast Region Championship.

In addition to the three SAC schools ranked in this week’s poll, there are three Conference Carolinas schools and four Peach Belt schools under consideration.

Wingate’s overall record is 21-3, Carson-Newman has a 20-5 overall record and Catawba is 19-4 overall.

The rankings are the official poll utilized by the NCAA in the championship selection process and will continue to be released each week by the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee up to the NCAA Championship selections.

NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Regional Rankings can be found at https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d2/regional-ranking.

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Wingate earned the No. 1 seed in next week’s South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Spring Tournament after finishing the spring season with an 8-1 record.  

Anderson earned the No. 2 seed as it finished with a 7-2 record.  Carson-Newman claimed the No. 3 seed with a 6-3 record, while Queens took the No. 4 seed with a 6-4 record.

Mars Hill finished with a 4-4 record to claim the No. 5 seed. Limestone and Newberry both finished with records of 4-5. The Saints earned the No. 6 seed by virtue of a head-to-head win over Newberry on March 13, giving the Wolves the No. 7 seed.

Rounding out the tournament field, is Tusculum with the No. 8 seed. The Pioneers finished with a 2-3 record and .400 winning percentage. Lincoln Memorial also finished with a .400 winning percentage, but Tusculum won the tiebreaker by virtue of a head-to-head win over the Railsplitters on March 9. 

The 2021 South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Spring Tournament will be played at the higher seeds throughout the tournament.  The quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, April 6, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, April 8, and the tournament final will take place on Sunday, April 11. 

Due to COVID-19, the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Volleyball Spring Tournament will follow the host institution’s attendance policies. These policies are based on state, local, and institutional guidelines. Updated spectator policies can be found here: CLICK HERE.

The 2021 SAC Volleyball Spring Tournament schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, April 6 (at higher seeds)

Game 1: #1 Wingate vs. #8 Tusculum, 7 p.m.
Game 2: #4 Queens vs. #5 Mars Hill, 7 p.m.
Game 3: #2 Anderson vs. #7 Newberry, 7 p.m.
Game 4: #3 Carson-Newman vs. #6 Limestone, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 8 (at higher seeds)

Game 5: winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 7 p.m.
Game 6: winner game 3 vs. winner game 4, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 11 (at higher seed)

Game 7: winner game 5 vs. winner game 6, TBA

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – The South Atlantic Conference Presidents Council announced today that Emory & Henry College has been invited to join the SAC pending acceptance into the NCAA Division II process, following a unanimous vote by the council to approve its application for membership.  Emory & Henry will begin competition in all conference sports in the 2022-23 academic year. 

The addition of Emory & Henry will increase the number of SAC members to 14 institutions. Emory & Henry will begin making the transition from NCAA Division III to Division II in 2021, and its membership into the SAC is pending approval of its NCAA Division II application. 

Emory & Henry, located in Emory, Va., is a four-year private liberal arts college offering more than 80 undergraduate academic majors and concentrations. Established in 1836, Emory & Henry offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, and seven graduate degrees. It is the oldest college in Southwest Virginia and its central campus is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register. 

Emory & Henry College is consistently ranked among the nation’s best private liberal arts institutions. The College’s many accolades include the Presidential Award for Service Learning, the highest national recognition for community service and service-learning; top tier recognition in Washington Monthly, USA Today, Newsweek, and Emory & Henry is listed among the top 40 schools in Colleges that Change Lives and recognized as a College of Distinction.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges, Emory & Henry boasts an enrollment of 1,292 students and an astonishing 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio with an average class size of 14 students.

“We are thrilled to have Emory & Henry join the South Atlantic Conference as our 14^th member,” said Dr. Maurice Scherrens, Chair of the SAC Presidents Council. “All of us within the SAC are extremely excited to have another fine institution from the state of Virginia join our ranks. Like so many of our current members, Emory & Henry adds to the strong history of academic and athletic success to our conference, and we look forward to the future with them as a member.”

Emory & Henry will compete in 19 of the SAC’s championship sports, including competing in the SAC’s combined men’s wrestling championship with Conference Carolinas. 

“We are very pleased to welcome Emory & Henry to the SAC,” said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. “The overall mission and focus of the college aligns perfectly with the SAC and the institution is a great fit geographically, as well. This addition also strengthens and enhances the SAC and allows us to continue our vision to be a premier NCAA Division II conference both regionally and nationally.”

The Emory & Henry athletic department has a long history of athletic success having competed in intercollegiate athletics for more than 100 years. The Wasps were founding members of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). Overall, the Wasps have won 17 ODAC championships, including a league-record 11 football championships. They have made 17 NCAA postseason appearances, highlighted by a 1987 football national semifinals appearance, two men’s basketball Sweet 16 appearances, and three NCAA tournament appearances in softball.

 “This is an exciting time for Emory & Henry athletics, the college as a whole and sports fans across the region,” said Dr. John W. Wells, Emory & Henry College President. “The move to Division II will help expand our fan base and bring much-needed visibility for this wonderful institution. We’re determined to be a leader in higher education for Middle Appalachia, and our move into the South Atlantic Conference and the ranks of Division II athletics is a powerful way to position us as a place of connections. We look forward to growing the rivalries, relationships within the SAC, and welcoming new guests to our Emory campus.”  

“Our alumni and friends are familiar with our SAC colleagues, and the proximity of opposing schools provides opportunities that more current students and College supporters will be able to travel to road competitions,” said Anne Crutchfield, Director of Athletics at Emory & Henry. “Joining the SAC will create some true rivalries that should get our student-athletes and our fans excited.”

“We have been fortunate to belong to one of the top Division III conferences in the country with the ODAC as a charter member since 1975, and I think this move to the SAC will continue that high standard as the league is known for great competition on a national level,” added Crutchfield. “I think we will see greater opportunities in our future to compete for national championships.” 

Logistics of Emory & Henry’s integration into the SAC, including the possibility of divisional play, will be vetted by the conference’s leadership groups in May. 

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman has been picked as the favorite team to win the 2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship as voted by the League’s head coaches. The Eagles picked up seven first-place votes and received 149 points from the panel.

The Eagles closed out the 2019-20 season with a record of 22-8 overall, going 17-5 in SAC play and advancing to their third consecutive NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

Anderson is No. 2 in the poll with four first-place votes and 141 points, while Catawba is No. 3 with two first-place votes and 134 points.

The Trojans won their second straight SAC Regular Season Title after going 19-3 in conference play and 26-5 overall last season. Anderson also advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

The Catawba Indians went 23-6 overall last year, with a record of 17-5 in SAC action.

At No. 4 in the poll was Wingate, who picked up 116 points from the head coaches. The Bulldogs went 17-13 a season ago with an 11-11 record in conference play.  Lenoir-Rhyne followed in the No. 5 position with 100 points after closing out the 2019-20 season with an 11-18 record overall, going 9-13 in the SAC.

Lincoln Memorial earned the No. 6 position with 94 points, while Tusculum came in at No. 7 with 93 points. The Railsplitters went 10-17 overall a year ago, finishing with a record of 9-13 in the SAC. The Pioneers won the 2020 SAC Pilot Flying J Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional after a 24-7 overall record and a 16-6 SAC mark.

The newest member of the SAC, Limestone landed at No. 8 in the preseason poll as it collected 87 points from the coaches. The Saints won the Conference Carolinas Tournament title a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional for the eighth time in the last nine years.

UVA Wise came in at No. 9 with 77 points, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 10 with 67 points. Coker, Queens, and Mars Hill rounded out the poll at No. 11, No. 12, and, No. 13, respectively with 45, 41, and 26 points.

The South Atlantic Conference also announced its Preseason All-Conference Teams with Teliyah Jeter of Wingate, Madeline Hardy of Lenoir-Rhyne, Keli Romas of Newberry, Braelyn Wykle of Carson-Newman, Caitlyn Ross of UVA Wise, and Taisha DeShazo of Catawba being named to the first team.

Earning second-team honors were Anderson’s Taylor Hair, Mars Hill’s De’Ja Marshall, Queens’ Kristian Eanes, Carson-Newman’s Addison Byrd, Catawba’s Lyrik Thorne, and UVA Wise’s Nia Vanzant.

The 2020-21 women’s basketball season gets underway on Nov. 21 with a full slate of league action. Each team will have regular COVID-19 testing weekly to ensure the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators.

Additionally, each institution will have limited spectator seating in order to comply with state and local health guidelines. Fans should check with the host institution before making plans to attend any SAC basketball games in person.

All of the SAC women’s basketball games will be streamed live online for free through the SAC Live Digital Network. Links to live video and live stats of all the games, as well as a full schedule of games can be found by visiting the women’s basketball page on TheSAC.com.

2020-21 SAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

2020-21 SAC Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference

First Team

Teliyah Jeter, Wingate
Madeline Hardy, Lenoir-Rhyne
Keli Romas, Newberry
Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman
Caitlyn Ross, UVA Wise
Taisha DeShazo, Catawba

Second Team

Taylor Hair, Anderson
De’Ja Marshall, Mars Hill
Kristian Eanes, Queens
Addison Byrd, Carson-Newman
Lyrik Thorne, Catawba
Nia Vanzant, UVA Wise

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial have been picked to win the 2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship as voted by the League’s head coaches. The Railsplitters picked up 11 first-place votes and received 155 total points in the poll.

LMU finished the 2019-20 season with a 32-1 record, rattling off an impressive 32-straight victories, including winning the 2020 SAC Pilot Flying J Men’s Basketball Championship. The Railsplitters closed out the season ranked No. 2 nationally in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll. They had three players named to the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Southeast Region team, with two players named to the NABC All-Southeast District team, and head coach Josh Schertz was named NABC Southeast District Coach of the Year.

The Railsplitters are a preseason No. 3 pick according to Basketball Times, with returners Cameron Henry and Devin Whitfield being named preseason All-Americans.

Queens earned the No. 2 position in the poll with one first-place vote and 144 total points. The Royals closed out the 2019-20 season with a record of 24-7 and a No. 23 ranking in the NABC national poll. They advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional for the fifth consecutive year. The Royals are a preseason top-20 pick according to Basketball Times, earning the No. 12 spot in the national poll.

Earning the No. 3 spot in the preseason poll was Lenoir-Rhyne with a first-place vote and 122 total points. The Bears went 14-14 overall and were 10-12 in the SAC last season. 

At No. 4 in the poll was Tusculum who picked up 117 points from the head coaches.  The Pioneers closed out their 2019-20 season at 19-13 overall and 13-9 in the SAC. Catawba followed as it received 114 points, landing in the No. 5 position. The Indians advanced to their second consecutive NCAA Division II Southeast Regional in 2019-20 after a record of 20-10.  

Anderson earned the No. 6 spot with 107 points.  The Trojans went 17-12 overall and 12-10 in the SAC a season ago.

Wingate came in at No. 7 with 81 points, while Newberry took the No. 8 spot with 78 points. The Bulldogs posted a 13-15 overall record and were 9-13 in conference, and the Wolves were 14-15 overall and 10-12 in the SAC in 2019-20.

Carson-Newman landed at No. 9 in the preseason poll as it collected 77 points from the head coaches.  Last season, the Eagles went 10-18 overall and 7-15 in SAC play.

Mars Hill came in at No. 10 with 64 points, followed by Coker with 45 points at No. 11, and UVA Wise at No. 12 with 40 points.  The league’s newest Limestone rounded out the poll as it notched 26 points at No. 13.

The South Atlantic Conference also announced its preseason All-SAC teams. Earning first team honors were Lincoln Memorial’s Cameron Henry and Devin Whitfield, Anderson’s Quin Nottingham, Lenoir-Rhyne’s R.J. Gunn andDarius Simmons, and UVA Wise’s Cameron Whiteside.

The second team was comprised of the following players: Tusculum’s Trenton Gibson, Queens’ Jamari Smith andKenny Dye, Wingate’s Jarren Cottingham, Mars Hill’s Javonte Cooke, and Anderson’s Crosby James II.

The 2020-21 men’s basketball season gets underway on Nov. 21 with a full slate of league action. Each team will have regular COVID-19 testing weekly to ensure the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators.

Additionally, each institution will have limited spectator seating in order to comply with state and local health guidelines. Fans should check with the host institution before making plans to attend any SAC basketball games in person.

All of the SAC men’s basketball games will be streamed live online for free through the SAC Live Digital Network. Links to live video and live stats of all the games, as well as a full schedule of games can be found by visiting the men’s basketball page on TheSAC.com.

2020-21 SAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

2020-21 SAC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference 

First Team

Quin Nottingham, Anderson
Cameron Henry, Lincoln Memorial
Devin Whitfield, Lincoln Memorial
Cameron Whiteside, UVA Wise
Darius Simmons, Lenoir-Rhyne 
R.J. Gunn, Lenoir-Rhyne

Second Team
Jamari Smith, Queens
Trenton Gibson, Tusculum
Jarren Cottingham, Wingate
Javonte Cooke, Mars Hill
Crosby James II, Anderson
Kenny Dye, Queens

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – The South Atlantic Conference Presidents and Athletics Councils approved schedules for the fall sports of field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball on Friday (Sept. 25). All five sports will play shortened seasons, including conference tournaments during the spring semester of 2021.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to give all of our fall sports student-athletes an opportunity to compete during the 2020-21 academic year,” said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. “While it may not be the season we had hoped for, we have developed schedules for all of our fall sport student-athletes that we feel will allow them to play outside competition, compete for a championship, and have a meaningful student-athlete experience. These schedules will also allow the staffs at each of our institutions to effectively manage and administer all of their sports, including the winter and spring sports that will be playing during this time, as well.”

The South Atlantic Conference Carolinas field hockey teams, consisting of four institutions from the SAC and three from Conference Carolinas, will compete in a six-game conference schedule beginning in early February.

The SAC football teams will compete in a four-game conference schedule, including a conference championship game from early March to mid-April. The football teams have been divided into two divisions based on geography. The top team from each division will then play in a postseason championship game. All SAC teams can play a maximum of seven games to be determined at the discretion of each institution.

The SAC men’s and women’s soccer teams will be divided into three pods consisting of four teams each for a total of six conference games with the option to play two non-conference opponents. Each team will play the other three teams in their pod twice (once at home and once on the road) with the top teams advancing to a postseason tournament. These pods are divided up geographically in order to reduce travel and missed class time for the student-athletes. The soccer season will be played from the end of February to the middle of April.

The SAC volleyball teams will each play a 10-match schedule from the end of February to the middle of April with the top teams advancing to a postseason tournament.

The full details of each sport’s postseason tournament, including field size and location, are still to be determined, but will be developed as soon as possible.

These fall sports seasons will not interfere with student-athlete’s eligibility, as the NCAA issued a blanket waiver allowing all 2020 fall sports student-athletes to retain their year of eligibility, regardless of the number of contests competed in during the 2020-21 season.

The SAC leadership will continue to assess the NCAA, federal, state, and local developments and provide updated revisions as further information is available, including restrictions on spectator attendance at games.

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The SAC will move all of its fall sports – women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, football, field hockey and men’s and women’s cross country – to the spring semester.

Commissioner Patrick Britz said in a release that it was a tough decision.

“Much like the decision we had to make back in March to cancel spring sports, this decision to postpone fall sports was very difficult for our administration to make,” Britz said. “But the health and safety of our student-athletes is our number one priority and we feel the decision to postpone our fall seasons is the best for their safety and well-being, and it gives us the best opportunity to play. While this still does not guarantee our fall sports will be able to compete during the 2021 spring season, it gives us the best chance to continue to monitor the situation.”

The SAC has also chosen to temporarily suspend all athletically-related activities, including practices, weight training, and voluntary workouts for all sports until September 1.

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The SAC announced on Friday that it will delay the start of all scheduled competition for fall sports until September 26.

The teams which compete in fall competition will be looking at a conference-only schedule.

SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz said that although there is no guarantee to a season, this is at least a scenario in which sports are being played.

“This was a very difficult decision, but one we feel has the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans in mind,” Britz said. “We all understand the desire everyone has to get back out there and play games, but the health and safety of our student-athletes take precedence over playing at this time. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety above all else.  While this does not guarantee our fall sports will be able to compete during their traditional season, a delayed start gives us the best chance to continue to monitor the situation.”

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