Talk:Atlantic Sun Conference

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[edit] School type/religious affiliation

The religious affiliation or designation as "non-sectarian" is not so clear cut. For example, Duke University describes its ties with Methodism as "formal, on-going, and symbolic" [1] while Wake Forest University maintains "a dedication to the values rooted in its Baptist heritage" [2]. Both schools can be considered "non-sectarian" in that they are no longer under the direct auspices of their founding religious organizations. Likewise, Boston College maintains its Jesuit identity in spite of the fact that it severed its formal ties with the Jesuit Order (and thereby the Catholic Church) in the 1960s when it was independently incorporated under a lay board of trustees. Unlike the Catholic University of America, which is under the direct auspices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, or the University of Notre Dame, which is governed by "fellows" who must be priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, The Trustees of Boston College (BC's governing body) operate independent of any religious jurisdiction. This arrangement is probably similar to that at Duke or Wake Forest, except that the BC trustees have voluntarily chosen to elect members of the founding religious organization to the presidency (though they are not required to do so). In fact, similar arrangements exist at other Jesuit colleges and universities, where both women and non-clerics have been elected to presidency (most recently at Georgetown University). All of this is to say that I think the nature of a school's religious affiliation is beyond the scope of this article, and that "public" or "private" suffice in the context of the members table. --24.63.125.78 10:21, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

24.63.125.78 has coppied and pasted this on almost every college conference discussion board. Please refer to Talk:Atlantic Coast Conference so we can keep all the discussion in one place. Thanks. -- Masonpatriot

[edit] Error on the page

This statement: "The conference was formerly the "Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference (TAAC)" is incorrect. It should say, "The conference was formerly the Trans-American Athletic Conference (TAAC).

[edit] Correction of above

Actually, former name was Trans America Athletic Conference.[3] Evill72 22:41, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] South Carolina-Upstate

This was announced several months ago..your article speculates about another school.......you should keep your eyes out for this.

USC Upstate Begins Division I Exploration

Spartanburg, SC - The University of South Carolina Upstate has begun the exploration process on a potential move of its athletics program to NCAA Division I membership, the school announced Thursday.

The announcement from the University comes shortly after the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees gave approval for USC Upstate’s exploration of and potential move to Division I in a meeting held in Columbia.

“This is an exciting time for the University,” said Chancellor John C. Stockwell. “The University is experiencing unprecedented growth. At the same time, the University’s athletic program has continued to strengthen itself on a regional and national level. A strong metropolitan university should field a Division I athletic program and a move to Division I membership is something I fully support and have envisioned for the University for some time. Now is the time to explore whether the University should move its athletic program to compete at the Division I level.”

USC Upstate is among the fastest growing public institutions in the state with a projected enrollment of 6,000 students within the next seven years. With the University’s increasing strength and stature within the Upstate community and the success of its athletic teams on a national level, USC Upstate has chosen to explore the possibility of moving its athletic program to Division I status. If the University makes the move to Division I, the athletic teams will be classified as Division I-AAA. The I-AAA designation simply means that the institution is designated Division I without fielding a football program. The College of Charleston, UNC Greensboro, Winthrop, and UNC Charlotte are institutions in the region that compete as I-AAA members.

Preliminary steps have been taken to begin the exploratory process which has also included discussions about possible membership with the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Atlantic Sun is currently a 10-team athletic conference with schools in five Southeastern states - South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. An official invitational has not been offered by the Atlantic Sun at this time.

“The A-Sun does not need to expand,” said Atlantic Sun Commissioner Bill Bibb. “We would only do so if the opportunity arose to strengthen our conference overall. We strongly consider academics, athletic facilities, commitment to the student-athlete and the competitive strength and potential of any membership candidate. At this point we are considering a move from 10 to 12 members and we are very excited at the prospect of including USC Upstate as one of the new additions.

“At the encouragement of some of our current members, both athletic administrators and presidents, we began to examine USC Upstate as a candidate for expansion. The academic and athletic programs are sound, the campus is growing, and the campus leadership has a very solid plan for its reclassification. The administration is strong and very supportive of the move to Division I, and both Chancellor Stockwell and Athletic Director Mike Hall have a very clear future vision for Spartan athletics.

“We feel strongly at this point that both sides can benefit and become stronger with USC Upstate joining the A-Sun. The key is the overall university decision to move to Division I. Our Presidents Council makes the final determination on new members and we have received nothing but positive support from that group at the prospect of having USC Upstate as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. We have specific steps that we need to follow and that process can’t start until the university commits to Division I status. When that step is approved, we will begin the formal membership process.”

If USC Upstate moves to NCAA Division I membership, its athletic teams will not be eligible for postseason play for five years as mandated by the NCAA. Two teams, though, can be classified as “fast-track” sports and would become eligible for postseason play in two years after the school begins Division I competition.

USC Upstate currently competes on the NCAA Division II level and in the Peach Belt Conference. The University boasts a proud athletic history with its teams and student-athletes succeeding in athletics and academics. The Spartans have made 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two national championship contest appearances by the men’s soccer team, since joining NCAA Division II in 1991. USC Upstate has won 21 regular season Peach Belt Championships and 17 Peach Belt Tournament Championships. USC Upstate student-athletes have received 195 All-Conference and 122 Peach Belt All-Tournament selections. USC Upstate student athletes have been named Peach Belt Player of the Year 19 times, Freshman of the Year on 12 occasions, and its coaches have received league Coach of the Year honors 16 times. USC Upstate has had 27 All-Americans since joining the Division II ranks.

“We will take every necessary step in the exploratory process to make the right decision for the University and its athletic program,” said Athletics Director Mike Hall. “At the end of the process, the decision will be made solely on what is best for the University and its students, including our student-athletes. USC Upstate has changed, grown, and strengthened itself to become a truly unique and special place. Exploring Division I is a direct result of how far the University has come and an indication of where the University is heading in the future.”

[edit] South Carolina-Upstate

The University of South Carolina-Upstate should be announced as the 12th member (minus FAU which is leaving)within the next week.

[edit] Logos

There is a discussion to clarify our policy/guideline on the use of sports team logos. Please see Wikipedia_talk:Logos#Clarification_on_use_of_sports_team_logos if you wish to participate in the discussion. Johntex\talk 16:43, 4 August 2006 (UTC)