The Sun Conference Approves College of Coastal Georgia As League's 12th Member
ATLANTA, Ga. — The Sun Conference Council of Presidents (COP) announced unanimous approval today for the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA) to join the Sun Conference effective July 1, 2017, with competition to begin in all sports during the 2017-18 academic year.
The addition of CCGA marks the Sun Conference's first expansion since Thomas University (Ga.) joined the conference in May 2011, and will return Sun Conference membership to 12 institutions.
"By unanimous vote, the Sun Conference Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the College of Coastal Georgia to the Sun Conference," said COP Chair and USC Beaufort Chancellor Dr. Al Panu. "We believe CCGA is an extraordinary fit, reflecting the criteria that we established at the beginning of the process – high academic quality, competitiveness, geographic compatibility and fiscal responsibility. We look forward to working with our colleagues at CCGA in the years ahead."
In order for an institution to be admitted to the conference, it must submit a written application which must then be approved by at least two-thirds of the Sun Conference COP. CCGA President Dr. Gregory Aloia formally submitted an application to join the Sun Conference on August 19, 2016. The Sun Conference COP met in Atlanta during the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Annual Meeting and approved CCGA’s application.
"We are pleased that the Presidents and Chancellors of the Sun Conference member institutions agree that the College of Coastal Georgia is a proper partner from both an academics standpoint and an athletics perspective," Aloia said. "This makes sense for the future of our college. We are honored to be included in the Sun Conference."
Located in Brunswick, Ga., CCGA fits within the Sun Conference’s existing footprint, bridging the gap between the league’s northern-most members in USC Beaufort and SCAD Savannah and its eight Florida schools. CCGA offers baccalaureate degrees in American Studies, Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Health Informatics, Mathematics, Nursing (BSN), Psychology, Public Affairs and recently added a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Since joining the NAIA in 2011, the Mariners have made their mark on the sports scene, winning the NAIA Men’s National Golf Championship in 2014 and 2015. Coastal Georgia’s athletics program currently supports eight intercollegiate sports teams – men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s softball and women’s volleyball.
"While Sun Conference expansion is exciting and important both academically and athletically, what we are really excited about is building solid, long-lasting relationships with the College of Coastal Georgia, its administrators, faculty, staff and fans," said Mark Pope, Commissioner of the Sun Conference. "We look forward to reaching out to these groups in the future."
About the Sun Conference:
Now in its 26th year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
The league sponsors championships in 16 NAIA Sports: Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Football, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Women’s Volleyball.
Sun Conference teams are perennial contenders for national titles. In 2015-16, 32 Sun Conference teams were selected to compete in NAIA National Championships.
The roots of The Sun Conference date back to 1990 when the league was originally formed as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The founding members consisted of 8 Florida schools. With the additions of the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), Savannah College of Art & Design and Thomas University, the Sun Conference expanded to South Carolina and Georgia, and now stands at 11 NAIA colleges and universities.
About the College of Coastal Georgia:
Located on the southeast Atlantic coast in Brunswick, midway between Savannah, Ga. and Jacksonville, Fla., the College of Coastal Georgia is an undergraduate college in the University System of Georgia. The College provides an affordable and interactive education in the natural beauty and abundant sunshine of Georgia’s Golden Isles, an area noted for world-class golf courses and resorts as well as amazing diversity of maritime habitats, wildlife and sea creatures.
The College offers baccalaureate degrees in American Studies, Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Health Informatics, Mathematics, Nursing (BSN), Psychology, Public Affairs and recently added a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Since joining the NAIA in 2011, the Mariners have made their mark on the sports scene, winning the NAIA Men’s National Golf Championship in 2014 and 2015. Coastal Georgia’s athletics program currently supports eight competitive sports teams: three men’s teams (basketball, golf, and tennis) and five women’s teams (basketball, golf, tennis, softball, and volleyball).
