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| Southern Virginia athletics photo |
The USA South Athletic Conference is pleased to announce that Southern Virginia University has been accepted for full membership within the League. The Knights are currently an NCAA Division III institution primarily competing in the Capital Athletic Conference. SVU's football program currently is an affiliate member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Knights will begin play as USA South members in the 2021-22 academic year, growing the League's membership to 19 institutions.
Update: St. Mary's has announced it is leaving the CAC as well.
The Capital Athletic Conference will be left with four schools in the fall of 2021, barring other moves.
"I am very pleased that the USA South Presidents Council agreed to extend membership to Southern Virginia University," said Tom Bogart, President of Maryville College and chair of the presidents council. "SVU is an institution that aligns well with the rest of the conference members, and this decision coincides with the strategic direction of the conference. I welcome them wholeheartedly."
"We are pleased to have Southern Virginia University join the USA South," stated Tom Hart, who is Commissioner of the USA South. "SVU adds to our membership by providing another high quality institution dedicated to the ideals of Division III. The site visit team was impressed by the leadership demonstrated by president Wilcox and his team for the commitment to the student athlete experience and it's place within the overall university mission. Levels of athletic staffing, facilities, budget, sport sponsorship and location were all factors that indicated a strong fit with our other 18 members."
The Knights currently offer 12 men's sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling) and 11 women's sports (basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball).
The departure of Southern Virginia will leave the CAC with just four schools in the fall of 2021: Christopher Newport, Mary Washington, Salisbury and St. Mary's (Md.). York (Pa.) is leaving for the MAC Commonwealth in the fall of 2020. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference will be left with eight members and will be comfortably able to retain an automatic bid in football.
Southern Virginia spent its first year in Division III as an independent, then spent five years as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The 2019 season was SVU's first season in the ODAC, and the Knights finished 4-6 overall, 2-6 in conference play. The 2020 season will be their last as ODAC members.
"We are thrilled to have been invited and to now accept the invitation to join the USA South Athletic Conference in 2021," shared Southern Virginia president Reed Wilcox. "We are a private, faith-based institution fully committed to educational excellence and the NCAA Division III approach to athletics. Over the past five years, we have built a growing friendship and familiarity with many conference members. We believe in the power of partnership and are committed to being strong, reliable, and proud partners with the USA South and its member institutions."
"We're excited to join and become a contributing member of the USA South and look forward to being aligned with the conference and its member schools," stated Deidra Dryden, Southern Virginia athletic director. "We're also extremely grateful for our membership in the CAC and ODAC—both of which have been great partners. Joining the USA South allows us to have as many of our sports as possible competing in the same conference, which has been a goal of ours. We've really enjoyed our competitive relationship with the USA South over the years and we admire their commitment to student-athletes both academically and athletically. We've also been particularly impressed with their student-athlete leadership development."