Tusculum College Admitted to South Atlantic Conference

In a press conference on June 10, held on campus, Ryan LaHurd, president of Lenoir-Rhyne College, announced the admission of Tusculum College to the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) of the NCAA II. LaHurd, who chairs the SAC Council of Presidents, said, "Membership in SAC is jealously guarded, and we congratulate Tusculum College for this high accomplishment. Tusculum fits well as a small, private liberal arts college that adheres to a philosophy of providing comprehensive sports sponsorship as an integral part of the overall educational experience."

"This news is the fulfillment of a goal that was beyond our dreams in 1989, when this administration came to Tusculum College," said President Knott. "The conference is one of the premier Division II leagues in the country. The educational and athletic missions of programs of the member colleges are highly compatible with the mission of Tusculum College."

Ryan LaHurd, president of Lenoir-Rhyne College and Chairman of the South Atlantic Conference (left) is pictured with Tusculum College President Dr. Robert Knott.

"This is absolutely wonderful news for us," said Trustee Joseph J. Vogt '53, chair of the Athletic Committee of the Board of Trustees. "To be in a conference with institutions having the stature of Wingate or Carson-Newman will help us tremendously with recruiting. The conference is blessed with a wonderful, full-time commissioner whose staff includes a master scheduler who ensures students spend as much time in class as possible."

The South Atlantic Conference is a group of eight church-related colleges of similar size and athletic philosophy. Currently in its ninth year as an all sports conference and seventh as a member of the NCAA Division II, the league continues to gain recognition nationally.

"We appreciate the gracious reception we have been given by the member schools and presidents and look forward with much enthusiasm to the new rivalries and friendships," said Knott.

Doug Echols, commissioner of the conference, concluded the announcement by reinforcing the relationship between athletics and academic achievement. "The South Atlantic Conference fosters a relationship among colleges not just a relationship among athletic programs. We know that Tusculum will have a strong a lasting relationship with the other colleges in the conference."

Member Colleges of the South Atlantic Conference are Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tennessee, Catawba College, Salisbury, North Carolina, Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina, Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina, Newberry College, Newberry, South Carolina Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina, Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tennessee, and Wingate University, Wingate, North Carolina.