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46-581: A member of the Southern Conference , ETSU sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA-sanctioned sports: The most recent change to ETSU's sports sponsorship was the dropping of men's indoor track & field after the 2022–23 season. Casey Mae Riley serves as the Director of Player Operations. ETSU's baseball team won the 2013 Atlantic Sun Tournament with a 7–2 win over Kennesaw State May 26, 2013. The first-ever A-Sun championship for ETSU win earned

92-597: A cooperative agreement with the ASUN Conference , the SoCon began sponsoring men's lacrosse in the 2014–15 school year (2015 season) with three full members (Furman, Mercer, VMI) and four associates (Bellarmine, High Point, Jacksonville, Richmond). SoCon men's lacrosse has since added Air Force. Women's lacrosse was sponsored by the ASUN through the 2017 season, after which the SoCon launched its own women's lacrosse league. Beginning in

138-608: A lower-division opponent in the Florida program's history. In 2015, Furman defeated UCF 16–15 and The Citadel topped South Carolina 23–22 for their second win over the Gamecocks in the past three meetings. On September 4, 2021, East Tennessee State University stunned Vanderbilt 23–3 in their opening game. The SoCon also frequently sees multiple teams selected to participate in the NCAA Division I baseball championship . The SoCon

184-466: A vast area which stretched from the Florida Keys northward. Johnson City, home of ETSU, is located among the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and is a great distance from the ocean, but geologists and archaeologists teamed up and discovered an underground river near the university. Named Pirate Creek, it evidently winds its way through many tunnels. It is thought that these caverns at one time channeled all

230-485: Is a partial list of the last 10 regular-season and tournament champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference men's basketball champions . This is a partial list of the last 10 tournament champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference women's basketball tournament This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see Southern Conference baseball tournament . The Commissioner's and Germann Cups are awarded each year to

276-507: Is currently Desmond Oliver. He became the 18th head coach in ETSU's 100+ year history. After Steve Forbes left to become head coach of Wake Forest in 2020, assistant Jason Shay became the men's head basketball coach for one season. ETSU has also had success with their women's basketball program going to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Besides appearing in

322-400: Is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. The teams that win their respective Division I conference championships are given automatic spots in the regionals. A selection committee decides which other teams play in the regionals. The top teams in each regional advance to the championship. In addition, the best player in each tournament from teams not qualified also advance to

368-452: The ASUN Conference , announced a new alliance in lacrosse that took effect with the 2015 spring season (2014–15 school year). Under its terms, sponsorship of men's lacrosse shifted from the ASUN to the SoCon, while women's lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN. Bellarmine, which had announced it would join the ASUN for men's lacrosse for the 2015 spring season, instead joined the SoCon. The alliance remains in effect in men's lacrosse, but

414-553: The Atlantic 10 Conference , announced on May 23, 2022, led to the demise of the SoCon men's lacrosse league after the 2022 season. In addition to Hampton joining the CAA, SoCon associate members High Point and Richmond (the latter a full A-10 member) moved to the A-10, and Jacksonville returned to ASUN men's lacrosse. In the table below, the "Joined" column denotes the start of the school year in which

460-645: The Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta from February 24 to March 2, 1922, the first meeting was won by North Carolina who defeated non-member Mercer in the Finals 40–25. The SoCon Basketball Tournament continues as the nation's oldest conference tournament. The next-oldest tournament overall is the SEC men's basketball tournament , founded in 1933, but that event was suspended after its 1952 edition and did not resume until 1979. With

506-464: The NCAA Division I Championship was 3rd place in 1996. Notable ETSU golfers include Eric Axley , Rhys Davies , David Eger , Larry Hinson , Mike Hulbert , Keith Nolan , J. C. Snead , Bobby Wadkins , Garrett Willis and Adrian Meronk . On May 30, 2013, the Southern Conference announced that it was extending an invitation for membership to the Buccaneers, effective July 1, 2014. ETSU accepted

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552-453: The NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship three times, they have also appeared Women's National Invitation Tournament three times with their most recent appearance coming in 2015. Overall the women's program has 543–597 record. The women's head coach is currently Brittney Ezell . She became the eighth head coach in the 46-year history of East Tennessee State University women's basketball on May 8, 2013. The 2013–14 campaign—in which

598-655: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama , Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , and Virginia . Established in 1921, the Southern Conference ranks as the fifth-oldest major college athletic conference in

644-507: The PGA Tour , including 1961 champion Jack Nicklaus , 1967 champion Hale Irwin , 1996 champion Tiger Woods , and three-time champions Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson . As of 2024, the individual champion receives an invitation to the following year's Masters Tournament , provided that he remains an amateur at the time of the Masters. The NCAA started sponsoring the golf championship in 1939;

690-513: The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference charter members were Alabama , Auburn , Clemson , Georgia , Georgia Tech , Kentucky , Maryland , Mississippi State , North Carolina , North Carolina State , Tennessee , Virginia , Virginia Tech , and Washington & Lee . In 1922, six more universities— Florida , LSU , Mississippi , South Carolina , Tulane , and Vanderbilt joined

736-566: The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines 34–32 on September 1, 2007. The Davidson Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by upsetting power programs Gonzaga , Georgetown , and Wisconsin . More recently, the six-time Division I NCAA football champion Georgia Southern Eagles stunned Southeastern Conference power-house Florida Gators 26–20 in The Swamp on November 23, 2013—the first loss to

782-593: The 2009–10 season that ETSU reached 20 wins. Led by Ezell, the Bucs made it to the Southern Conference Tournament Championship game falling to No.1 seed Chattanooga in overtime, 61–56. ETSU appeared in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) for the third time in school history falling short to NC State, 73–59. East Tennessee State established its first football team in 1920 when the university

828-557: The 2016–17 academic year, after a 30-year hiatus, the SoCon resumed rifle as its 21st sport. Members for conference competition are full members The Citadel, VMI, and Wofford as well as associate members UAB, Georgia Southern, and North Georgia. The SoCon is one of only two all-sports conferences to sponsor rifle, joining the Ohio Valley Conference. Rifle is technically a men's sport for NCAA purposes, but men's, women's, and co-ed teams all compete against each other. Women's lacrosse

874-550: The ASUN Conference. The men's lacrosse partnership took a slightly different form from the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) forward, as the ASUN reinstated its men's lacrosse league. The two full ASUN members with men's lacrosse programs separated, with Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men's lacrosse while Bellarmine joined the ASUN men's lacrosse league. SoCon associate Air Force also left for ASUN men's lacrosse. The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth with

920-544: The Bucs their first NCAA tournament appearance in 32 years. ETSU has a long history in men's basketball with an all-time record of 1,252–1,005 and 10 overall appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship , with their last appearance occurring in 2017. They appeared in the Sweet Sixteen in the 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament , and have an overall tournament record of 2–10. The men's head coach

966-617: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the two remaining men's lacrosse members, Jacksonville and Mercer, moved that sport to the ASUN. Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools: Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Southern Conference which are played by SoCon schools: This is a list of recent champions. For the full history, see List of Southern Conference football champions . † Automatic bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship This

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1012-613: The National Intercollegiate Golf Association) sponsored the annual tournament and awarded titles from 1897 through 1938. In 1939, the NCAA assumed tournament sponsorship and began awarding championship titles. Schools are listed by their current names, which do not necessarily match those used when schools won their titles. These men have won more than one individual championship: These schools have produced more than one individual champion: These men have won both

1058-580: The SEC and ACC are considered "power" conferences in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A), the SoCon dropped to Division I-AA (FCS) in 1982, four years after the top division was split into two levels in 1978. The SoCon became the first league to hold a post-season basketball tournament to decide a conference champion. Although first played in 1921, it did not become "official" until 1922, and in its first few years included teams which were not conference members. Held at

1104-627: The SoCon added the sport for the 2016–17 school year. In the table below, the "Joined" and "Left" columns denotes the calendar year in which each school joined and left the SoCon. For fall sports, the year of departure differs from the final year of competition. For spring sports, the year of arrival differs from the first season of competition. Full members Full members (except football) Other Conference Other Conference The Southern Conference sponsors championship competition in 11 men's, 9 women's, and one co-educational NCAA-sanctioned sports. Five schools are associate members for wrestling. Under

1150-589: The South (Sewanee), Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) all departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 1953, seven additional schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The SEC and ACC have gone on to surpass their parent conference in prestige; while

1196-556: The United States, and either the third or fourth oldest in continuous operation, depending on definitions. The Southern Conference is considered one of the stronger football conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision and is considered a mid-major conference in basketball. The three-time Division I NCAA Football champion Appalachian State Mountaineers were a member of the conference when they stunned

1242-505: The addition of Hampton . Before the addition of Hampton men's lacrosse, the most recent addition to the associate membership was Presbyterian wrestling, which joined during summer 2019. Two women's lacrosse members, Central Michigan and Detroit Mercy , left after the 2020 season (2019–20 school year) to join the new women's lacrosse league of Central's full-time home of the Mid-American Conference ; this move contributed to

1288-420: The arrival of East Tennessee State (ETSU), Mercer, and VMI. The current football membership stands at nine. UNC Greensboro does not sponsor football, while ETSU relaunched its previously dormant football program in 2015 and rejoined SoCon football in 2016 after one season as an independent . The 10 members of the Southern Conference are: On January 9, 2014, the SoCon and Atlantic Sun Conference, now known as

1334-554: The conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, effective January 1. The new rules banned freshman play. Later additions included Sewanee (1924), Virginia Military Institute (1924), and Duke (1929). The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, the 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, University of

1380-571: The demise of the Division II West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013, whose tournament had been continuously held since 1936, the next-oldest conference tournament in continuous existence is now the ACC men's basketball tournament , first held in 1954. The all-sports membership changed to 10 schools in 2014 following the departure of Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, and Georgia Southern, plus

1426-616: The eventual demise of the SoCon women's lacrosse league. Men's soccer member Belmont left the SoCon after the 2021–22 school year when it joined the Missouri Valley Conference , which sponsors that sport. At the same time, Hampton moved men's lacrosse to its new full-time home of the Colonial Athletic Association, now known as the Coastal Athletic Association . The addition of men's lacrosse by

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1472-443: The institution became an associate member, which for spring sports differs from the first season of competition. Most former members are currently members of either the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference . Two of the former full members, Appalachian State and Davidson, maintain SoCon associate membership in wrestling . A third former full member, Georgia Southern, became an associate member in rifle when

1518-475: The invitation and joined Mercer and VMI in the conference, replacing Appalachian State , Davidson , Elon and Georgia Southern beginning in the league's 2014 season. The Buccaneers rejoined the league after a nine-year absence. Bucky's background begins with the story of the East Tennessee State University nickname—the Buccaneers. A brief history begins with a Buccaneer, who once roamed

1564-453: The leagues amicably ended their full alliance in women's lacrosse once the SoCon began sponsoring that sport in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 school year). However, the conferences maintained their working relationship in women's lacrosse, with the SoCon adding Coastal Carolina as an associate member effective with the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year) in order to keep both conferences at five women's lacrosse members for 2021. Coastal

1610-674: The more memorable highlights of ETSU football history include the 1969 team that went undefeated and beat Louisiana Tech, led by Terry Bradshaw , in the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, LA and the 1996 team that went 10-3 and advanced to the Division I-AA quarterfinals after defeating Villanova , 35–29, in a first-round playoff game in Memorial Center . The men's golf team has won 24 conference championships. Their best finish in

1656-446: The next round as individual competitors. Formerly, it was a stroke play team competition, but starting in 2009, the competition was changed to a stroke play/ match play competition with the top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play being seeded and concluding with an eight-team match play playoff. An award is also given for the lowest-scoring individual competitor. Many individual winners have gone on to have successful careers on

1702-629: The previous 41 championships were conferred by the National Intercollegiate Golf Association. Americans had captured all of the titles from the tournament's inception, until James McLean of Australia won in 1998. Luke Donald of England won in 1999. Alejandro Cañizares of Spain won in 2003, followed by James Lepp (2005) and Matt Hill (2009), both from Canada , Thomas Pieters of Belgium in 2012, Fred Biondi of Brazil in 2023 and Hiroshi Tai of Singapore in 2024. The Intercollegiate Golf Association (later named

1748-457: The team went 9–21 overall—was Ezell's first leading the Bucs after spending three seasons as the head coach at Belmont University in Nashville. In 2014–15, ETSU experienced an unbelievable turnaround under Ezell with a 16-game win progression from 2013 to 2014 where the Bucs went 9–21. The total win improvement was the second best in the country. The 2014–15 win total of 21 marked the first time since

1794-487: The top men's and women's program in the conference. The Commissioner's Cup was inaugurated in 1970. The Germann Cup, named for former Southern Conference Commissioner Ken Germann, was first awarded in 1987. The completion of the 2013–2014 athletics season saw Appalachian State winning its 33rd Commissioner's Cup and Furman its 13th Germann Cup. NCAA Division I Men%27s Golf Championships The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship , played in late May or early June,

1840-465: The underground river near Johnson City and called Pirate Creek his home. Geologists feel that the upheaval of the Earth's crust, which now blocks the channel, possibly killed LeBucque. This legend is widely accepted and is one way to explain why an inland school would choose a pirate nickname. Southern Conference The Southern Conference ( SoCon ) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with

1886-459: The way to the Atlantic Ocean. Soon after this discovery, the legend of buccaneer, Jean Paul LeBucque was found in history books. The legend describes how LeBucque was a nuisance and terror. Evidently, he was looking for a place to hide his great store of gold and treasure, and find safety for himself. He sailed north in search of a new home and began to look inland. Legend states that he discovered

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1932-652: Was added as the 22nd sport for 2017–18, but was dropped after the 2020–21 school year. The SoCon dropped men's lacrosse after the 2022 season. Affiliate member Hampton joined the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors that sport, and the Atlantic 10 Conference, full-time home to men's lacrosse affiliate Richmond, launched a men's lacrosse league in the 2023 season, also taking in another SoCon affiliate in High Point. With SoCon men's lacrosse being gutted by these changes, VMI moved that sport to its former men's lacrosse home of

1978-488: Was given the task of helping guide the direction of the new program. On the recommendation of Coach Fulmer, ETSU hired former University of North Carolina head coach Carl Torbush as the team's new head coach. In the Fall of 2017, the Buccaneers will begin playing on their newly erected football stadium. Notable football alumni include Donnie Abraham , Earl Ferrell , Thane Gash , Gerald Sensabaugh and Mike Smith . A couple of

2024-598: Was intended to play in SoCon women's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 school year) as well, but the SoCon decided to drop the sport after the 2021 spring season (2020–21 school year). While no formal announcement was made, the SoCon–ASUN women's lacrosse partnership definitively ended at that time, as the three full SoCon members who sponsored women's lacrosse moved that sport to the Big South Conference . Coastal and Delaware State both returned women's lacrosse to

2070-523: Was still called East Tennessee State Normal School. ETSU fielded a team every year until the 2004 season when the decision was made to disband the program based on the recommendations of a 1999 Athletic Task Force and then university president Paul Stanton. In January 2013, the Student Government Association approved a student fee increase that would help fund and resurrect the program. Former University of Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer

2116-579: Was the first conference to use the three-point field goal in basketball in a November 29, 1980, game at Western Carolina against Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where Ronnie Carr shot the historic shot from 22 feet (6.7 m) away and the Catamounts won 77–70. Talks of a new conference for Southern athletics had started as early as fall of 1920. The conference was formed on February 25, 1921, in Atlanta as fourteen member institutions split from

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