Anderson (South Carolina) will become the 10th member of the South Atlantic Conference beginning July 1, 2010, after the SAC Council of Presidents accepted an application for membership from the school. Anderson will be eligible for conference championships and awards starting with the 2010-11 academic year.

“Anderson will be a wonderful addition to the South Atlantic Conference,” said Commissioner Patrick Britz. “It is an excellent academic institution with a strong history of competitive intercollegiate athletics teams. Anderson is a perfect fit both academically and athletically.”

Anderson, currently a member of Conference Carolinas, fields 13 sports sponsored by the SAC, in addition to wrestling and men’s and women’s track and field.

Originally founded as Anderson College in 1911 by the South Carolina General Assembly, it opened its doors and operated as a four-year institution for women until 1930. Anderson became a co-educational institution in 1930.

In spring 2005, Anderson’s board of trustees voted to change the institution’s status to that of a university to reflect the addition of graduate programs and a reorganization of the academic divisions into colleges. On January 1, 2006, Anderson College became Anderson University.

The university had a fall 2008 enrollment of 2,064. 

The nine other SAC members are Brevard, Carson-Newman, Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Lincoln Memorial, Mars Hill, Newberry, Tusculum and Wingate. 

-Courtesy SAC Sports Information Director Dennis Switzer