National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Feb 15, 2010 9:51:08 AM

The South Atlantic Conference has agreed to a four-year scheduling alliance in football with North Greenville University beginning with the 2011 season.

The scheduling alliance with North Greenville, located in South Carolina within 150 miles of the eight SAC football-playing institutions, gives those schools another common in-region opponent. The arrangement also gives independent North Greenville more of an opportunity to play a complete schedule against Division II opponents.

Last season, the Crusaders played seven of its 10 contests against Division II opponents, with three coming against SAC members. Beginning in 2010, a team must have eight contests against Division II opponents to be eligible for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

"This is a win-win for both the South Atlantic Conference and North Greenville University," said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. "It provides our schools with another in-region Division II game and allows North Greenville the opportunity to play more Division II contests. The SAC is grateful North Greenville has agreed to this alliance and we hope it benefits them as much as it will us."

The new schedule will push the beginning of conference play two weeks earlier, starting September 15, 2011, and continuing for nine weeks. Each team will also have a bye week, which they can use to play another nonconference opponent. The North Greenville contests will not be counted as conference games, nor will North Greenville be eligible for any conference championship or league awards.

The football-playing members of the South Atlantic Conference are Brevard, Carson-Newman, Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill, Newberry, Tusculum and Wingate.