Editing South Atlantic Conference (section)

===Chronological timeline===
* 1975 – The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) was founded as a football-only conference. Charter members included [[Carson–Newman University|Carson–Newman College]] (now Carson–Newman University), [[Catawba College]], [[Elon University|Elon College]] (now Elon University), [[Gardner–Webb University|Gardner–Webb College]] (now Gardner–Webb University), [[Lenoir–Rhyne University|Lenoir–Rhyne College]] (now Lenoir–Rhyne University), [[Mars Hill University|Mars Hill College]] (now Mars Hill University), [[Newberry College]] and [[Presbyterian College]], beginning the 1975 fall season (1975–76 academic year).
* 1989 – Newberry left the SAC-8 after the 1988 fall season (1988–89 academic year).
* 1989 – The SAC-8 added more sports to be a full-fledged multi-sport athletic conference in the 1989–90 academic year.
* 1989 – [[Wingate University|Wingate College]] (now Wingate University) joined the SAC (while replacing Newberry) in the 1989–90 academic year.
* 1996 – Newberry returned to the SAC as an all-sports member in the 1996–97 academic year.
* 1996 – Elon left the SAC to join the [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] ranks of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) as an [[NCAA Division I independent schools|NCAA D-I Independent]] (which would later join the [[Big South Conference]] as a provisional member, beginning the 1998–99 school year) after the 1996–97 academic year.
* 1998 – [[Tusculum University|Tusculum College]] (now Tusculum University) joined the SAC in the 1998–99 academic year.
* 2000 – Gardner–Webb left the SAC to join the NCAA Division I ranks as an [[NCAA Division I independent schools|NCAA D-I Independent]] (which would later join the [[ASUN Conference|Atlantic Sun Conference]] as a provisional member, beginning the 2002–03 school year) after the 1999–2000 academic year.
* 2006 – [[Lincoln Memorial University]] joined the SAC effective in the 2006–07 academic year.
* 2007 – Presbyterian left the SAC to join the NCAA Division I ranks as an [[NCAA Division I independent schools|NCAA D-I Independent]] (which would later join the Big South as a provisional member, beginning the 2008–09 school year) after the 2006–07 academic year.
* 2007 – [[Brevard College]] joined the SAC (as a provisional member) in the 2007–08 academic year.
* 2010 – [[Anderson University (South Carolina)|Anderson University]] joined the SAC in the 2010–11 academic year.
* 2013 – [[Coker University|Coker College]] (now Coker University) and [[Queens University of Charlotte|Queens University]] joined the SAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2017 – Brevard left the SAC to join the [[NCAA Division III]] ranks and the [[USA South Athletic Conference]] (USA South) after the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2017 – [[Limestone University|Limestone College]] (now Limestone University) joined the SAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
* 2018 – Effective with the 2018–19 academic year, the SAC and [[Conference Carolinas]] (CC) established a partnership known as "South Atlantic Conference Carolinas" (SACC) for field hockey and men's wrestling. Under the partnership, the SAC operated the joint field hockey championship, with CC filling the same role for men's wrestling. Accordingly, [[Belmont Abbey College]] and [[Converse University|Converse College]] (now Converse University) joined the SAC as affiliate members for field hockey at that time. Limestone added that sport to its SAC affiliate membership.
* 2019 – The [[University of Virginia's College at Wise]] (UVA Wise) joined the SAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
* 2020 – Limestone became a full SAC member for all sports in the 2020–21 academic year.
* 2022:
** Queens left the SAC for the D-I [[Atlantic Sun Conference]] (then known as the ASUN Conference) after the 2021–22 academic year.
** [[Emory and Henry University|Emory and Henry College]] (now Emory and Henry University) joined the SAC as a full member in the 2022–23 academic year.
** [[Barton College]] and [[Erskine College]] joined the SAC as affiliates members for football in the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
** Effective with the 2022–23 academic year, field hockey became no longer part of the SACC partnership, with that sport now being fully governed by the SAC. The existing CC field hockey schools continued to compete as SAC affiliates. At the same time, women's triathlon was placed under the SACC umbrella.
* 2023 – Effective with the 2023–24 academic year, the SACC men's wrestling league was dissolved. Originally the intent was for the SAC and CC to each begin their own wrestling league; however, all the SAC schools that sponsored wrestling instead became CC affiliates in that sport. At the same time, SACC added women's wrestling and beach volleyball.
* 2024 – Erskine left the SAC as an affiliate member for football, but joined as an affiliate member for beach volleyball along with [[Emmanuel University]], all beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.
* 2025:
** Barton will leave the SAC as an affiliate member for football, but will join as an affiliate member for field hockey, all beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
** Limestone will leave the SAC at the end of the 2024–25 academic year; as the institution announced that it will cease operations.