Editing South Atlantic Conference (section)

==Member schools==
===Charter members===
Newberry College left the SAC in 1989 (as a football member) and rejoined in 1996 (as an all-sport member). Wingate replaced Newberry College as the final member for the birth of the all-sports SAC in 1989. Former members Elon, Gardner–Webb, and Presbyterian were charter members of both the SAC-8 football era and the SAC all-sports era.

{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''SAC-8'''<br>football era<br>(1975–1989)
|-
| Carson–Newman College
|-
| Catawba College
|-
| Elon College
|-
| Gardner–Webb College
|-
| Lenoir–Rhyne College
|-
| Mars Hill College
|-
| Newberry College
|-
| Presbyterian College
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''SAC'''<br>all-sport era<br>(1989–present)
|-
| Carson–Newman College
|-
| Catawba College
|-
| Elon College
|-
| Gardner–Webb College
|-
| Lenoir–Rhyne College
|-
| Mars Hill College
|-
| Presbyterian College
|-
| Wingate College
|}
{{col-end}}

===Current members===
The SAC currently has 13 full members, with all but one being [[Private university|private]] schools. 

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined
! class="unsortable" | Colors
|-
| '''[[Anderson University (South Carolina)|Anderson University]]'''
| [[Anderson, South Carolina]]
| 1911
| [[South Carolina Baptist Convention|Baptist]]
| 4,121
| [[Anderson Trojans|Trojans]]
| 2010
| {{color box|#997f3d|border=silver}} {{color box|#1e1e1e|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Carson–Newman University]]'''
| [[Jefferson City, Tennessee]]
| 1851
| [[Tennessee Baptist Convention|Baptist]]
| 2,586
| [[Carson–Newman Eagles|Eagles]]
| 1975{{efn|group=full|name=SAC8|Charter member of the SAC-8 football league since the 1975–76 school year; also charter member of the SAC all-sports league since the 1989–90 school year.}}
| {{color box|#fb7f3f|border=silver}} {{color box|#003b8e|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Catawba College]]'''
| [[Salisbury, North Carolina]]
| 1851
| [[United Church of Christ]]
| 1,172
| [[Catawba (N.C.) Indians|Indians]]
| 1975{{efn|group=full|name=SAC8}}
| {{color box|#081046|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Coker University]]'''
| [[Hartsville, South Carolina]]
| 1908
| [[Nonsectarian]]
| 1,280
| [[Coker Cobras|Cobras]]
| 2013
| {{color box|#002e5f|border=silver}} {{color box|#ffc92e|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Emory and Henry University|Emory & Henry University]]'''
| [[Emory, Virginia]]
| 1836
| [[United Methodist Church|United Methodist]]
| 1,358
| [[Emory and Henry Wasps|Wasps]]
| 2022
| {{color box|#1b3d75|border=silver}} {{color box|#d5ad28|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Lenoir–Rhyne University]]'''
| [[Hickory, North Carolina]]
| 1891
| [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|Lutheran ELCA]]
| 2,355
| [[Lenoir–Rhyne Bears|Bears]]
| 1975{{efn|group=full|name=SAC8}}
| {{color box|#981e32|border=silver}} {{color box|#1e1e1e|border=silver}}
|-bgcolor=#ffa0a0
| '''[[Limestone University]]'''
| [[Gaffney, South Carolina]]
| 1845
| [[Nondenominational Christianity|Christian]]
| 1,786
| [[Limestone Saints|Saints]]
| 2020{{efn|group=full|Limestone had been competing in the SAC as an affiliate member for football from the 2017 to 2019 fall seasons and for field hockey from the 2018 to 2019 fall seasons (with the final season of competition as an affiliate in both sports taking place during the 2019–20 school year).}}
| {{color box|#043776|border=silver}} {{color box|#f4ee6c|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Lincoln Memorial University]]'''
| [[Harrogate, Tennessee]]
| 1897
| Nonsectarian
| 5,418
| [[Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters|Railsplitters]]
| 2006
| {{color box|#003698|border=silver}} {{color box|#5e5e76|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Mars Hill University]]'''
| [[Mars Hill, North Carolina]]
| 1856
| [[Baptist State Convention of North Carolina|Baptist]]
| 1,032
| [[Mars Hill Lions|Lions]]
| 1975{{efn|group=full|name=SAC8}}
| {{color box|#0c1c8c|border=silver}} {{color box|#fed100|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Newberry College]]'''
| [[Newberry, South Carolina]]
| 1856
| Lutheran ELCA
| 1,315
| [[Newberry Wolves|Wolves]]
| 1975;<br>1996{{efn|group=full|Newberry competed in the SAC-8 as a football member from the 1975 to 1988 fall seasons (1975–76 to 1988–89 school years); but re-joined back to the SAC as an all-sports member, effective in the 1996–97 school year.}}
| {{color box|#c40335|border=silver}} {{color box|#b3b3b3|border=silver}}
|-bgcolor=#ffa0a0
|-
| '''[[Tusculum University]]'''
| [[Tusculum, Tennessee]]{{efn|group=full|Mailing address is [[Greeneville, Tennessee|Greeneville]].}}
| 1794
| [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]]
| 1,303
| [[Tusculum Pioneers|Pioneers]]
| 1998
| {{color box|#e37222|border=silver}} {{color box|#1e1e1e|border=silver}}
|-
| {{sort|UVA Wise|'''[[University of Virginia's College at Wise]]'''}}<br>(UVA Wise)
| [[Wise, Virginia]]
| 1954
| [[Public university|Public]]
| 1,737
| [[UVA Wise Cavaliers|Cavaliers]]
| 2019
| {{color box|#b71234|border=silver}} {{color box|#5e6a71|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Wingate University]]'''
| [[Wingate, North Carolina]]
| 1896
| [[Baptist State Convention of North Carolina|Baptist]]
| 3,396
| [[Wingate Bulldogs|Bulldogs]]
| 1989
| {{color box|#003574|border=silver}} {{color box|#ffb300|border=silver}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=full}}

===Affiliate members===
The SAC currently has five affiliate members, four [[Private university|private]] schools and one [[Public university|public]] school.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined
! class="unsortable" | Colors
! SAC<br>sport
! Primary<br>conference
|-bgcolor=#ffa0a0
| '''[[Barton College]]'''
| [[Wilson, North Carolina]]
| 1902
| [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Christian Church]]
| 1,200
| [[Barton Bulldogs|Bulldogs]]
| 2022
| {{color box|blue|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| football
| [[Conference Carolinas|Carolinas (CC)]]
|-
| '''[[Belmont Abbey College]]'''
| [[Belmont, North Carolina]]
| 1876
| [[Benedictines|Catholic]]
| 1,320
| [[Belmont Abbey Crusaders|Crusaders]]
| 2018
| {{color box|#d0103a|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| rowspan="2" | field hockey
| rowspan=4 | [[Conference Carolinas|Carolinas (CC)]]
|-
| '''[[Converse University]]'''{{efn|group=aff|Formerly known as Converse College until July 2021.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.converse.edu/converse-announces-inaugural-mens-ncaa-division-ii-athletic-teams-for-2021-2022/ |title=Converse Announces Inaugural Men's NCAA Division II Athletic Teams for 2021-2022 |publisher=Converse College |date=April 8, 2020 |access-date=September 5, 2020}}</ref>}}
| [[Spartanburg, South Carolina]]
| 1889
| [[Nonsectarian]]
| 750
| [[Converse Valkyries|Valkyries]]
| 2018
| {{color box|#49176d|border=silver}} {{color box|#d4af37|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Emmanuel University]]'''
| [[Franklin Springs, Georgia]]
| 1919
| [[International Pentecostal Holiness Church|Pentecostal]]
| 850
| [[Emmanuel Lions|Lions]]
| 2024
| {{color box|#c41e3a|border=silver}} {{color box|#ffd700|border=silver}}
| rowspan="2" | beach volleyball
|-
| '''[[Erskine College]]'''
| [[Due West, South Carolina]]
| 1839
| [[Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church|Reformed<br />Presbyterian]]
| 956
| [[Erskine Flying Fleet|Flying Fleet]]
| 2024
| {{color box|#6f1931|border=silver}} {{color box|#b8a46a|border=silver}}
|-
| '''[[Lander University]]'''
| [[Greenwood, South Carolina]]
| 1872
| [[Public university|Public]]
| 3,000
| [[Lander Bearcats|Bearcats]]
| 2022
| {{college color boxes|Lander Bearcats}}
| rowspan="2" | field hockey
| [[Peach Belt Conference|Peach Belt (PBC)]]
|-
| '''[[University of Mount Olive]]'''
| [[Mount Olive, North Carolina]]
| 1951
| [[Original Free Will Baptist Convention|Free Will Baptist]]
| 2,500
| [[Mount Olive Trojans|Trojans]]
| 2019
| {{color box|#1c4538|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| [[Conference Carolinas|Carolinas (CC)]]
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=aff}}

===Former members===
The SAC has five former full members, all [[Private university|private]] schools.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined
! Left
! Current<br>conference
|-
| '''[[Brevard College]]'''
| [[Brevard, North Carolina]]
| 1934
| [[United Methodist Church|United Methodist]]
| 708
| [[Brevard Tornados|Tornados]]
| 2007{{efn|group=former|The Brevard men's and women's basketball teams joined the SAC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (2008–09).}}
| 2017
| [[USA South Athletic Conference|USA South]]{{efn|group=former|name=D3|Currently an [[NCAA Division III]] athletic conference.}}
|-
| '''[[Elon University]]'''
| [[Elon, North Carolina]]
| 1889
| [[Nonsectarian]]
| 6,991
| [[Elon Phoenix|Phoenix]]
| 1975{{efn|group=former|name=SAC8|Charter member of the SAC-8 football league since the 1975–76 school year; also charter member of the SAC all-sports league since the 1989–90 school year.}}
| 1997
| [[Coastal Athletic Association|Coastal (CAA)]]{{efn|group=former|name=D1|Currently an [[NCAA Division I]] athletic conference.}}{{efn|group=former|Elon plays [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|Division I FCS]] football in [[Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference|CAA Football]], a separate entity administered by the all-sports CAA.}}
|-
| '''[[Gardner–Webb University]]'''
| [[Boiling Springs, North Carolina]]
| 1905
| [[Baptist State Convention of North Carolina|Baptist]]
| 3,594
| [[Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|Runnin' Bulldogs]]
| 1975{{efn|group=former|name=SAC8}}
| 2000
| [[Big South Conference|Big South]]{{efn|group=former|name=D1}}{{efn|group=former|Gardner–Webb plays FCS football in the [[Big South–OVC Football Association]], an alliance between the Big South and the [[Ohio Valley Conference]].}}
|-
| '''[[Presbyterian College]]'''
| [[Clinton, South Carolina]]
| 1880
| [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]]
| 1,330
| [[Presbyterian Blue Hose|Blue Hose]]
| 1975{{efn|group=former|name=SAC8}}
| 2007
| [[Big South Conference|Big South]]{{efn|group=former|name=D1}}{{efn|group=former|name=BSCOVC|Presbyterian plays FCS football in the [[Pioneer Football League]].}}
|-
| '''[[Queens University of Charlotte]]'''
| [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]
| 1857
| Presbyterian
| 2,100
| [[Queens Royals|Royals]]
| 2013
| 2022
| [[Atlantic Sun Conference|ASUN]]{{efn|group=former|name=D1}}
|}

;Notes:
{{notelist|group=former}}

===Former affiliate members===
The SAC had had one former affiliate member, a [[Private university|private]] school.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined
! Left
! SAC<br>sport
! Primary<br>conference
|-
| '''[[Erskine College]]'''
| [[Due West, South Carolina]]
| 1839
| [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]]
| 800
| [[Erskine Flying Fleet football|Flying Fleet]]
| 2022
| 2024
| football
| [[Conference Carolinas|Carolinas]]
|}

===Membership timeline===
<timeline>
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1975 till:2030
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:20 top:5

Colors =
 id:line value:black
 id:Full value:rgb(0.63,0.88,0.755) # all sports
 id:FullxF value:rgb(0.88,0.755,0.63) # non-football
 id:AssocF value:rgb(0.88,0.63,0.63) # football-only
 id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.755,0.755,0.63) # associate

PlotData =
 width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

 bar:1 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Carson–Newman University|Carson–Newman]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:1 color:Full from:1989 till:end text:(1989–present, full)

 bar:2 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Catawba College|Catawba]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:2 color:Full from:1989 till:end text:(1989–present, full)

 bar:3 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Elon University|Elon]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:3 color:Full from:1989 till:1997 text:(1989–1997, full)

 bar:4 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Gardner–Webb University|Gardner–Webb]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:4 color:Full from:1989 till:2000 text:(1989–2000, full)

 bar:5 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Lenoir–Rhyne University|Lenoir–Rhyne]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:5 color:Full from:1989 till:end text:(1989–present, full)

 bar:6 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Mars Hill University|Mars Hill]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:6 color:Full from:1989 till:end text:(1989–present, full)

 bar:7 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Newberry College|Newberry]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:7 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:(1996–present, full)

 bar:8 color:AssocF from:1975 till:1989 text:[[Presbyterian College|Presbyterian]] (1975–1989, football)
 bar:8 color:Full from:1989 till:2007 text:(1989–2007, full)

 bar:9 color:Full from:1989 till:end text:[[Wingate University|Wingate]] (1989–present, full)

 bar:10 color:Full from:1998 till:end text:[[Tusculum University|Tusculum]] (1998–present)

 bar:11 color:FullxF from:2006 till:end text:[[Lincoln Memorial University|Lincoln Memorial]] (2006–present)

 bar:12 color:FullxF from:2007 till:2008 text:[[Brevard College|Brevard]] (2007–2017)
 bar:12 color:Full from:2008 till:2017 

 bar:13 color:FullxF from:2010 till:2024 text:[[Anderson University (South Carolina)|Anderson]] (2010–present)
 bar:13 color:Full from:2024 till:end

 bar:14 color:FullxF from:2013 till:end text:[[Coker University|Coker]] (2013–present)

 bar:15 color:FullxF from:2013 till:2022 text:[[Queens University of Charlotte|Queens (NC)]] (2013–2022)

 bar:16 shift:(-50) color:AssocF from:2017 till:2020 text:[[Limestone University|Limestone]] (2017–2020, football; 2020–2025, full)
 bar:16 color:Full from:2020 till:2025

 bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end text:[[Belmont Abbey College|Belmont Abbey]] (2018–present)

 bar:18 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end text:[[Converse University|Converse]] (2018–present)

 bar:19 color:Full from:2019 till:end text:[[University of Virginia's College at Wise|UVA Wise]] (2019–present)

 bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:[[University of Mount Olive|Mount Olive]] (2019–present)

 bar:21 shift:(-30) color:Full from:2022 till:end text:[[Emory and Henry University|Emory & Henry]] (2022–present)

 bar:22 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:[[Lander University|Lander]] (2022–present)

 bar:23 color:AssocF from:2022 till:2025 text:[[Barton College|Barton]] (2022–present)
 bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end 

 bar:24 color:AssocF from:2022 till:2024 text:[[Erskine College|Erskine]] (2022–present)
 bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end 

 bar:25 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end  text:[[Emmanuel University|Emmanuel]] (2024–present)

 bar:N color:yelloworange from:1975 till:1989 text:SAC-8 (football)
 bar:N color:orange from:1989 till:end text:SAC (all sports)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1975
</timeline>

{{bg|#A0E0C0|&nbsp;Full member (all sports)&nbsp;}}
{{bg|#E0C0A0|&nbsp;Full member (non-football)&nbsp;}}
{{bg|#E0A0A0|&nbsp;Associate member (football-only)&nbsp;}}
{{bg|#C0C0A0|&nbsp;Associate member (sport)&nbsp;}}