Southern Conference: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Southern Conference (or SoCon) is a College Athletic Conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I-AA for football and Division I for all other sports. Member institutions are located in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Formed in 1921 as a result of a split from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Southern Conference ranks as the fourth oldest major college athletic conference in the United States.

Charter members included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington & Lee.

The SoCon is particularly notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1932, 13 schools located south and west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) departed the SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference. In 1953, seven schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Other former members (in addition to those listed above) include Marshall (1977-1996), Richmond (1936-1976), Virginia (1921-1937), Virginia Military Institute (1925-2003), Virginia Tech (1921-1964), Washington & Lee (1921-19??), William & Mary (1936-19??), and West Virginia (1950-1967).

Current members (and year joined)

• Appalachian State University (1972)
• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga [=Chattanooga] (1977)
• The Citadel (1936)
• College of Charleston (1998) [no football program]
• Davidson College (1936) [basketball-only member]
• East Tennessee State University (1979) [no football after 2003]
• Furman University (1936)
• Georgia Southern University (1992)
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro [=UNC-Greensboro] (1997) [basketball only]
• Virginia Military Institute [wrestling-only member]
• Western Carolina University (1977)
• Wofford College (1997)