The Sun Conference (TSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Eight of the ten full member institutions are located in Florida, with two in Georgia. The Sun Conference competes in the NAIA in all sponsored sports.
History
The conference was created in March 1990 as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC), and renamed to the Florida Sun Conference in 1992. Charter members consisted of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Flagler College, Florida Memorial University, Nova University of Advanced Technology (now Nova Southeastern University), Palm Beach Atlantic University, Saint Thomas University, Warner Southern College (now Warner University) and Webber International University.
The league later grew to nine members with the addition of Northwood University in 1994 (now Keiser University). Between 2002 and 2006, Nova Southeastern (2002), Palm Beach Atlantic (2003) and Flagler (2006) moved to NCAA Division II. But the league was able to recruit new members as Savannah College of Art and Design joined in 2004, followed by Edward Waters College (now a university) in 2006. It adopted its current name in August 2008 to reflect its expansion to institutions outside of Florida. With the addition of the University of South Carolina at Beaufort in 2008, the Florida campus of Johnson & Wales University at North Miami, Southeastern University and Ave Maria University in 2009, and Thomas University of Georgia in 2012, along with Edward Waters' move to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after the 2009–10 season, the league membership stood at 12 schools as of the 2012–13 season.
In 2014, Point University and former member Edward Waters College joined the conference for football only. Starting with the 2016 season, all six football members moved to the Mid-South Conference for that sport. Charter member Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University departed the conference on June 30, 2015 and joined the Sunshine State Conference (D-II). In 2017, the College of Coastal Georgia joined the Sun Conference, with the conference again standing at a total of 12 members. In 2018, Sun Conference member Keiser added football but Edward Waters left the Mid-South football league. In 2019, Saint Thomas also added football and Florida Memorial re-added the sport after more than 60 years, bringing the number of members participating in football to 8.
On June 25, 2020, Johnson & Wales announced it would close down its North Miami campus at the end of the 2020–21 school year, and on July 28, Johnson & Wales North Miami discontinued all sports.
On April 14, 2021, USCB Beaufort reported its invitation to join the Division II Peach Belt Conference in 2022 after applying for membership in, and pending acceptance into, the NCAA. The conference published on December 22 its reinstatement of football for the 2022 season, having grown to seven schools, with Thomas initiating football to become the eighth football member. By July 15, 2022, USCB was already accepted into the Continental Athletic Conference, formerly the Association of Independent Institutions, only for the first of its three-year NCAA provisional membership but with a Peach Belt schedule as part of the Sand Sharks' dual NAIA-NCAA membership.
In 2021, the Sun Conference added the University of Mobile, St. Andrews University, Truett McConnell University, and William Carey University as affiliate members for beach volleyball. Loyola University of New Orleans also participates in beach volleyball.
In 2022, Life University began participating in men's swimming, women's swimming, and women's lacrosse.
On July 1, 2022, Thomas announced that they would leave the conference and join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), starting in the 2023–24 academic year. They remain in the Sun Conference as an affiliate member for football, and men's and women's swimming from that day forward.
On October 2, 2023, the New College of Florida became the newest member to join the conference, starting in the 2024–25 academic year.
Chronological timeline 1990 – In March 1990, the Sun Conference was founded as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC). Charter members included Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University–Daytona Beach, Flagler College, Florida Memorial University, Nova University of Advanced Technology (now Nova Southeastern University), Palm Beach Atlantic University, Saint Thomas University, Warner Southern College (now Warner University) and Webber International University, beginning the 1990–91 academic year. 1992 – The FIAC has been rebranded as the Florida Sun Conference in the 1992–93 academic year. 1994 – Northwood University–Florida joined the Florida Sun in the 1994–95 academic year. 2002 – Nova Southeastern left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) after the 2001–02 academic year. 2003 – Palm Beach Atlantic left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 2002–03 academic year. 2004 – Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah joined the Florida Sun in the 2004–05 academic year. 2006 – Flagler left the Florida Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 2005–06 academic year. 2006 – Edward Waters College (now Edward Waters University) joined the Florida Sun in the 2006–07 academic year. 2008 – The Florida Sun has been rebranded as The Sun Conference in the 2008–09 academic year. 2008 – The University of South Carolina at Beaufort (South Carolina–Beaufort or USC Beaufort) joined The Sun in the 2008–09 academic year. 2009 – Ave Maria University, the Florida campus of Johnson & Wales University (Johnson and Wales–North Miami) and Southeastern University of Florida joined The Sun in the 2009–10 academic year. Ave Maria joined as an associate/provisional member. 2010 – Edward Waters left The Sun to join the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC; now the HBCU Athletic Conference or HBCUAC) after the 2009–10 academic year. 2012 – Thomas University joined The Sun in the 2012–13 academic year. 2014 – Point University joined The Sun as an affiliate member for football (with Edward Waters re-joining) in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year). 2015 – Embry–Riddle left The Sun and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the SSC after the 2014–15 academic year. 2015 – Northwood–Florida left The Sun as the school announced that it would close after the 2014–15 academic year. However, Keiser University purchased the location, therefore it has inherited everything Northwood–Florida had sponsored (including its athletic program) and joined The Sun, beginning the 2015–16 academic year. 2017 – Point and Edward Waters left The Sun as affiliate members for football after the 2016 fall season (2016–17 academic year). 2017 – The College of Coastal Georgia joined The Sun in the 2017–18 academic year. 2020 – Johnson and Wales–Florida left The Sun as the school announced that it would close after the 2019–20 academic year. 2021 – The University of Mobile, St. Andrews University of North Carolina, Truett McConnell University and William Carey University joined The Sun as affiliate members for beach volleyball in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year). 2022 – South Carolina–Beaufort (USCB or USC Beaufort) left The Sun to join the Continental Athletic Conference, in addition to the NCAA Division II ranks and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) in the 2022–23 academic year. USC Beaufort would later leave the CAC and the NAIA after that school year to focus on realigning to the Peach Belt and the NCAA. 2022 – Four institutions joined The Sun as affiliate members (and/or added other single sports into their affiliate memberships), all effective in the 2022–23 academic year: Life University for women's lacrosse and men's & women's swimming Loyola University New Orleans for beach volleyball and men's & women's swimming and the University of Tennessee Southern and William Carey for men's and women's swimming 2023 – Thomas (Ga.) left The Sun and join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) after the 2022–23 academic year; while its football and men's & women's swimming teams remained as an affiliate member. 2023 – Point (Ga.) rejoined The Sun as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming in the 2023–24 academic year. 2024 – Point (Ga.) left The Sun as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming after the 2023–24 academic year. 2024 – The New College of Florida joined The Sun in the 2024–25 academic year. 2024 – Brenau University and Spartanburg Methodist College joined The Sun as affiliate members for beach volleyball in the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).
Member schools Current members The Sun currently has ten full members, all but two are private schools. Departing members are highlighted in pink.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Basketball? Ave Maria University Ave Maria, Florida 2003 Catholic 1,335 Gyrenes 2009 both Brunswick, Georgia 1961 Public 3,189 Mariners 2017 both Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens, Florida 1879 American Baptist 1,365 Lions 1990 both Keiser University West Palm Beach, Florida 1977 Nonsectarian 20,102 Seahawks 2015 both New College of Florida(NCF) Sarasota, Florida 1960 Public 732 Mighty Banyans 2024 both Miami Gardens, Florida 1961 Catholic 6,455 Bobcats 1990 both Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia 1978 Non-profit art school 17,575 Bees 2004 none Southeastern University Lakeland, Florida 1935 Assemblies of God 10,400 Fire 2009 both Warner University Lake Wales, Florida 1968 Church of God 891 Royals 1990 both Webber International University Babson Park, Florida 1927 Nonsectarian 930 Warriors 1990 both
Notes
Current affiliate members The Sun has nine affiliate members, all but one are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined The Sunsport(s) Currentconference Brenau University Gainesville, Georgia 1878 Nonsectarian 2,420 Golden Tigers 2024 beach volleyball Appalachian (AAC) Life University Marietta, Georgia 1974 Nonsectarian 2,711 Running Eagles 202220222022 women's lacrossemen's swimmingwomen's swimming Southern States (SSAC) Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana 1904 Catholic 4,351 Wolf Pack 202220222022 beach volleyballmen's swimmingwomen's swimming Southern States (SSAC) Mobile, Alabama 1961 Southern Baptist 1,911 Rams 2021 beach volleyball Southern States (SSAC) Spartanburg, South Carolina 1911 United Methodist 1,029 Pioneers 2024 beach volleyball Appalachian (AAC) Thomas University Thomasville, Georgia 1950 Nonsectarian 1,583 Night Hawks 202320232023 footballmen's swimmingwomen's swimming Southern States (SSAC) Pulaski, Tennessee 1870 Public 978 FireHawks 20222022 men's swimmingwomen's swimming Southern States (SSAC) Truett McConnell University Cleveland, Georgia 1946 Baptist 2,714 Bears 2021 beach volleyball Appalachian (AAC) William Carey University Hattiesburg, Mississippi 1892 Southern Baptist 5,448 Crusaders 202120222022 beach volleyballmen's swimmingwomen's swimming Southern States (SSAC)
Notes
Former members The Sun had nine former full members, most are private schools, one is public, and two are defunct: