South Atlantic Conference says no to North Greenville athletic program bid
Posted by The Skyliner on October 7th, 2009Billy Cannada
Staff Writer
The North Greenville athletic program has been denied membership into the South Atlantic Conference.
Athletic director Jan McDonald learned Sept. 24 that North Greenville’s proposal was voted down by the nine-member NCAA Division II conference.
Conference membership would have been the next step up for North Greenville athletics. Instead, the Crusaders will remain independent for the time being.
“The President’s Council of the South Atlantic Conference just didn’t feel like it was a good fit for the league overall,” South Atlantic Conference commissioner Patrick Britz said. “I’m not at liberty to say any specific reasoning other than it was not a good fit for the conference.”
That was not the news that McDonald was hoping for, but she believes that it will not be a setback for the athletic program at North Greenville. North Greenville recently announced that women’s golf and men’s JV soccer will be added in 2010 in hopes of strengthening their bid to join a conference.
“There are some conferences out there that we are going to look at,” McDonald said. “We are going to explore other options, possibly in the future even new conference formations, but we are definitely not going to let this set us back.”
Head football coach Jamey Chadwell said that joining a conference would be a huge step forward for the Crusaders and would also bring more opportunities that independent schools do not have.
“If you are in a conference, you have a chance to get an automatic playoff bid (by winning the conference),” Chadwell said. “(Being in a conference) also earns respect for your team.”
McDonald believes that the South Atlantic Conference turning down North Greenville was a sign that the SAC is not where God wants the Crusaders.
“For whatever reason the Lord did not want us there, and that’s the way we are approaching it,” McDonald said.
The South Atlantic Conference was high on North Greenville’s list because of the location of the conference and the teams that are members of the conference.
SAC members include Newberry, Brevard, Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, Catawba, Lincoln Memorial, Mars Hill, Tusculum and Wingate–teams that are familiar to North Greenville athletics.
“Obviously, the South Atlantic Conference would have been a good fit for us, especially football, geographically,” McDonald said.
Chadwell said he is disappointed in the South Atlantic Conference’s decision, but believes it is more of a loss for the SAC.
“We are obviously disappointed because a lot of people have put a lot of effort into joining a conference,” Chadwell said. “But we are looking at it as a loss for them because our institution would have brought a lot of important qualities that would help establish the SAC.”
Although the South Atlantic Conference was a top conference choice for the North Greenville athletic program, there are still other options that the Crusaders are hoping to explore.
“We’re not going to look at this as a setback,” McDonald said. “We are going to move forward and go in a different direction.”
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 5