![]() ![]() The South Carolina and Kentucky men’s soccer teams sought competition in moving to the Sun Belt in 2022, and the Wildcats topped the Sun Belt standings last fall. Alabama coach Glenn Putyrae said the Big 12 worked with Alabama and Tennessee to add them to the conference so all seven teams from both leagues had an opportunity for the qualifier. The reasons these SEC programs picked their respective affiliate conferences vary by the situation.īig 12 women’s rowing had five teams in 2015, and the threshold for an automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament is six. It’s a distinction that coaches frequently make, from recruiting to everyday conversations. That means there are certain teams that are under the school’s SEC flag but have to compete in another conference. ![]() How exactly did these SEC teams end up in affiliate conferences? Because of Title IX and scholarship distribution rules, schools are required to have a proportionate number of men’s and women’s sports and scholarships. All have changed conferences at least once in the past 15 years, some more than once. Programs like Alabama and Tennessee women’s rowing (Big 12), Kentucky and South Carolina men’s soccer (Sun Belt) and Florida and Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse (American Athletic Conference) are pairs in the SEC that often work as package deals to other conferences. So to have another thing to be able to win is equally exciting.”įor programs competing in affiliate conferences, realigning to fit their best interest is a way of life. “Being an athlete at Alabama, your goal is always to win. That means one of those four teams simultaneously could hold multiple conference championships. As it stands, the plan is for all four programs to retain membership in the Big 12 because its championship comes with an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. If 25 percent of the member schools participate in a sport, the SEC can host a conference championship, so women’s rowing will be added next season. That will change in 2024 when Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC, including their women’s rowing teams. Conference USA bylaws state that schools are required to give 14 months of advance notice and pay two years of conference distribution to depart.Alabama’s women’s rowing program competes in the Big 12 as an affiliate member, as does Tennessee, because the SEC doesn’t have enough teams for intraconference competition. The agreement closes a testy chapter for the schools with their soon-to-be former conference, during which Marshall sued Conference USA in order to be let out of their contract. Our future is bright, and the 2022-23 academic year promises to be one of the most anticipated in Sun Belt history." "This expansion will produce even stronger regional rivalries – something we're very much looking forward to this fall. With the addition of James Madison, the Sun Belt will increase to 14 member institutions with passionate fan bases," said Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill in a statement. ![]() "We are delighted to welcome Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss as full members of the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022. Southern Miss, Marshall and Old Dominion have reached an agreement with Conference USA to be let out of their contract early to move to the Sun Belt Conference in time for the 2022 athletic season. ![]()
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