# Appalachian Athletic Conference

The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

## History

The conference is the successor to the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC), which began in the 1940s; and later the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC) that operated during the 1980s and 1990s. The Appalachian Athletic Conference was formed in 2000 with the additions of members from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

### Recent changes

Bluefield College was a member of the AAC from 2000 until 2012 when it left to join the Mid-South Conference. On March 3, 2014, Bluefield announced that it would return to the AAC in fall 2014.
In 2019 the conference added Kentucky Christian University as a full member and Savannah College of Art and Design as an associate member in men's and women's lacrosse.

### Chronological timeline

* 2000 – In 2000, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) was founded from the remnants of the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC). Charter members included Bryan College, Brevard College, Covenant College, King College (now King University), Milligan College (now Milligan University), Tennessee Wesleyan College (now Tennessee Wesleyan University), Virginia Intermont College and the University of Virginia–Wise (UVA Wise); as well as the additions of Alice Lloyd College, Bluefield College (now Bluefield University) and Montreat College, beginning the 2000–01 academic year.
* 2002 – Union College (now Union Commonwealth University) joined the AAC in the 2002–03 academic year.
* 2005 – Alice Lloyd left the AAC to rejoin the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now the River States Conference) after the 2004–05 academic year.
* 2006 – Brevard left the AAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent (to later join the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), beginning the 2008–09 school year) after the 2005–06 academic year.
* 2009 – Two institutions left the AAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2008–09 academic year:
** Covenant to join the NCAA Division III ranks as an NCAA D-III Independent (to later join the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC), beginning the 2010–11 school year)
** King (Tenn.) to become an NAIA Independent (to later join the NCAA Division II ranks as an NCAA D-II Independent during the 2010–11 school year; and then subsequently join the Conference Carolinas (CC), beginning the 2011–12 school year)
* 2009 – Reinhardt College (now Reinhardt University) joined the AAC in the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2010 – UVa Wise left the AAC to join the Mid-South Conference (MSC) after the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2011 – Columbia College and Atlanta Christian College (now Point University) joined the AAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 – Bluefield left the AAC to join the Mid-South after the 2011–12 academic year.
* 2012 – St. Andrews University (formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College) and the Savannah College of Art and Design at Atlanta joined the AAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
* 2013 – Truett McConnell University joined the AAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 – Virginia Intermont left the AAC when the school ceased operations after the 2013–14 academic year.
* 2014 – Bluefield rejoined the AAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
* 2015 – Asbury University and the University of the Cumberlands joined the AAC as affiliate members for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
* 2016 – West Virginia University Institute of Technology (West Virginia Tech or WVU Tech) joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2016 – Allen University joined the AAC in the 2016–17 academic year.
* 2017
** Brenau University joined the AAC in the 2017–18 academic year.
** Two institutions joined the AAC as affiliate members (and/or added other single sports into their affiliate memberships), both effective in the 2017–18 academic year:
*** Georgetown College for women's lacrosse
*** and West Virginia Tech for men's wrestling
* 2018
** Cumberlands (Ky.) and Georgetown (Ky.) left the AAC as affiliate members for women's lacrosse to compete in their primary home conference in the Mid-South (where they began sponsoring that sport) after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
** Columbia International University joined the AAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
* 2019
** Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse as the school announced to discontinue the sport during mid-season within the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
** Kentucky Christian University joined the AAC in the 2019–20 academic year.
** Savannah College of Art and Design at Savannah joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2020 spring season (2019–20 academic year).
* 2020
** Allen left the AAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division II ranks and to rejoin the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after the 2019–20 academic year.
** Webber International University joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2021 spring season (2020–21 academic year).
* 2021
** Asbury left the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
** The Tennessee campus of Johnson University joined the AAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
** Keiser University joined the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
* 2022
** Eight institutions joined the AAC as affiliate members (and/or added other single sports into their affiliate memberships), all effective in the 2022–23 academic year:
*** Brewton-Parker College, Keiser, St. Thomas University and Southeastern University for men's wrestling
*** Georgetown (Ky.) returned for women's lacrosse
*** Life University for men's volleyball and men's wrestling
*** and Warner University and Webber International for men's volleyball
** The AAC began to sponsor football, with core members Bluefield, Kentucky Christian, Point, Reinhardt, St. Andrews (N.C.), and Union (Ky.) in the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
* 2023
** Point left the AAC to join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) after the 2023–24 academic year; while their football team still remains in the AAC as an affiliate member.
** The University of Pikeville joined the AAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
* 2025
** Kentucky Christian will leave the AAC to join the River States Conference (RSC) after the 2024–25 academic year.
** Spartanburg Methodist College will join the AAC as a full member, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
** The University of Rio Grande will join the AAC as an affiliate member for football in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year).

## Member schools
### Current members

The AAC currently has 16 full members, all are private schools. It is the largest conference in the NAIA:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Basketball? |
| Bluefield University | Bluefield, Virginia | 1922 | Baptist | 965 | Rams | 2000; 2014 | both |
| Brenau University | Gainesville, Georgia | 1878 | Nonsectarian | 2,551 | Golden Tigers | 2017 | women's |
| Bryan College | Dayton, Tennessee | 1930 | Nondenominational | 1,587 | Lions | 2000 | both |
| Columbia College | Columbia, South Carolina | 1854 | United Methodist | 1,376 | Koalas | 2011 | both |
| Columbia International University | Columbia, South Carolina | 1923 | Christian | 2,338 | Rams | 2018 | both |
| Johnson University | Kimberlin Heights and Knoxville, Tennessee | 1893 | Christian | 1,077 | Royals | 2021 | both |
| Kentucky Christian University | Grayson, Kentucky | 1919 | Christian | 689 | Knights | 2019 | both |
| Milligan University | Elizabethton, Tennessee | 1866 | Restoration Movement | 1,162 | Buffaloes | 2000 | both |
| Montreat College | Montreat, North Carolina | 1916 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 950 | Cavaliers | 2000 | both |
| University of Pikeville | Pikeville, Kentucky | 1889 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 2,268 | Bears | 2023 | both |
| Reinhardt University | Waleska, Georgia | 1883 | United Methodist | 1,217 | Eagles | 2009 | both |
| St. Andrews University | Laurinburg, North Carolina | 1958 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 887 | Knights | 2012 | both |
| Savannah College of Art and Design at Atlanta | Atlanta, Georgia | 2005 | Non-profit art school | 2,000 | Bees | 2012 | none |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | Athens, Tennessee | 1857 | United Methodist | 1,108 | Bulldogs | 2000 | both |
| Truett McConnell University | Cleveland, Georgia | 1946 | Baptist | 2,710 | Bears | 2013 | both |
| Union Commonwealth University | Barbourville, Kentucky | 1879 | United Methodist | 1,179 | Bulldogs | 2002 | both |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Bluefield left the AAC after the 2011–12 school year to join the Mid-South Conference; before rejoining the AAC in the 2014–15 school year.
* ↑ This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
* ↑ This institution was a women's college, but has since then been a co-educational institution, therefore it does compete in some men's sports (Columbia (S.C.) since 2020–21).
* ↑ The Columbia (S.C.)'s men's basketball teams joined the AAC 13 years after becoming a full member for other sports (2024–25).
* ↑ Formerly known as Union College until 2024.

### Future member

The AAC will have one future full member for the 2025–26 school year:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joining | Current conference |
| Spartanburg Methodist College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1911 | United Methodist | 1,128 | Pioneers | 2025 | Continental |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

### Affiliate members

The AAC currently has 14 affiliate members, all but one are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | AAC sport | Primary conference |
| Brewton–Parker College | Mount Vernon, Georgia | 1904 | Baptist | 893 | Barons | 2022 | Men's wrestling | Southern States (SSAC) |
| Brewton–Parker College | Mount Vernon, Georgia | 1904 | Baptist | 893 | Barons | 2024 | Men's volleyball | Southern States (SSAC) |
| Carolina University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 1945 | Nondenominational | 826 | Bruins | 2024 | Men's volleyball | Continental |
| Georgetown College | Georgetown, Kentucky | 1829 | Baptist | 1,625 | Tigers | 2017 2022 | Women's lacrosse | Mid-South (MSC) |
| Keiser University | West Palm Beach, Florida | 1927 | Nonsectarian | 19,861 | Seahawks | 2021 | Men's lacrosse | The Sun |
| Keiser University | West Palm Beach, Florida | 1927 | Nonsectarian | 19,861 | Seahawks | 2022 | Men's wrestling | The Sun |
| Life University | Marietta, Georgia | 1974 | Nonsectarian | 2,786 | Running Eagles | 2022 | Men's volleyball | Southern States (SSAC) |
| Life University | Marietta, Georgia | 1974 | Nonsectarian | 2,786 | Running Eagles | 2022 | Men's wrestling | Southern States (SSAC) |
| Point University | West Point, Georgia | 1937 | Christian | 1,946 | Skyhawks | 2023 | Football | Southern States (SSAC) |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia | 1978 | Non-profit art school | 15,704 | Bees | 2019 | Men's lacrosse | The Sun |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia | 1978 | Non-profit art school | 15,704 | Bees | 2019 | Women's lacrosse | The Sun |
| St. Thomas University | Miami Gardens, Florida | 1961 | Catholic (Archdiocese of Miami) | 5,888 | Bobcats | 2022 | Men's wrestling | The Sun |
| St. Thomas University | Miami Gardens, Florida | 1961 | Catholic (Archdiocese of Miami) | 5,888 | Bobcats | 2024 | Men's volleyball | The Sun |
| Southeastern University | Lakeland, Florida | 1935 | Assemblies of God | 9,365 | Fire | 2022 | Men's wrestling | The Sun |
| Talladega College | Talladega, Alabama | 1867 | United Church of Christ | 1,337 | Tornadoes | 2024 | Men's volleyball | HBCU (HBCUAC) |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, Kentucky | 1887 | Nondenominational | 19,272 | Patriots | 2015 | Men's lacrosse | Mid-South (MSC) |
| Warner University | Lake Wales, Florida | 1968 | Church of God | 978 | Royals | 2022 | Men's volleyball | The Sun |
| Webber International University | Babson Park, Florida | 1927 | Nonsectarian | 857 | Warriors | 2020 | Men's lacrosse | The Sun |
| Webber International University | Babson Park, Florida | 1927 | Nonsectarian | 857 | Warriors | 2022 | Men's volleyball | The Sun |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, West Virginia | 1895 | Public | 1,645 | Golden Bears | 2016 | Men's swimming | River States (RSC) |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, West Virginia | 1895 | Public | 1,645 | Golden Bears | 2016 | Women's swimming | River States (RSC) |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, West Virginia | 1895 | Public | 1,645 | Golden Bears | 2017 | Men's wrestling | River States (RSC) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Georgetown (Ky.) competed in the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse during the 2018 spring season (2017–18), then rejoined since the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year).
* ↑ Point was a full member of the AAC from 2011–12 to 2022–23.
* ↑ Cumberlands (Ky.) competed in the AAC as an affiliate member for women's lacrosse from 2015–16 to 2017–18.

### Future affiliate members

The AAC has one future affiliate member, which operates public and private institutions within a single entity.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joining | AAC sport | Primary conference |
| University of Rio Grande | Rio Grande, Ohio | 1876 | Hybrid | 1,893 | RedStorm | 2025 | Football | River States (RSC) |
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Rio Grande consists of a public community college and a private, nonsectarian four-year university. The community college component is part of the University System of Ohio.

### Former members

The AAC had eight former full members, all but one were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference(s) | Current conference |
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, Kentucky | 1925 | Nondenominational | 613 | Eagles | 2000 | 2005 | River States (RSC) (2005–present) | River States (RSC) (2005–present) |
| Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | 1870 | A.M.E. Church | 621 | Yellow Jackets | 2016 | 2020 | Southern (SIAC) (2020–present) | Southern (SIAC) (2020–present) |
| Brevard College | Brevard, North Carolina | 1853 | United Methodist | 779 | Tornados | 2000 | 2006 | D-II Independent (2006–07) South Atlantic (SAC) (2007–17) | USA South (2017–present) |
| Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, Georgia | 1955 | Presbyterian (PCA) | 914 | Scots | 2000 | 2009 | various | C.C. of the South (CCS) (2022–present) |
| King College | Bristol, Tennessee | 1867 | Presbyterian (Evangelical Presbyterian/ PCUSA) | 1,658 | Tornados | 2000 | 2009 | NAIA Independent (2009–10) D-II Independent (2010–11) | Carolinas (CC) (2011–present) |
| Point University | West Point, Georgia | 1937 | Christian | 1,946 | Skyhawks | 2011 | 2023 | Southern States (SSAC) (2023–present) | Southern States (SSAC) (2023–present) |
| Virginia Intermont College | Bristol, Virginia | 1884 | Baptist | N/A | Cobras | 2000 | 2014 | Closed in 2014 | Closed in 2014 |
| University of Virginia's College at Wise | Wise, Virginia | 1954 | Public | 1,844 | Highland Cavaliers | 2000 | 2010 | various | South Atlantic (SAC) (2019–present) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* 1 2 3 4 Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
* ↑ Covenant had joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA D-III Independent during the 2009–10 and 2012–13 school years; the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) from 2010–11 to 2011–12; and the USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) from 2013–14 to 2021–22.
* ↑ Currently known as King University since 2013.
* ↑ Point remains in the AAC as an affiliate member for football.
* ↑ UVA Wise dropped "Highland" from its athletic nickname in 2017.
* 1 2 UVA Wise left the Mid-South after the 2012–13 school year. Originally it joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a charter member for most sports as a transitional NCAA Division II member school during the 2012–13 school year, but was fulfilling its commitments to the final year of competition in the Mid-South and in the NAIA. However it never began competition as a full G-MAC member, as it would later announce that it would join the Mountain East Conference (MEC), beginning the 2013–14 school year.
* ↑ UVA Wise had joined the following subsequent conferences: the Mid-South Conference (MSC) from 2010–11 to 2012–13; the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) during the 2012–13 school year; and the Mountain East Conference (MEC) from 2013–14 to 2018–19.

### Former affiliate members

The AAC had two former affiliate members, both were private schools.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | AAC sport(s) | Primary conference |
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | Christian | 1,720 | Eagles | 2015 | 2019 | Men's lacrosse | C.C. of the South (CCS) |
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | Christian | 1,720 | Eagles | 2015 | 2021 | Women's lacrosse | C.C. of the South (CCS) |
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | Christian | 1,720 | Eagles | 2016 | 2021 | Men's swimming & diving | C.C. of the South (CCS) |
| Asbury University | Wilmore, Kentucky | 1890 | Christian | 1,720 | Eagles | 2016 | 2021 | Women's swimming & diving | C.C. of the South (CCS) |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, Kentucky | 1887 | Nondenominational | 19,272 | Patriots | 2015 | 2018 | Women's lacrosse | Mid-South (MSC) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
* ↑ Cumberlands (KY) remains in the AAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse.

### Membership timeline

Full member (non-football)   Associate member (sport)

## Conference sports

The Appalachian Athletic Conference currently fields 24 sports (13 men's and 11 women's):
Conference sports :
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | Y | |
| Basketball | Y | Y |
| Cross country | Y | Y |
| Football | Y | |
| Golf | Y | Y |
| Lacrosse | Y | Y |
| Soccer | Y | Y |
| Softball | | Y |
| Swimming | Y | Y |
| Tennis | Y | Y |
| Track & field outdoor | Y | Y |
| Track & field indoor | Y | Y |
| Volleyball | Y | Y |
| Wrestling | Y | |