The Big South Conference:

Since its founding in 1983, the Big South Conference has matured into a competitive leader in college athletics, actively pursuing excellence on the field of play and in the classroom. 

The League’s growing presence as an NCAA Division I athletic conference is evident by athletic accomplishments on the national stage, innovative marketing and media partnerships, increased television packages, and quality athletic competition while intentionally fostering the academic, personal, social, athletic and leadership development of each student-athlete.  This has evolved into the Conference’s mission of “Developing Leaders Through Athletics.”
  
The Big South Conference was formed on August 21, 1983 with initial commitments from Augusta, Charleston Southern, Campbell, Coastal Carolina and Winthrop.  One month later, Dr. Edward M. Singleton was selected as the League’s first Commissioner and continued to solicit new members.  His efforts led to the additions of Armstrong State, Radford and UNC Asheville, giving the Big South more than the required six members to constitute an official conference. 

The Big South’s first year of competition was
in the Fall of 1984, and in September 1986,
the Big South Conference was granted
full-fledged NCAA Division I status.

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