Coastal Georgia set to officially become Sun Conference member
Brunswick, Ga. – The College of Coastal Georgia will officially become a member of The Sun Conference on Saturday, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Coastal Georgia Athletics.
Coastal Georgia was approved for membership in the Sun last December after submitting a formal request to join the league earlier last fall. The school’s membership in the conference has been scheduled to become effective on July 1.
The Mariners are eager to begin competition in The Sun, according to Dr. William Carlton, director of athletics at Coastal Georgia.
“Membership in The Sun Conference begins the next phase of the growth and development of the college's athletic program,” Carlton said. “This begins an exciting new year as we face the competitive challenges membership in The Sun will bring. Our coaches and student-athletes are excited and probably a bit anxious to see how we fit within our new league. We all look forward to establishing new relationships and perhaps even a few new competitive rivalries with our colleagues in The Sun. We hope our fans will come out to see the Mariners whenever we play.”
Coastal Georgia will begin competing within the conference this fall. The Mariners currently offer eight intercollegiate programs including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, women’s softball and women’s volleyball.
The Mariners had been competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference. Coastal Georgia has been a member of the NAIA since 2011.
Like the SSAC, the Sun is also affiliated with the NAIA. The addition of Coastal Georgia will bring the league’s membership to 12 schools including eight which are located in Florida. The other members are USC Beaufort in South Carolina and SCAD Savannah and Thomas University which also are in Georgia.
The Sun dates back to 1990 when the league was originally formed as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and included only the Florida-based schools. The league has not expanded since adding Thomas University to its membership in 2011.
The conference sponsors championships in 16 NAIA sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field and women's volleyball.
Mark Pope, commissioner of the Sun Conference, said the league is eager to begin its partnership with Coastal Georgia.
“The Sun Conference is honored to welcome the College of Coastal Georgia as our 12th member institution,” he said. “In addition to providing a quality athletic program, Coastal Georgia’s reputation as an excellent academic institution is well known throughout the Southeast. Also, Coastal Georgia achieved the NAIA’s Five-Star Champions of Character status this year. It is these three attributes which made its acceptance into Sun Conference membership an easy decision for our Council of Presidents. Coastal Georgia helps to solidify our northern tier of member institutions, and I’m sure they will compete for Sun Conference championships this coming year. On behalf of all Sun Conference schools, welcome Mariners!”