Big South Section.Pdf
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Big South Conference For more than 20 years, the Big South ball, will become a full member, joining Big South Champions Conference has been a progressive, NCAA Presbyterian College, which is beginning Division I athletic Conference reflecting the its transition to Division I athletics in 2006. Year Season Tournament energy and growth of the Southeastern In the fall of 2002, the Big South wel- 2006 Winthrop Winthrop United States. Founded in 1983, the Big comed the addition of football as a confer- 2005 Winthrop Winthrop South has matured into a competitive ence sport, bringing the number of 2004 Liberty/Birmingham-So. Liberty leader in college athletics, actively pursu- Division I championship programs the Big 2003 Winthrop UNC Asheville ing excellence both on the field of play South sponsors to 18. The league spon- 2002 Winthrop Winthrop and in the classroom. sors nine championship sports for men: 2001 Radford Winthrop Based in Charlotte, N.C., the Big South baseball, basketball, cross country, foot- 2000 Radford Winthrop Conference’s growing presence as an ball, golf, soccer, indoor/outdoor track, and 1999 Winthrop Winthrop NCAA Division I athletic league is evident tennis, as well as nine for women: basket- 1998 UNC Asheville Radford by competitive success on the national ball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, 1997 Liberty Charleston Southern stage, innovative marketing and media tennis, indoor/outdoor track and volleyball. 1996 UNC Greensboro UNC Greensboro partnerships, increased football and bas- Again this year, Big South champions in 1995 UNC Greensboro Charleston Southern ketball television packages, the enhance- men's and women's basketball, men's and 1994 Towson State Liberty ment of the quality of the student-athlete women's soccer, volleyball, men's and 1993 Towson State Coastal Carolina experience, and strategic planning that women's golf, baseball, softball, men's 1992 Radford Campbell has carried the Big South through the first and women's tennis and men's and 1991 Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina decade of the 21st Century. women's track & field will receive auto- 1990 Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina Now in its 23rd year of existence, the matic bids to NCAA Championships. 1989 Coastal Carolina Winthrop Big South Conference continues to The Big South continued its growing 1988 Coastal Carolina UNC Asheville emerge, providing quality athletic compe- achievements in 2005-06, as the league 1987 Charleston Southern Charleston Southern tition while intentionally fostering the aca- experienced Top 15 rankings in the nation- 1986 Charleston Southern Charleston Southern demic, personal, social, athletic and lead- al RPI in baseball, softball and women’s ership development of each student-ath- basketball, as well as Top 20 ranking in in six seasons; the Conference went 2-1 in lete. men’s basketball and volleyball. Big South its first-ever participation in the ESPN The league consists of nine member members defeated the No. 1 football and Bracket Busters men’s basketball event; institutions: Birmingham-Southern baseball team in the nation (Coastal Coastal Carolina men’s golf reached the College, Charleston Southern University, Carolina football vs. James Madison and NCAA Championship for the second- Coastal Carolina University, High Point Winthrop baseball vs. North Carolina); the straight year; the Big South had more than University, Liberty University, UNC Big South had its first-ever national finalist 20 All-Americans, including six first-team Asheville, Radford University, Virginia for NCAA Woman of the Year (Winthrop’s selections. Military Institute and Winthrop University, Janiva Willis); Liberty’s Josh McDougal Last year’s academic success mirrored while its geographic breakdown features became the first Big South athlete to the on-field achievements. A total of 32 Alabama (1 member), North Carolina (2), receive All-America honors in the three Big South student-athletes were named South Carolina (3) and Virginia (3). running sports in the same season (cross Academic All-District, four of which earned Two new members will join the Big country, indoor track and outdoor track); Academic All-America accolades. In addi- South footprint in 2008-09. Gardner-Webb the Big South placed two teams in the tion, 40.9% of the conference’s student- University, an associate member in foot- NCAA Baseball Regionals for the fifth time athletes achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average in 2005-06 and were named to the Big South’s Presidential Honor Roll. Big South Conference Staff In addition to the Big South's athletic accomplishments, the league also recog- nizes and honors academic excellence. Each year, the Presidential Honor Roll and the George A. Christenberry Awards honor student-athletes' outstanding work in the classroom. The Christenberry Award rec- ognizes student-athletes graduating with a Kyle B. Kallander James F. Companion, Jr. Dawn Turner Nancy Perkins Mark Simpson 4.0 grade point average. Additionally, the Commissioner Associate Commissioner Associate Commissioner Office Manager Director of Public conference's Sports Information Directors (Marketing) (Compliance) Relations annually select a Scholar-Athlete in each Conference sport, plus a male and female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Conference was formed on August 21, 1983, when Charleston Southern (then Baptist College) Athletic Director Howard Bagwell and Augusta President George Christenberry initially began recruiting Chad Cook Lauren Cooper Nic Bowman Joni Lockridge Assistant Director of Director of Creative Assistant Director of Marketing Assistant members into the Big South. One month Marketing/Championships Services Public Relations later, Dr. Edward M. Singleton was select- 84 Liberty Flames Basketball Big South Conference ed as the League's first Commissioner and 2005-06 Big South Standings continued to solicit new members. Big South Overall Home Away Neutral The league's seven charter members Winthrop ^ * 13 3 .812 23 8 .742 15-1 7-6 1-1 were Armstrong State, Augusta, Campbell, Birmingham-Southern 12 4 .750 19 9 .679 11-2 6-7 2-0 Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Coastal Carolina 12 4 .750 20 10 .667 14-1 5-9 1-0 Radford and Winthrop. In 1989, George F. Radford 9 7 .562 16 13 .552 8-4 5-8 3-1 High Point 8 8 .500 16 13 .552 9-2 6-10 1-1 "Buddy" Sasser replaced the retiring Dr. Charleston Southern # 7 9 .438 13 16 .448 7-6 6-9 0-1 Singleton as Commissioner. Under UNC Asheville 6 10 .375 9 19 .321 5-6 4-13 0-0 Sasser’s leadership, the conference imple- Liberty 3 13 .188 7 23 .233 6-7 0-14 1-2 mented its public relations and compli- VMI 2 14 .125 7 20 .259 5-9 2-11 0-0 ance programs, and introduced it’s first- ^ - Big South Tournament Winner ever men's basketball television package, # - Big South Tournament Runner-up featuring the Big South competing among * - Big South Regular Season Champions some of the finest teams in the nation. Sasser was so integral to the growth and ball for the first in conference history, cre- “Championship Week" programming. The foundation of the league that in 2000, the ated the Big South Television Network in conference also boasts relationships with Commissioner's Cup - the annual award 2001 - which boasts a League-high 18 affil- FSN South, Comcast SportsNet (CSN), given to the institution with the most suc- iates, and was the driving force behind the Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS), College cessful athletic year -- was renamed the formation of the Big South Hall of Fame. Sports Television (CSTV), Fox College George F. Sasser Cup. In addition, Kallander has solidified Sports (FCS) and ESPNU. In addition, the In August 1996, Kyle B. Kallander membership with the addition of High Big South Television Network (BSTN) will replaced Sasser, who would continue to Point in 1999, Virginia Military Institute in again air football and basketball games to serve the league as Director of Athletics at 2003 and future members Gardner-Webb local affiliates throughout the region. Coastal Carolina until his retirement in and Presbyterian in 2008. 1999. In his 10 years at the helm of the Big The Big South continues to secure South, Kallander has been instrumental in aggressive and unique television pack- aggressively promoting the conference, ages, making the conference one of the including the development of the Big leaders among all Division I Leagues in South Marketing Group, which has result- television exposure for its student- ed in increased revenues and exposure for athletes. During the 2005-06 sea- the Conference and its members. son, the conference’s football TV He also brought television coverage to package produced four thrilling, Big South women's basketball and base- last second outcomes, including three overtime contests; men’s basketball 2006 Big South received additional national exposure on All-Conference Team ESPNU, baseball was televised for the sec- First Team ond-straight year, and the women’s bas- Jack Leasure So./Forward Coastal Carolina ketball tournament semifinals and finals Larry Blair Jr./Guard Liberty again aired regionally and nationally. Arizona Reid So./Forward High Point Entering this season, the 2007 Advance Torrell Martin Jr./Guard Winthrop James Shuler Sr./Forward Winthrop Auto Parts Men's Basketball Championship game will once again air on Second Team ESPN2 as part of the network’s Whit Holcomb-Faye Sr./Guard Radford Chris Oliver Jr./Forward Radford Big South Players of the Week James Collins Sr./Guard Birmingham-Southern Pele Paelay Sr./Guard Coastal Carolina 2005-06 Big South Players of the Week 2005-06 Big South Rookies of the Week Reggie Williams So./Forward VMI Nov. 28 Arizona Reid, High Point Nov. 28 Justin Dunn, High Point Dec. 5 Arizona Reid, High Point Dec. 5 Anthony Smith, Liberty All-Freshman Team Dec. 12 Chris Oliver, Radford Dec. 12 Chavis Holmes, VMI Michael Ellis Fr./Guard UNC Asheville Dec.