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BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE The Big South Conference is celebrating its including volleyball, women’s basketball and seed three out of the last four years, while its 25th Anniversary in 2008-09, a milestone women’s golf. The league received its first playoff berth in 2006 came in just the fifth-year coming on the heels of unprecedented automatic bid in 1990 to the NCAA Baseball of the Big South’s football existence. achievements and unparalleled success in Championship. In August 1996, Kyle B. Kallander replaced League history over the past few years. In 1989, George F. "Buddy" Sasser replaced Sasser as the league’s third Commissioner, and Since its founding in 1983, the Big South the retiring Dr. Singleton as commissioner. in his 12 years at the helm of the Big South, Conference has matured into a competitive Under Sasser’s leadership, the conference Kallander has been instrumental in aggressively leader in college athletics, actively pursuing implemented its public relations and promoting the conference to new levels. excellence on the field of play and in the compliance programs, and introduced its first- The conference has enjoyed record levels in classroom. The league’s growing presence as ever men’s basketball television package, marketing revenue during the past several an NCAA Division I athletic conference is featuring the Big South competing among some years, he has brought television coverage to Big evident by athletic accomplishments on the of the finest teams in the nation. South women’s basketball, baseball and softball national stage, innovative marketing and media In the last 15 years alone, the Big South for the first time in conference history, as well as partnerships, increased television packages, Conference has experienced monumental increased national television exposure to the and quality athletic competition while growth and success in nearly every sport. League as a whole through aggressive and intentionally fostering the academic, personal, During this time, the conference has had two unique television packages. social, athletic and leadership development of individual NCAA national champions, close to Under Kallander’s leadership, the Big South each student-athlete. 200 All-Americans, has reached the “Sweet 16” developed and initiated its first long-range The Big South Conference was formed on in men’s soccer, women’s basketball and strategic plan, re-affirming the league’s vision as Aug. 21, 1983, when Charleston Southern (then baseball, has received national Top 25 rankings a distinctive athletic conference committed to Baptist College) Athletic Director Howard in men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s the quality of institutional life through athletic Bagwell and Augusta President George basketball, baseball, men’s outdoor track & competition. He also spearheaded the efforts to Christenberry began recruiting members into field, and men’s golf, had an individual selected add football as a championship sport, which the Big South, receiving initial commitments to play in the NCAA Tennis Singles came to fruition in 2002. from Augusta, Charleston Southern, Campbell, Championship three times, had the No. 1 Kallander’s long range vision has also Coastal Carolina and Winthrop. ranked men’s golfer in the country, had the included technological advancements, as the One month later, Dr. Edward M. Singleton national team and individual scoring leader in conference introduced its first live event video was selected as the league’s first commissioner men’s basketball twice, received an at-large streaming in 2005 and has since expanded its and continued to solicit new members. His playoff berth in the NCAA Football video offerings to more than 500 events efforts led to the additions of Armstrong State, Championship Subdivision in 2006, and had an annually through a partnership with the member Radford and UNC Asheville, giving the Big institution finish fifth in the NCAA Men’s Golf institutions, as well as the creation of a South more than the required six members to Championships – the conference’s highest-ever conference blog and an online merchandise constitute an official conference. The Big team finish in an NCAA event. store. South’s first year of competition was in the Fall In 2006-07 alone, the Big South was the only The conference’s on-field accomplishments of 1984, and in September 1986, the Big South conference nationwide to have an at-large have been duplicated in the classroom. Conference was granted full-fledged NCAA participant in the football playoffs (Coastal Annually, more than 40 percent of conference Division I status. Carolina), a team in the second round of the student-athletes are named to the Big South’s During its infancy and prior to securing NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (Winthrop) Presidential Honor Roll for maintaining a automatic bids to NCAA Championships, the and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Baseball cumulative 3.0 grade-point average, and the Big South made early strides in earning at-large Regionals (Coastal Carolina). In fact, Coastal league has had more than 90 Academic All- berths in several national postseason events, Carolina’s baseball program has been a No. 1 Americans in its quarter-century of existence. Big South Commissioner Associate Commissioner Associate Commissioner Associate Commissioner Director of Marketing Coordinator of New Media Conference Kyle B. Kallander Marketing Compliance Public Relations Chad Cook Mark Bryant James Companion, Jr. Dawn Turner Mark Simpson Staff Assistant Director of Office Manager Public Relations Marketing Compliance/ Coordinator of Men’s Public Relations Nancy Perkins Assistant Assistant Administrative Assistant Basketball Officals Nic Bowman Rebecca Hay Claire Surratt Alex Masse Joe Forte 90 2008-09 Liberty Flames Basketball BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE Big South Champions Big South Players 2008 Big South of the Week All-Conference Team Year Season Tournament 2008..............UNC Asheville ....................Winthrop 2007-08 Big South Players of the Week First Team Nov. 13 .....................Kenny George, UNC Asheville Arizona Reid ..........Sr./Forward...............High Point 2007..................Winthrop ........................Winthrop Nov. 20...............................Chris Gaynor, Winthrop Reggie Williams .....Sr./Forward ........................VMI 2006..................Winthrop ........................Winthrop Bryan Smithson.......Sr./Guard...........UNC Asheville Kenny George, UNC Asheville Jack Leasure...........Sr./Guard .......Coastal Carolina 2005..................Winthrop ........................Winthrop Nov. 26 ..............Chris Moore, Charleston Southern Alex McLean.........Sr./Forward...................Liberty 2004......Liberty/Birmingham-So................Liberty Dec. 3 ..................................Alex McLean, Liberty Dec. 10.............................Kenny Thomas, Radford Second Team 2003..................Winthrop ................UNC Asheville Dec. 17 .................................Reggie Williams, VMI Chris Gaynor ...........Sr./Guard ..................Winthrop 2002..................Winthrop ........................Winthrop Michael Jenkins.......Sr./Guard ..................Winthrop Jan. 2 .................................Chris Gaynor, Winthrop Kenny George........R-Jr./Center.........UNC Asheville 2001...................Radford.........................Winthrop Jan. 7 .....................................Chavis Holmes, VMI K.J. Garland.............Sr./Guard...........UNC Asheville 2000...................Radford.........................Winthrop Kenny George, UNC Asheville Chavis Holmes ........Jr./Guard ..........................VMI Jan. 14...................Bryan Smithson, UNC Asheville 1999..................Winthrop ........................Winthrop Jan. 21 ..................................Reggie Williams, VMI All-Freshman Team 1998..............UNC Asheville......................Radford Omar Carter .............Forward...........Charleston So. Jan. 28..............................Arizona Reid, High Point Jamarco Warren ........Guard ............Charleston So. 1997 ...................Liberty.......Charleston Southern Feb. 4 ..........................K.J. Garland, UNC Asheville Anthony Breeze ........Forward ........Coastal Carolina 1996............UNC Greensboro ......UNC Greensboro Feb. 11..............................Kenny Thomas, Radford Charles Corbin...........Center.....................Winthrop Travis Holmes, VMI Jeremy Anderson......Guard .......................Liberty 1995............UNC Greensboro.Charleston Southern Feb. 18 ..................................Reggie Williams, VMI 1994 ..............Towson State.......................Liberty Freshman of the Year: Omar Carter, Charleston So. Feb. 25 ............................Martell McDuffy, Radford Player of the Year: Arizona Reid, High Point 1993 ..............Towson State..........Coastal Carolina March 2 ............................Arizona Reid, High Point Defensive Player of the Year: Kenny George, 1992...................Radford ........................Campbell UNC Asheville 2007-08 Big South Freshmen of the Week Coach of the Year: Eddie Biedenbach, UNC 1991 ............Coastal Carolina........Coastal Carolina Nov. 13........Jamarco Warren, Charleston Southern Asheville 1990 ............Coastal Carolina........Coastal Carolina Alex McLean was Nov. 20................Anthony Breeze, Coastal Carolina All-Academic Team 1989 ............Coastal Carolina...................Winthrop Nov. 26...............Omar Carter, Charleston Southern named Big