The Big South Conference

Kyle Kallander James Companion Dawn Turner Mark Simpson Nic Bowman Chad Cook Commissioner Associate Commissioner Associate Commissioner Director of Assistant Director of Director of Marketing Public Relations Public Relations

or more than 20 years, the Big South Conference ance programs, and introduced its first-ever men's bas- has been a progressive, NCAA Division I athletic ketball television package, featuring the Big South com- Big South Football Opponents FConference reflecting the energy and growth of the peting among some of the finest teams in the nation. Southeastern United States. Founded in 1983, the Big Sasser was so integral to the growth and foundation of CHARLESTON SOUTHERN South has matured into a competitive leader in college the League that in 2000, the Commissioner's Cup, the athletics, actively pursuing excellence both on the field of annual award given to the institution with the most suc- UNIVERSITY play and in the classroom. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the cessful athletic year, was renamed the George F. Sasser Cup. Nickname: Buccaneers Big South Conference's growing presence as an NCAA In August 1996, Kyle B. Kallander replaced Sasser as Location: Charleston, Division I athletic league is evident by competitive success the League's third Commissioner, and in his 11 years at Enrollment: 2,854 on the national stage, innovative marketing and media the helm of the Big South, Kallander has been instrumen- Stadium: CSU Stadium partnerships, increased television packages, the enhance- tal in aggressively promoting the Conference to new lev- Capacity: 4,000 ment of the quality of the student-athlete experience, and els. He developed the Big South Marketing Group, which strategic planning that has carried the Big South through has resulted in increased revenues and exposure for the the first decade of the 21st Century. Conference and its members. He also brought television COASTAL CAROLINA Entering its 24th year of existence in 2007-08, the Big coverage to Big South women's , and UNIVERSITY South Conference continues to emerge by providing for the first time in Conference history and creat- quality athletic competition while intentionally fostering ed the Big South Television Network in 2001 as a televi- Nickname: Chanticleers the academic, personal, social, athletic and leadership sion syndicate for the League. Under Kallander's leader- Location: Conway, South Carolina development of each student-athlete. The League con- ship, the Big South developed and initiated its first long- Enrollment: 7,021 sists of eight member institutions: Charleston Southern range strategic plan, re-affirming the League's vision as a Stadium: University, Coastal Carolina University, High Point distinctive athletic Conference committed to the quality Capacity: 6,408 University, , UNC Asheville, Radford of institutional life through athletic competition. In addi- University, Military Institute and Winthrop tion, Kallander has solidified membership with the addi- University. Two new members will join the Big South tion of High Point in 1999, Virginia Military Institute in GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY footprint in 2008-09 with the addition of Gardner-Webb 2003 and future members Gardner-Webb and Nickname: Runnin’ Bulldogs University and , which began its Presbyterian in 2008. Kallander's long range vision has Location: Boiling Springs, transition to Division I athletics in 2006. also included technological advancements, as the Enrollment: 3,900 The Big South reached new heights in 2006-07, as the Conference introduced its first live event video streaming Stadium: Spangler Stadium League experienced monumental milestones in nearly in 2005 and has since expanded its video offerings to all every sport. In football, Coastal Carolina became the sports. Kallander has also successfully integrated the Capacity: 7,800 first Big South member to receive a berth in the NCAA Conference's profile with the member institutions' gener- Division I Championship, being selected as an at-large al student body, notably through the development of the LIBERTY UNIVERSITY participant to highlight the Conference's fifth year of Big South Academic Consortium, which sponsors the Nickname: Flames sponsoring football. In men's basketball, Winthrop annual Academic College Bowl among League members Location: Lynchburg, Virginia became the first Big South member to be ranked in the and the Big South Undergraduate Research Symposium. national top 25 and first to win a first round NCAA In 2005-06, the Big South began its Sportsmanship Enrollment: 17,200 Tournament with its 74-64 win over Notre Dame. In Awards program and Graduate Fellowships program, Stadium: women's basketball, the Big South had two teams partici- honoring one graduating male and female student-athlete Capacity: 12,000 pate in the postseason for the first time in League history. attending graduate school the following fall. In men's golf, Coastal Carolina became the first Big South In the Fall of 2002, the Big South welcomed the addi- squad to advance to the final round of the NCAA tion of football as a Conference sport, bringing the num- Championship and finished fifth - the Conference's high- ber of Division I championship programs the Big South est-ever team finish in an NCAA event. In softball, sponsors to 18, joining men's and women's cross country, Winthrop became the first Big South member to reach men's and women's soccer, , men's and women's the Championship game of an NCAA Regional. In base- basketball, men's and women's indoor/outdoor track, ball, Coastal Carolina was ranked as high as No. 10 in the men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, soft- national polls, received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA ball and baseball. The Big South receives automatic bids Regional and became the first Big South member to host to NCAA Championships in men's and women's basket- an NCAA Regional. In volleyball, Winthrop became the ball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and The Big South Conference first Big South member to win a game in the NCAA women's golf, baseball, softball, and men's and women's 7233 Pineville-Matthews Road, Suite 100 Tournament. The Big South also had its first-ever tennis. Charlotte, NC 28226 women's cross country All-American in 2006-07, as well The Big South continues to secure aggressive and Office Phone: (704) 341-7990 as its first women's golf All-American in 10 years. unique television packages, making the Conference one Media FAX: (704) 341-7991 The Big South Conference was formed on August 21, of the leaders among all Division I Leagues in television Kyle Kallander, Commissioner 1983, when Charleston Southern (then Baptist College) exposure for its student-athletes. Entering the 2006-07 James Companion, Associate Commissioner Athletic Director Howard Bagwell and Augusta President season, the Conference will have an expanded lineup on Dawn Turner, Associate Commissioner George Christenberry initially began recruiting members regional network SportSouth, in addition to a partnership Nancy Perkins, Office Manager into the Big South. One month later, Dr. Edward M. with the fledgling national network, The America Mark Simpson, Director of Public Relations Singleton was selected as the League's first Commissioner Channel, allowing the Big South to televise its largest Nic Bowman, Asst. Director of Public Relations and continued to solicit new members. The League's array of events and sports in its history. The Conference Chad Cook, Director of Marketing seven charter members were Armstrong State, Augusta, also boasts relationships with FSN South, Comcast Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, SportsNet (CSN), Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS), Anthony Rizzo, Marketing Assistant Radford and Winthrop. In 1989, George F. "Buddy" College Sports Television (CSTV), Fox College Sports Beth Waggoner, Compliance/Administration Intern Sasser replaced the retiring Dr. Singleton as (FCS) and the ESPN family of networks, which will tele- Commissioner. Under Sasser's leadership, the vise the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Men's Basketball Conference implemented its public relations and compli- Championship game live on ESPN. 101