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| Association: | NCAA |
| Division: | Division I |
| Subdivision: | FCS |
| Teams: | 9 |
| Sports: | 19 |
| Mens: | 9 |
| Womens: | 10 |
| Region: | South Atlantic States |
| Headquarters: | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Commissioner: | Sherika A. Montgomery |
| Since: | 2023 |
| Map: | Big South Map.svg |
| Map Size: | 250 |
The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non-football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and began operating the Big South–OVC Football Association in partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023. The Big South, founded in 1983, is firmly rooted in the South Atlantic region of the United States, with full member institutions located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Associate members are located in Georgia and South Carolina.[1]
Charter members included Armstrong State (later Armstrong Atlantic State University and now merged into Georgia Southern University as its Armstrong Campus) (1983–1987), Augusta (later Augusta State University and now merged into Augusta University) (1983–1990), Campbell University (1983–1994; 2011–2023), Baptist College (now Charleston Southern University) (1983–present), Coastal Carolina University (1983–2016), Radford University (1983–present) and Winthrop University (1983–present).
The expansion of membership occurred during the 1980s and '90s. Some of those members are the University of North Carolina at Asheville (1984–present), Davidson College (1990–1992), Liberty University (1991–2018), the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1992–1998), the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1992–1997), Towson University (1992–1995), Elon University (1999–2003), High Point University (1999–present) and Birmingham–Southern College (2000–2006).
The Big South Conference began sponsoring football in 2002, with Charleston Southern, Elon (at the time) and Liberty (Gardner–Webb University also joined as a football-only member) fielding teams; Coastal Carolina and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) joined the conference as football-only members in 2003. In that same athletic year, VMI also joined the conference for all sports, but left to re-join the Southern Conference in 2014. Presbyterian College joined the conference in 2007, moving up from Division II, and became eligible for regular-season championships and conference honors during the 2008–09 athletic year.[2] Gardner–Webb, which had been a football-only member since 2002, joined the conference for all sports on July 1, 2008.[2] Campbell rejoined the Big South for all sports except football in the 2011–12 athletic year. Longwood University accepted an invitation to join the Big South on January 23, 2012, and membership formally began July 1 of that year; Longwood had been independent since 2004, during their transition to Division I.[3] In 2014, following the departure of VMI, the conference returned to a single-division structure.[4] On September 1, 2015, Coastal Carolina announced they would leave the conference following the 2015–16 school year to transition to FBS-level football and the Sun Belt Conference.[5] On June 30, 2016, the day before the school joined the Sun Belt, Coastal Carolina won the 2016 College World Series in baseball. This was the first time in conference history that a team won an NCAA championship in any sport.
In September 2016, the Big South and the ASUN Conference (ASUN) announced a football partnership that effectively combined the two conferences in that sport. Under its terms, any members of either conference that add or upgrade to scholarship football, provided they fall within the current geographic footprint of the two leagues, automatically join Big South football. At the time of announcement, the only ASUN member that played scholarship football, Kennesaw State, was already a Big South football member. The partnership also provides a guaranteed football home to the leagues' non-scholarship football programs (at that time, Campbell from the Big South, and Jacksonville and Stetson from the ASUN) should they upgrade to scholarship status.[6]
In November 2016, Campbell announced that it would begin offering scholarships and move its football program from the Pioneer Football League to the Big South in 2018.[7]
In December 2016, the University of North Alabama, ASUN, and the Big South Conference announced that, effective in 2018, the school will leave the Division II Gulf South Conference and will join ASUN in non-football sports and the Big South in football. UNA has won three Division II NCAA national championships in football and has won at least a share of the Gulf South Conference football championship for four consecutive seasons through 2016.
Three months later, Liberty announced that it would begin a transition to FBS football in July 2017 and leave the Big South football league in 2018.[8] Liberty and the Big South agreed later in 2017 that the school would continue to house all of its non-football sports (except for field hockey and women's swimming, neither of which is sponsored by the Big South) in that conference for the immediate future. Once Liberty became a full FBS member at the start of the 2019–20 school year, it would have technically become a Big South associate member (barring the school joining an FBS conference).[9] However, Liberty's plans would change several months later, as it instead announced in May 2018 that it would move its non-football sports to the ASUN effective that July (except for the aforementioned field hockey and women's swimming, also not sponsored by the ASUN).[10]
In November 2017, the University of South Carolina Upstate and Hampton University announced that they would be leaving the ASUN and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, respectively, to join the Big South, starting in the fall of 2018.[11] [12]
On November 19, 2017, Presbyterian College announced it would be moving its football program to the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League.[13] Presbyterian's last Big South football season was in 2019; the Blue Hose planned to play the 2020 season as an independent before joining the Pioneer League for 2021 and beyond.[14] The Blue Hose remain a member of the Big South in all other sports.[15]
A more recent change to its core membership was the July 2021 arrival of North Carolina A&T State University from the MEAC as a full member, including football.[16] At the same time, Robert Morris University was planned to join as a football-only member.[17] North Carolina A&T joined on the originally planned schedule, but Robert Morris became a Big South football member in November 2020. COVID-19 led the conference to move its 2020 football season to spring 2021. Since two of the eight Big South football members (apart from RMU) chose to play in the originally scheduled fall 2020 season and a third chose not to play football at all in 2020–21, the Big South chose to bring the Colonials into the football league for spring 2021.[18]
More recently, the Big South added three new single-sport members in women's lacrosse effective with the 2022 season (2021–22 school year): Furman University, Mercer University, and Wofford College. All three are full members of the Southern Conference (SoCon), which disbanded its women's lacrosse league after the 2021 season.[19]
On January 25, 2022, the Colonial Athletic Association (now the Coastal Athletic Association) announced that Hampton University would join that conference, as well as CAA Football, its technically separate football league, on July 1, 2022.[20] On February 22, that conference announced that North Carolina A&T State University would be leaving the Big South, joining the all-sports CAA on July 1. North Carolina A&T would play Big South football in 2022 and join CAA Football on July 1, 2023.[21]
Also on February 22, the conference announced its intent to combine its football membership with the Ohio Valley Conference beginning in 2023 and operate as the Big South–OVC Football Association.[22] The following month saw Bryant University announced as a new football-only member effective with the 2022 season.[23] Campbell announced on August 3 that it would join both sides of the CAA in 2023 as well.[24] This was followed by Bryant announcing that it would join CAA Football in 2024.[25] On November 28, it was announced that Robert Morris would also leave the association and return football to its previous home, the Northeast Conference effective after the 2023 football season.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) | Nickname | Colors | Football | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern University | North Charleston, South Carolina | 1964 | 1983 | Private | 3,414 | $24 | Buccaneers | |||
| Gardner–Webb University | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | 1905 | 2008 | Private | 3,594 | $70.5 | Runnin' Bulldogs | |||
| High Point University | High Point, North Carolina | 1924 | 1999 | Private | 4,545 | $138.5 | Panthers | |||
| Longwood University | Farmville, Virginia | 1839 | 2012 | Public | 4,470 | $100 | Lancers | |||
| Presbyterian College | Clinton, South Carolina | 1880 | 2007 | Private | 1,330 | $88.1 | Blue Hose | |||
| Radford University | Radford, Virginia | 1910 | 1983 | Public | 10,700 | $55.2 | Highlanders | |||
| Asheville, North Carolina | 1927 | 1984 | Public | 3,762 | $52.4 | Bulldogs | ||||
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1967 | 2018 | Public | 6,000 | $74 | Spartans | ||||
| Winthrop University | Rock Hill, South Carolina | 1886 | 1983 | Public | 6,073 | $62.3 | Eagles |
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Big South sport | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | 1826 | 2021 | Private | 2,629 | Paladins | Women's lacrosse | SoCon | |
| Mercer University | Macon, Georgia | 1833 | 2021 | Private | 9,026 | Bears | |||
| Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1854 | 2021 | Private | 1,773 | Terriers |
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Colors | Big South sport | Primary conference | Conference in former Big South sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant University | Smithfield, Rhode Island | 1863 | 2022[26] | 2024 | Private | Bulldogs | Football | America East | CAA Football | |
| Robert Morris University | Moon Township, Pennsylvania | 1921 | 2020 | 2024 | Private | Colonials | Football | Horizon | Northeast | |
| North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | 2022 | 2023 | Public | Aggies | Football | CAA | CAA Football | |
| Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, Georgia | 1963 | 2015 | 2022 | Public | Owls | Football | CUSA | ||
| Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | 1933 | 2014 | 2022 | Private | Hawks | Football | CAA | CAA Football | |
| University of North Alabama | Florence, Alabama | 1830 | 2019 | 2022 | Public | Lions | Football | ASUN | UAC | |
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | 2012 | 2014 | Private | Wildcats | Lacrosse (w) | Atlantic 10 | ||
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 1957 | 2008 | 2013 | Public | Seawolves | Football | CAA | CAA Football | |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | 1947 | 2000 | 2004 | Seahawks | Golf (w) | CAA | ||||
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1983 till:2028
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the twoPlotData =
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1983 till:1987 text:Armstrong Atlantic State (1983–1987) bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1990 bar:1 shift:(40) color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:2017 text:Peach Belt (PBC), then dropped athletics
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1983 till:1990 text:Augusta State (1983–1990) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:end text:Peach Belt (PBC)
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1983 till:1990 text:Baptist (1983–present) bar:3 color:FullxF from:1990 till:2002 text:Charleston Southern bar:3 color:Full from:2002 till:end
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1983 till:1994 text:Campbell (1983–1994) bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2011 text:Atlantic Sun (ASUN) bar:4 color:FullxF from:2011 till:2018 text:(2011–2018) bar:4 color:Full from:2018 till:2023 text:(2018–2023) bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:CAA
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1983 till:2003 text:Coastal Carolina (1983–2016) bar:5 color:Full from:2003 till:2016 bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2016 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1983 till:end text:Radford (1983–present)
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1983 till:end text:Winthrop (1983–present)
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1984 text:Ind. bar:8 color:FullxF from:1984 till:end text:UNC Asheville (1984–present)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1988 text:SoCon bar:9 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1990 text:Independent bar:9 color:FullxF from:1990 till:1992 text:Davidson (1990–1992) bar:9 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2014 text:SoCon bar:9 shift:(-60) color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2014 text: (lacrosse, 2012–14) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:A-10
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1991 text:Independent bar:10 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2002 text:Liberty (1991–2018) bar:10 color:Full from:2002 till:2018 bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:2023 text:ASUN bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:C-USA
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1992 text:ECC bar:11 color:FullxF from:1992 till:1995 text:Towson State (1992–1995) bar:11 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:2001 text:NAC/AEC bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:end text:CAA
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1988 text:DIAC bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1992 text:Independent bar:12 color:FullxF from:1992 till:1997 text:UNC Greensboro (1992–1997) bar:12 shift:(40) color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:end text:SoCon
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1990 text:Independent bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1992 text:ECC bar:13 color:FullxF from:1992 till:1998 text:UMBC (1992–1998) bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2003 text:NEC bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2003 till:end text:America East
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1989 text:CIAC bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:1997 text:SAC bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:1999 text:Indep. bar:14 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2002 text:Elon (1999–2003) bar:14 color:Full from:2002 till:2003 bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:2014 text:SoCon bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text:CAA
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1995 text:CIAC bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:1997 text:CVAC bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:1999 text:Indep. bar:15 color:FullxF from:1999 till:end text:High Point (1999–present)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1996 text:SSC (NAIA) bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:TSAC (NAIA) bar:16 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2006 text:Birmingham–Southern (2001–2006) bar:16 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2012 text:SCAC bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2024 text:SAA, then closed
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1989 text:Independent bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:2000 text:SAC bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2002 text:Indep. bar:17 color:AssocF from:2002 till:2008 text:Gardner–Webb (football, 2002–2008; all sports, 2008–present) bar:17 color:Full from:2008 till:end
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:2003 text:SoCon bar:18 color:Full from:2003 till:2014 text:VMI (2003–2014) bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:SoCon
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1989 text:Independent bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:2007 text:SAC bar:19 color:FullxF from:2007 till:2009 text:Presbyterian (2007–present) bar:19 color:Full from:2009 till:2020 bar:19 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end
bar:20 color:AssocF from:2008 till:2013 text:Stony Brook (football, 2008–2013)
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1995 text:Independent bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2003 text:CVAC bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:2012 text:Independent bar:21 color:FullxF from:2012 till:end text:Longwood (2012–present)
bar:23 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2022 text:Monmouth (football, 2014–2022)
bar:24 color:AssocF from:2015 till:2022 text:Kennesaw State (football, 2015–2022)
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1990 text:NAIA Independent bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:2000 text:PBAC bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2007 text:PBC bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2018 text:ASUN bar:25 color:FullxF from:2018 till:end text:USC Upstate (2018–present) bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1995 text:CIAA bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2018 text:MEAC bar:26 color:FullxF from:2018 till:2019 text:Hampton (2018–2022) bar:26 color:Full from:2019 till:2022 bar:26 shift:(30) color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:CAA
bar:27 color:AssocF from:2019 till:2022 text:North Alabama (football, 2019–2022)
bar:28 color:AssocF from:2020 till:2024 text:Robert Morris (football, 2020–2024)
bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:2021 text:MEAC bar:29 shift:(-20) color:Full from:2021 till:2022 text:North Carolina A&T (2021–2022) bar:29 color:AssocF from:2022 till:2023 :text: bar:29 shift:(90) color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end :text:CAA
bar:30 color:AssocF from:2022 till:2024 :text:Bryant (football, 2022-2024)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1983
TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Big South membership history" #> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#
| Men's | Women's | ||
| 9 | - | ||
| 9 | 9 | ||
| 9 | 9 | ||
| 2 | - | ||
| 8 | 9 | ||
| - | 9 | ||
| 8 | 9 | ||
| - | 7 | ||
| 6 | 7 | ||
| 6 | 7 | ||
| 7 | 8 | ||
| - | 8 |
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Total Big South Sports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 7 | ||||||||||
| Gardner–Webb | 9 | ||||||||||
| High Point | 7 | ||||||||||
| Longwood | 7 | ||||||||||
| Presbyterian | 6 | ||||||||||
| Radford | 6 | ||||||||||
| UNC Asheville | 7 | ||||||||||
| USC Upstate | 8 | ||||||||||
| Winthrop | 7 | ||||||||||
| Totals | 9 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 64 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big South Conference which are played by Big South schools:
| School | Lacrosse | Swimming | Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner–Webb | No | SoCon | ||
| High Point | No | No | ||
| Presbyterian | No | No | SoCon |
In addition to the above, Campbell counts both its male and female cheerleaders as varsity athletes.
| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Total Big South Sports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 9 | |||||||||||
| Gardner–Webb | 10 | |||||||||||
| High Point | 8 | |||||||||||
| Longwood | 8 | |||||||||||
| Presbyterian | 8 | |||||||||||
| Radford | 10 | |||||||||||
| UNC Asheville | 8 | |||||||||||
| USC Upstate | 9 | |||||||||||
| Winthrop | 9 | |||||||||||
| Totals | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6+3 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 79+3 | |
| Affiliate members | ||||||||||||
| Furman | 1 | |||||||||||
| Mercer | 1 | |||||||||||
| Wofford | 1 | |||||||||||
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Big South Conference which are played by Big South schools:
| School | Acrobatics &<br />Tumbling | Field Hockey | Rowing | Swimming | Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner–Webb | No | No | No | No | ||
| High Point | No | No | Independent | No | No | |
| Longwood | No | No | No | No | ||
| Presbyterian | Independent | No | No | No | Independent | |
| UNC Asheville | No | No | No | No |
In addition to the above, Campbell, Gardner–Webb, and Presbyterian consider their female cheerleaders to be varsity athletes, with Campbell also considering its male cheerleaders as such.
The Big South has had a number of players to get drafted and play football professionally in the NFL.
| Name | Position | School | Draft year | Draft pick | NFL team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Thigpen | QB | 2007 | Round 7, Pick 217 | Vikings | ||
| Jerome Simpson | WR | Coastal Carolina | 2008 | Round 2, Pick 46 | Bengals | |
| Brian Johnston | DE | Gardner–Webb | 2008 | Round 7, Pick 210 | Chiefs | |
| Rashad Jennings | RB | 2009 | Round 7, Pick 250 | Jaguars | ||
| Josh Norman | CB | Coastal Carolina | 2012 | Round 5, Pick 143 | Panthers | |
| Justin Bethel | S | Presbyterian | 2012 | Round 6, Pick 177 | Cardinals | |
| Walt Aikens | CB | Liberty | 2014 | Round 4, Pick 125 | Dolphins | |
| NFL Draftees from the Big South Conference | ||||||
| Season | Regular season champion | Tournament champion | Tournament final location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern (5–1) | Charleston Southern | Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, GA | ||
| Charleston Southern (12–2) | Charleston Southern | Savannah Civic Center | ||
| Coastal Carolina (9–3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC | ||
| Coastal Carolina (9–3) | UNC Asheville | Winthrop Coliseum | ||
| Coastal Carolina (11–1) | Coastal Carolina | Winthrop Coliseum | ||
| Coastal Carolina (13–1) | Coastal Carolina | Civic Center of Anderson, Anderson, SC | ||
| Radford (12–2) | Campbell | Civic Center of Anderson | ||
| Towson State (14–2) | Coastal Carolina | North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC | ||
| Towson State (15–3) | Liberty | North Charleston Coliseum | ||
| 1995 | UNC Greensboro (14–2) | Charleston Southern | Vines Center, Lynchburg, VA | |
| 1996 | UNC Greensboro (11–3) | UNC Greensboro | Vines Center | |
| 1997 | UNC Asheville (11–3) | Charleston Southern | Vines Center | |
| 1998 | UNC Asheville (11–1) | Radford | Vines Center | |
| 1999 | Winthrop (9–1) | Winthrop | Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, NC | |
| Radford (12–2) | Winthrop | Asheville Civic Center | ||
| Radford (12–2) | Winthrop | Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VA | ||
| Winthrop, UNC Asheville (10–4) | Winthrop | Roanoke Civic Center | ||
| Winthrop (11–3) | UNC Asheville | Vines Center (semis & finals only) | ||
| Liberty (12–4) | Liberty | Vines Center (finals only) | ||
| Winthrop (15–1) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum (finals only) | ||
| Winthrop (13–3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum (semis & finals only) | ||
| Winthrop (14–0) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum (semis & finals only) | ||
| UNC Asheville, Winthrop (10–4) | Winthrop | Justice Center, Asheville, NC (semis & finals only) | ||
| Radford (15–3) | Radford | Dedmon Center, Radford, VA (finals only) | ||
| 2010 | Coastal Carolina (15–3) | Winthrop | Kimbel Arena, Conway, SC (semis & finals only) | |
| Coastal Carolina (16–2) | UNC Asheville | Kimbel Arena (semis & finals only) | ||
| 2012 | UNC Asheville (16–2) | UNC Asheville | Kimmel Arena, Asheville, NC (quarters, semis & final) | |
| 2013 | Charleston Southern, High Point (12–4) | Liberty | HTC Center, Conway, SC | |
| 2014 | High Point (12–4) | Coastal Carolina | HTC Center, Conway, SC | |
| 2015 | Charleston Southern, High Point (13–5) | Coastal Carolina | HTC Center, Conway, SC | |
| 2016 | High Point, Winthrop (13–5) | UNC Asheville | Gore Arena, Buies Creek, NC | |
| 2017 | Winthrop, UNC Asheville (15–3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC (quarters, semis, & finals) | |
| 2018 | UNC Asheville (13–5) | Radford | Dedmon Center, Radford, VA | |
| 2019 | Campbell, Radford (12–4) | Gardner–Webb | Dedmon Center, Radford, VA | |
| 2020 | Radford, Winthrop (15–3) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC | |
| 2021 | Winthrop (17–1) | Winthrop | Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC | |
| 2022 | Longwood (15–1) | Longwood | Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC | |
| 2023 | UNC Asheville (16–2) | UNC Asheville | Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC |
| School |
| Last Tournament Championship |
|---|---|---|
| Winthrop | 13 | 2021 |
| UNC Asheville | 6 | 2023 |
| Coastal Carolina† | 5 | 2015 |
| Charleston Southern | 4 | 1997 |
| Liberty† | 3 | 2013 |
| Radford | 3 | 2018 |
| Longwood | 2 | 2024 |
| Campbell† | 1 | 1992 |
| Gardner–Webb | 1 | 2019 |
| UNC Greensboro† | 1 | 1996 |
See main article: Big South Conference men's basketball tournament and Big South Conference women's basketball tournament.
| Season | Champion | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Gardner-Webb | 3–0 |
| 2003 | Gardner-Webb | 4–0 |
| 2004 | Coastal Carolina | 4–0 (10–1) |
| 2005 | Charleston Southern | 3–1 (7–4) |
| Coastal Carolina | 3–1 (9–2) | |
| 2006 | Coastal Carolina | 4–0 (9–3) |
| 2007 | Liberty | 4–0 (8–3) |
| 2008 | Liberty | 5–0 (10–2) |
| 2009 | Stony Brook | 5–1 (6–5) |
| Liberty | 5–1 (8–3) | |
| 2010 | Coastal Carolina | 5–1 (6–5) |
| Stony Brook | 5–1 (6–5) | |
| Liberty | 5–1 (8–3) | |
| 2011 | Stony Brook | 6–0 (8–3) |
| 2012 | Coastal Carolina | 5–1 (7–4) |
| Stony Brook | 5–1 (9–2) | |
| Liberty | 5–1 (6–5) | |
| 2013 | Coastal Carolina | 4–1 (10–2) |
| Liberty | 4–1 (8–4) | |
| 2014 | Liberty | 4–1 (8–4) |
| Coastal Carolina | 4–1 (11–1) | |
| 2015 | Charleston Southern | 6–0 (9–2) |
| 2016 | Charleston Southern | 4–1 (7–4) |
| Liberty | 4–1 (6–5) | |
| 2017 | Kennesaw State | 5–0 (12–2) |
| 2018 | Kennesaw State | 5–0 (11–2) |
| 2019 | Monmouth | 6–0 (11–3) |
| 2020 | Monmouth | 3–0 (3–1) |
| 2021 | Kennesaw State | 7–0 (11–2) |
| 2022 | Gardner-Webb | 5–0 (7–6) |
| 2023 | Gardner-Webb | 5-1 (7-4) |
| Season | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Champion | Tournament Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Radford | Radford | Campbell | |
| 1987–88 | Radford & Campbell | Radford | Campbell | |
| 1988–89 | Radford | Campbell | Radford | |
| 1989–90 | Radford | Radford | Campbell | |
| 1990–91 | Campbell | Radford | Campbell | |
| 1991–92 | Radford | Radford | Campbell | |
| 1992–93 | UNC Greensboro | Radford | UNC Greensboro | |
| 1993–94 | UNC Greensboro | Radford | UNC Greensboro | |
| 1994–95 | UNC Greensboro | Radford | UNC Greensboro | |
| 1995–96 | UNC Greensboro | Radford | Winthrop | |
| 1996–97 | UNC Greensboro | Liberty | UNC Greensboro | |
| 1997–98 | Liberty | Liberty | UNC Asheville | |
| 1998–99 | Liberty | Liberty | Coastal Carolina | |
| 1999-00 | Liberty | Liberty | Coastal Carolina | |
| 2000–01 | Liberty | Liberty | Elon | |
| 2001–02 | Liberty | Liberty | Coastal Carolina | |
| 2002–03 | Liberty | Liberty | High Point | |
| 2003–04 | Liberty | Liberty | Birmingham-Southern | |
| 2004–05 | Liberty | Liberty | UNC Asheville | |
| 2005–06 | Liberty | Liberty | High Point | |
| 2006–07 | High Point | UNC Asheville | Radford | |
| 2007–08 | Liberty | Liberty | Radford | |
| 2008–09 | Liberty | Liberty | Gardner-Webb | |
| 2009–10 | Gardner-Webb | Liberty | Gardner-Webb | |
| 2010–11 | Liberty | Gardner-Webb | Liberty | |
| 2011–12 | Liberty | Liberty | High Point | |
| 2012–13 | Liberty | Liberty | Longwood | |
| High Point | Winthrop | High Point | ||
| Liberty | Liberty | High Point | ||
| 2015–16 | UNC Asheville | UNC Asheville | Liberty | |
| 2016–17 | Radford | UNC Asheville | Radford | |
| 2017–18 | Liberty | Liberty | UNC Asheville | |
| 2018–19 | Radford | Radford | Campbell | |
| 2020–21 | High Point | High Point | Campbell | |
| 2021–22 | Campbell | Longwood | Campbell | |
| 2022–23 | Gardner-Webb | Gardner-Webb | High Point |
In addition to basketball games being broadcast on regional and national television, member schools of the Big South Conference are required to provide a live stream of all home games for all sports when playing teams both within and outside the conference. These streams are run by the university hosting the event. All streams are featured on the conference website and are available for free. The football games broadcast on the web are branded as part of a Big South Network.
| Buccaneer Field | 4,000 | CSU Field House North Charleston Coliseum | 790 11,475 | Buccaneer Ballpark | 1,500 | Buccaneer Field | 4,000 | |
| Ernest W. Spangler Stadium | 7,800 | Paul Porter Arena | 3,500 | John Henry Moss Stadium | 700 | Greene–Harbison Stadium | ||
| Non-football school | Qubein Center | 4,200 | George S. Erath Field at Coy O. Williard Baseball Stadium | 700 | Vert Track and Soccer Stadium | 1,100 | ||
| Non-football school | Joan Perry Brock Center | 3,000 | Bolding Stadium | 500 | Longwood University Athletics Complex | |||
| Plays in the Pioneer Football League | Templeton Physical Education Center | 2,300 | Presbyterian College Baseball Complex | Martin Stadium at Edens Field | 400 | |||
| Non-football school | Dedmon Center | 3,205 | Williams field at Carter Memorial Stadium | 700 | Patrick D. Cupp Stadium | 5,000 | ||
| Non-football school | Kimmel Arena | 3,200 | Greenwood Baseball Field, McCormick Field | 300, 4,000 | Greenwood Field | 1,000 | ||
| Non-football school | G. B. Hodge Center | 878 | Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park | 500 | County University Soccer Stadium | 3,000 | ||
| Non-football school | Winthrop Coliseum | 6,100 | Winthrop Ballpark | 1,989 | Eagle Field | 1,500 |