Mid-South Conference Explained

Mid-South Conference
Founded:	1987
Association:	NAIA
Teams:	7
Sports:	26
Mens:	13
Womens:	13
Region:	Southern United States
Headquarters:	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Commissioner:	Eric Leach
Since:	July 1, 2023
Website:	mid-southconference.org
Map:	MSC-USA-states.PNG
Map Size:	250

The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentucky and Tennessee. The league is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the commissioner is Eric Leach.

The Mid-South Conference has 7 full members: Bethel (TN), Campbellsville, Cumberland (TN), Cumberlands (KY), Freed–Hardeman, Georgetown (KY) and Lindsey Wilson. Six of these members sponsor football; Freed–Hardeman does not.

The Mid-South Conference also has six associate members that compete primarily in other conferences. Faulkner, Kentucky Christian, Union Commonwealth and recently former member Bluefield are associate members of the MSC for football and men's volleyball, and Reinhardt is an associate member of the MSC for football and men's volleyball. This gave the conference 13 members for football. In the spring of 2016, the conference expanded to 20 members, adding the six football members of the Sun Conference, as well as Faulkner University for football,^[1] On January 4, 2018, the conference added Keiser University for football,^[2] and St. Thomas announced in July they were joining the conference for football in 2019.^[3] Another Sun Conference member, Florida Memorial in Miami Gardens, Florida, joined the MSC as an affiliate member for football in 2020, after re-adding the sport.^[4]

History

In April 2018, Thomas More University (then Thomas More College), which had been an NAIA member before moving to NCAA Division III in 1990, announced that it had been formally invited to re-join the NAIA in the 2019–20 academic year as a member of the Mid-South Conference. The school, while acknowledging that it was considering this move, denied published reports that it had accepted the invitation.^[5] Thomas More eventually confirmed in July that it would join the Mid-South in 2019.^[6]

In 2020, Bethel University became a Mid-South full member, brought track and field back to the MSC, and transferred all sports other than football and archery to the conference (prior to that, Bethel was an associate member of the MSC for football and archery only); additionally, Freed–Hardeman and UT Southern, then known as Martin Methodist College, also joined Mid-South.^[7]

In December 2020, Life University also announced its departure from the MSC for the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2022–23.^[8]

Most recently, Thomas More announced in August 2021 that it would return to the NCAA, but this time in Division II as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). It joined the G-MAC as a provisional member in July 2022, but continued as an NAIA member and in the Mid-South through 2022–23, after which it started G-MAC competition.^[9] Later, the Sun Conference announced on December 22, 2021, that it would reinstate football starting with the 2022 season.^[10] Then in July 2022, the Appalachian Athletic Conference announced it would add football as a sponsored sport.^[11]

Chronological timeline

1987 – The Mid-South Conference (MSC) was founded as a football-only conference. Charter members included Campbellsville College (now Campbellsville University), Cumberland College of Kentucky (now the University of the Cumberlands), Georgetown College and Union College (now Union Commonwealth University), beginning the 1987 fall season (1987–88 academic year).
1988 – The University of Evansville joined the conference in the 1988 fall season (1988–89 academic year).
1989 – Kentucky Wesleyan College and Tennessee Wesleyan University joined the conference in the 1989 fall season (1989–90 academic year).
1990 – Kentucky Wesleyan dropped out of the conference after the 1989 fall season (1989–90 academic year).
1990 – Cumberland College of Tennessee (now Cumberland University) and Lambuth University joined the Mid-South in the 1990 fall season (1990–91 academic year).
1991 – Cumberland College and Tennessee Wesleyan departed from the conference after the 1990 fall season (1990–91 academic year).
1991 – Tusculum University joined the Mid-South in the 1991 fall season (1991–92 academic year).
1992 – Evansville left the Mid-South after the 1991 fall season (1991–92 academic year).
1995 – The Mid-South became a multi-sport conference. North Greenville College (now North Greenville University) joined the conference beginning the 1995–96 academic year, while Bethel College of Tennessee joined as an affiliate member for football (with Cumberland College rejoining as well).
1996 – Tusculum departed from the conference as a football affiliate after the 1995 fall season (1995–96 academic year).
1996 – Cumberland College and Lambuth moved their other sports to the Mid-South as full members for the 1996–97 academic year.
1997 – Bethel (Tenn.) left the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football after the 1996 fall season (1996–97 academic year).
2000 – Lindsey Wilson College and Pikeville College (now the University of Pikeville; a.k.a. UPike) joined the Mid-South in the 2000–01 academic year.
2001 – North Greenville left the Mid-South to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent after the 2000–01 academic year.
2002 – Two institutions left the Mid-South as full members to join their respective new home primary conferences: Cumberland (Tenn.) to the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC), and Union (Ky.) to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC), while they remained in the conference as affiliate members for football and some Olympic sports after the 2001–02 academic year.
2003 – Kentucky Wesleyan rejoined the MSC as an affiliate member for football in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
2004 – The University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVA Wise) joined the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football with Bethel (Tenn.) rejoining for football and some Olympic sports in the 2003 fall season (2003–04 academic year).
2006 – Lambuth left the Mid-South as a full member, while remaining in the conference as an affiliate member for football after the 2005–06 academic year.
2006 – West Virginia University Institute of Technology (West Virginia Tech or WVU Tech) joined the Mid-South in the 2006–07 academic year. Kentucky Wesleyan quit again.
2008 – St. Catharine College joined the Mid-South in the 2008–09 academic year.
2009 – The University of Rio Grande joined the Mid-South in the 2009–10 academic year.
2010 – Lambuth left the Mid-South as an affiliate member for football after the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
2010 – Shawnee State University joined the Mid-South (with UVA Wise joining for all sports) in the 2010–11 academic year.
2012 – West Virginia Tech left the Mid-South to become an NAIA Independent (which would later join the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now known as the River States Conference) beginning the 2015–16 academic year) after the 2011–12 academic year.
2012 – Bluefield College (now Bluefield University) joined the Mid-South (with Cumberland (Tenn.) rejoining for all sports) in the 2012–13 academic year.
2013 – UVA Wise left the Mid-South and the NAIA entirely to fully align with the NCAA Division II ranks, while joining the Mountain East Conference after spending provisionally one season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) after the 2012–13 academic year.
2014 – Bluefield left the Mid-South as a full member to rejoin the AAC, while remaining in the conference as an affiliate member for football and some Olympic sports after the 2013–14 academic year.
2014 – Rio Grande left the Mid-South to join the KIAC after the 2013–14 academic year.
2014 – Life University joined the Mid-South in the 2014–15 academic year.
2016 – St. Catherine's left the Mid-South as the school announced that it would close after the 2015–16 academic year.
2019 – Thomas More University joined the Mid-South in the 2019–20 academic year.
2020 – Freed–Hardeman University and Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the Mid-South (with Bethel (Tenn.) joining for all sports) in the 2020–21 academic year.
2022 – Life would leave the Mid-South to join the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) beginning the 2022–23 academic year.
2022 – Thomas More returned to the NCAA, but in the NCAA Division II ranks and joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) as a provisional member in the 2022–23 academic year. Until then, they would remain committed in the Mid-South and the NAIA, until full membership in the G-MAC and NCAA D-II would begin in the 2023–24 academic year.
2022 – Wilberforce University joined the Mid-South in the 2022–23 academic year.
2023 – Four institutions left the Mid-South to join their respective new home primary conferences: Shawnee State to the RSC, Pikeville (UPike) to the AAC, UT Southern going back to the SSAC, and Wilberforce as an NAIA Independent, all beginning the 2023–24 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The Mid-South currently has seven full members, all are private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined
Bethel University	McKenzie, Tennessee	1842	Cumberland Presbyterian	2,975	Wildcats	2020
Campbellsville University	Campbellsville, Kentucky	1906	Baptist	3,318	Tigers	1987
Cumberland University	Lebanon, Tennessee	1842	Nonsectarian	1,345	Phoenix	1996; 2012
	Williamsburg, Kentucky	1889	Nondenominational	1,743	Patriots	1987
Freed–Hardeman University	Henderson, Tennessee	1869	Churches of Christ	2,050+	Lions	2020
Georgetown College	Georgetown, Kentucky	1829	Baptist	1,400	Tigers	1987
Lindsey Wilson College	Columbia, Kentucky	1903	United Methodist	2,677	Blue Raiders	2000

Notes:

Affiliate members

The Mid-South currently has 23 associate members. All but one are private schools; the remaining school operates private and public institutions within a single entity.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Mid-South sport	Primary conference
Ave Maria University	Ave Maria, Florida	2003	Catholic	1,200	Gyrenes	2018	women's lacrosse	The Sun
Bluefield University	Bluefield, Virginia	1922	Baptist	793	Rams	2018	men's volleyball	Appalachian (AAC)
Blue Mountain College	Blue Mountain, Mississippi	1873	Baptist	505	Toppers	2019 2019	men's bowling women's bowling	Southern States (SSAC)
Brewton–Parker College	Mount Vernon, Georgia	1904	Baptist	1,050	Barons	2015 2017	men's wrestling women's wrestling	Southern States (SSAC)
Faulkner University	Montgomery, Alabama	1942	Churches of Christ	2,212	Eagles	2008	football	Southern States (SSAC)
	Fort Wayne, Indiana	1930	Nonsectarian	7,000	Warriors	2020	women's wrestling	Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC)
Indiana Wesleyan University	Marion, Indiana	1920	Wesleyan Church	2,969	Wildcats	2018	women's swimming	Crossroads
Keiser University	West Palm Beach, Florida	1977	Nonsectarian	16,760	Seahawks	2018 2019	women's lacrosse men's wrestling	The Sun
Kentucky Christian University	Grayson, Kentucky	1919	Christian	550	Knights	2017	archery	Appalachian (AAC)
Lourdes University	Sylvania, Ohio	1958	Catholic	1,500	Gray Wolves	2020	women's wrestling	Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC)
Loyola University New Orleans	New Orleans, Louisiana	1904	Catholic	4,858	Wolf Pack	2016 2016	men's swimming women's swimming	Southern States (SSAC)
Marian University	Indianapolis, Indiana	1851	Catholic	3,595	Knights	2018	women's lacrosse	Crossroads
Midway University	Midway, Kentucky	1847	Disciples of Christ	1,800	Eagles	2018 2018 2019 2019 2020 2020	men's volleyball men's wrestling men's bowling women's bowling men's swimming women's swimming	River States (RSC)
Reinhardt University	Waleska, Georgia	1883	United Methodist	1,057	Eagles	2019	men's volleyball	Appalachian (AAC)
	Rio Grande, Ohio	1876	Hybrid	1,893	RedStorm	2020 2021	men's wrestling men's volleyball	River States (RSC)
	Laurinburg, North Carolina	1896	Presbyterian	600	Knights	2018 2020	men's volleyball women's wrestling	Appalachian (AAC)
	Miami Gardens, Florida	1961	Catholic	4,674	Bobcats	2020	men's wrestling	The Sun
Southeastern University	Lakeland, Florida	1935	Assemblies of God	7,000	Fire	2015	men's wrestling	The Sun
Tennessee Wesleyan University	Athens, Tennessee	1857	United Methodist	1,103	Bulldogs	2015 2015	men's bowling women's bowling	Appalachian (AAC)
Truett McConnell University	Cleveland, Georgia	1946	Baptist	1,600	Eagles	2020	men's volleyball	Appalachian (AAC)
Union Commonwealth University	Barbourville, Kentucky	1879	United Methodist	1,350	Bulldogs	2012 2012 2018	men's bowling women's bowling archery	Appalachian (AAC)
Warner University	Lake Wales, Florida	1968	Church of God	1,037	Royals	2018	men's volleyball	The Sun
Webber International University	Babson Park, Florida	1927	Nonsectarian	616	Warriors	2018 2020	men's volleyball women's lacrosse	The Sun

Notes:

Former members

The Mid-South has 14 former full members. Ten of these are private schools, and one other operates private and public institutions within a single entity.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Subsequent conference	Current conference
Bluefield College	Bluefield, Virginia	1922	Baptist	793	Rams	2012	2014	Appalachian (AAC) (2014–present)
Lambuth University	Jackson, Tennessee	1843	United Methodist	N/A	Eagles	1996	2006	TranSouth (TSAC) (2006–09) NAIA/D-II Independent (2009–11)	Closed in 2011
Life University	Marietta, Georgia	1974	Nonsectarian	2,800	Running Eagles	2014	2022	Southern States (SSAC) (2022–present)
North Greenville College	Tigerville, South Carolina	1891	Baptist	2,100	Crusaders	1995	2001	D-II Independent (2001–11)	Carolinas (CC) (2011–present)
	Pikeville, Kentucky	1889	Presbyterian	2,268	Bears	2000	2023	Appalachian (AAC) (2023–present)
	Rio Grande, Ohio	1876	Hybrid	1,893	RedStorm	2009	2014	River States (RSC) (2014–present)
Shawnee State University	Portsmouth, Ohio	1986	Public	4,300	Bears	2010	2023	River States (RSC) (2023–present)
St. Catharine College	St. Catharine, Kentucky	1873	Catholic	N/A	Patriots	2008	2016	Closed in 2016
Thomas More University	Crestview Hills, Kentucky	1921	Catholic	1,963	Saints	2021	2023	Great Midwest (G-MAC) (2023–present)
Union Commonwealth University	Barbourville, Kentucky	1879	United Methodist	1,368	Bulldogs	1995	2002	Appalachian (AAC) (2002–present)
University of Tennessee Southern^[12]	Pulaski, Tennessee	1870	Historically Methodist	757	FireHawks	2020	2023	Southern States (SSAC) (2023–present)
	Wise, Virginia	1954	Public	2,000	nowrap	Highland Cavaliers	2010	2013	various	South Atlantic (SAC) (2019–present)
West Virginia University Institute of Technology	Montgomery, West Virginia	1895	Public	2,252	Golden Bears	2006	2012	USCAA/NAIA Independent (2012–15)	River States (RSC) (2015–present)
Wilberforce University	Wilberforce, Ohio	1856	A.M.E. Church	900	Bulldogs	2022	2023	NAIA Independent (2023–24)	HBCU (HBCUAC) (2024–present)

Notes:

Former affiliate members

The Mid-South had 28 associate members, all but two were private schools:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Mid-South sport	Primary conference
Ave Maria University	Ave Maria, Florida	2003	Catholic	1,200	Gyrenes	2017	2022	football	The Sun
Belhaven University	Jackson, Mississippi	1894	Presbyterian	3,245	Blazers	1998	2015	football	C.C. South (CCS)
Bethel University	McKenzie, Tennessee	1842	Cumberland Presbyterian	2,975	Wildcats	1996 &<br>2003 2007 2012 2012 2017	1997 &<br>2020 2013 2020 2020 2020	football track & field men's bowling women's bowing archery	Mid-South (MSC)
Bluefield University	Bluefield, Virginia	1922	Baptist	793	Rams	2014	2022	football	Appalachian (AAC)
Brewton–Parker College	Mount Vernon, Georgia	1904	Baptist	1,050	Barons	2018	2019	men's volleyball	Southern States (SSAC)
Cincinnati Christian University	Cincinnati, Ohio	1924	Christian	N/A	Eagles	2015 2018	2019 2019	football men's volleyball	N/A
Cumberland University	Lebanon, Tennessee	1842	Nonsectarian	1,345	Bulldogs	2002	2012	football	Mid-South (MSC)
Edward Waters University	Jacksonville, Florida	1866	AME Church	966	Tigers	2017	2019	football	Southern (SIAC)
	Evansville, Indiana	1854	United Methodist	2,500	Purple Aces	1988	1992	football	Missouri Valley (MVC)
Florida Memorial University	Miami Gardens, Florida	1879	Baptist	1,784	Lions	2020	2022	football	The Sun
Kentucky Christian University	Grayson, Kentucky	1919	Christian	550	Knights	2017 2017 2009	2019 2019 2022	baseball softball football	Appalachian (AAC)
Kentucky Wesleyan College	Owensboro, Kentucky	1858	United Methodist	830	Panthers	1989; 2004	1990; 2006	football	Great Midwest (G-MAC)
Lambuth University	Jackson, Tennessee	1843	United Methodist	N/A	Eagles	1990; 2006	1995 2010	football	Closed in 2011
Lincoln College	Lincoln, Illinois	1865	Nonsectarian	800	Lynx	2021 2021	2022 2022	men's swimming women's swimming	Closed in 2022
Lindenwood University–Belleville	Belleville, Illinois	2003	Catholic	N/A	Lynx	2015 2015 2017	2019 2019 2019	men's swimming women's swimming women's wrestling	Closed in 2020
Marian University	Indianapolis, Indiana	1851	Catholic	3,595	Knights	2019 2019	2021 2021	men's bowling women's bowling	Crossroads
	Pulaski, Tennessee	1870	Public	1,000	RedHawks	2015 2015	2020 2020	men's bowling women's bowling	Mid-South (MSC)
Midland University	Fremont, Nebraska	1883	Lutheran ELCA	1,394	Warriors	2017 2017	2019 2019	men's swimming women's swimming	Great Plains (GPAC)
Point University	West Point, Georgia	1937	Christian	1,450	Skyhawks	2017	2022	football	Appalachian (AAC)
Reinhardt University	Waleska, Georgia	1883	United Methodist	1,057	Eagles	2013	2022	football	Appalachian (AAC)
	Rio Grande, Ohio	1876	Nonsectarian	1,893	RedStorm	2020 2020	2021 2021	men's swimming women's swimming	River States (RSC)
	Laurinburg, North Carolina	1896	Presbyterian	600	Knights	2015 2017	2017 2022	men's wrestling football	Appalachian (AAC)
Shorter University	Rome, Georgia	1873	Baptist	1,520	Hawks	2005 2007	2012 2012	football track & field	Gulf South (GSC)
Tennessee Wesleyan University	Athens, Tennessee	1857	United Methodist	1,103	Bulldogs	1989	1991	football	Appalachian (AAC)
Truett McConnell University	Cleveland, Georgia	1946	Baptist	1,600	Eagles	2015	2017	men's wrestling	Appalachian (AAC)
Tusculum University	Tusculum, Tennessee	1794	Presbyterian	2,053	Pioneers	1991	1996	football	South Atlantic (SAC)
Union Commonwealth University	Barbourville, Kentucky	1879	United Methodist	1,350	Bulldogs	1987; 2002	1995; 2022	football	Appalachian (AAC)
	Wise, Virginia	1954	Public	2,000	nowrap	Highland Cavaliers	2002	2010	football	South Atlantic (SAC)

Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyyImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20Period = from:1987 till:2030TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5

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PlotData = width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:AssocF from:1987 till:1995 text:Campbellsville (1987–present) bar:1 color:Full from:1995 till:end text:

bar:2 color:AssocF from:1987 till:1995 text:Cumberlands (Ky.) (1987–present) bar:2 color:Full from:1995 till:end text:

bar:3 color:AssocF from:1987 till:1995 text:Georgetown (Ky.) (1987–present) bar:3 color:Full from:1995 till:end text:

bar:4 color:AssocF from:1987 till:1995 text:Union (Ky.) (1987–2002) bar:4 color:Full from:1995 till:2002 text: bar:4 color:AssocF from:2002 till:2022 text:Appalachian (2002–present) bar:4 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:5 color:AssocF from:1988 till:1992 text:Evansville (1988–1992)

bar:6 color:AssocF from:1989 till:1990 text:Kentucky Wesleyan (1989–1990) bar:6 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2006 text:(2004–2006)

bar:7 color:AssocF from:1989 till:1991 text:Tennessee Wesleyan (1989–1991)

bar:8 color:AssocF from:1990 till:1991 text:Cumberland (Tenn.) (1990–1991, 1995–2002) bar:8 color:AssocF from:1995 till:1996 text: bar:8 color:Full from:1996 till:2002 text: bar:8 color:AssocF from:2002 till:2012 text:TranSouth (2002–2012; MSC football) bar:8 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:(2012–present)

bar:9 color:AssocF from:1990 till:1996 text:Lambuth (1990–2006) bar:9 color:Full from:1996 till:2006 text: bar:9 color:AssocF from:2006 till:2010 text:TranSouth (2006–2010; MSC football)

bar:10 color:AssocF from:1991 till:1996 text:Tusculum (1991–1996)

bar:11 color:Full from:1995 till:2001 text:North Greenville (1995–2001) bar:11 shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2011 text:D-II Ind. bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2011 till:end text:Carolinas

bar:12 color:AssocF from:1995 till:1997 text:Bethel (Tenn.) (1995–1997) bar:12 color:AssocF from:2003 till:2020 text:(2003–2020) bar:12 color:Full from:2020 till:end text:(2020–present)

bar:13 color:AssocF from:1997 till:2015 text:Belhaven (1997–2015)

bar:14 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2010 text:Lindsey Wilson (2000–present) bar:14 color:Full from:2010 till:end text:

bar:15 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2001 text:Pikeville (2000–2023) bar:15 color:Full from:2001 till:2023 text: bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:Appalachian

bar:16 color:AssocF from:2003 till:2010 text:UVa Wise (2003–2010) bar:16 color:Full from:2010 till:2013 text:(2010–2013) bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2019 text:Mountain East bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:end text:South Atlantic

bar:17 color:AssocF from:2005 till:2012 text:Shorter (2005–2012)

bar:18 color:Full from:2006 till:2012 text:West Virginia Tech (2006–2012) bar:18 shift:(25) color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2016 text:NAIA Ind. bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:2016 till:end text:River States

bar:19 color:FullxF from:2008 till:2016 text:St. Catherine (Ky.) (2008–2016)

bar:20 color:AssocF from:2008 till:end text:Faulkner (2008–present)

bar:21 color:FullxF from:2009 till:2014 text:Rio Grande (2009–2014) bar:21 shift:(30) color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:2020 text:River States bar:21 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text: (2020–present; MSC assoc. sports)

bar:22 color:AssocF from:2009 till:2022 text:Kentucky Christian (2009–present) bar:22 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:23 color:FullxF from:2010 till:2023 text:Shawnee State (2010–2023) bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:River States

bar:24 color:Full from:2012 till:2014 text:Bluefield (2012–2014) bar:24 shift:(65) color:AssocF from:2014 till:2022 text:Appalachian (2014–present) bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:25 color:AssocF from:2013 till:2022 text:Reinhardt (2013–present) bar:25 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:26 color:FullxF from:2014 till:2022 text:Life (2014–2022) bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:SSAC

bar:27 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:end text:Brewton–Parker (2015–present)

bar:28 color:AssocF from:2015 till:2020 text:Cincinnati Christian (2015–2020)

bar:29 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2019 text:Lindenwood–Belleville (2015–2019)

bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2017 text:St. Andrews (2015–2017) bar:30 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2022 text: bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:31 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:end text:Tennesse Wesleyan (2015–present)

bar:32 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2020 text:UT Southern (2015–2020) bar:32 shift:(20) color:FullxF from:2020 till:2023 text:(2020–2023; full) bar:32 shift:(40) color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:SSAC

bar:33 color:AssocOS from:2016 till:end text:Loyola (La.) (2016–present)

bar:34 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2019 text:Edward Waters (2017–2019)

bar:35 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2019 text:Midland (2017–2019)

bar:36 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2022 text:Point (2017–2022)

bar:37 color:AssocF from:2018 till:2022 text:Ave Maria (2018–present) bar:37 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:38 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end text:Indiana Wesleyan (2018–present)

bar:39 color:AssocF from:2018 till:2022 text:Keiser (2018–present) bar:39 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:40 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end text:Marian (Ind.) (2018–present)

bar:41 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end text:Midway (2018–present)

bar:42 color:AssocF from:2018 till:2022 text:Warner (2018–present) bar:42 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:43 color:AssocF from:2018 till:2022 text:Webber International (2018–present) bar:43 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:

bar:44 color:Full from:2019 till:2022 text:Thomas More (2019–2022) bar:44 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:2023 text: bar:44 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:G-MAC

bar:45 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:Blue Mountain (2019–present)

bar:46 color:AssocF from:2020 till:2022 text:Florida Memorial (2020–2022)

bar:47 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Indiana Tech (2020–present)

bar:48 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Lourdes (2020–present)

bar:49 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:St. Thomas (Fla.) (2020–present)

bar:50 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Truett McConnell (2020–present)

bar:51 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Freed–Hardeman (2020–present)

bar:52 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:2022 text:Lincoln (Ill.) (2021–2022) bar:53 color:FullxF from:2022 till:2023 text:Wilberforce (2022–2023)

bar:N color:powderblue from:1987 till:1995 text:Mid-South (football) bar:N color:blue from:1995 till:end text:Mid-South (multi-sport)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1988

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,25) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Mid-South Conference membership history"

> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three 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.

Sports

Member teams compete in 28 sports: 13 men's, 13 women's and 2 mixed.

In addition, the Mid-South Conference also conducts championships for Esports and competitive dance. The MSC also stages invitational tournaments for junior varsity squads in the sports of men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and women's volleyball, if enough schools sponsor JV teams in a given year.^[13]

Football divisions

Beginning with the 2017 season, The Sun Conference and Mid-South merged their football conferences into the largest football conference in college sports.^[14] ^[15] Edward Waters was previously a full member of the Sun Conference from 2006 to 2010 and a football affiliate member from 2014 to 2016 seasons. Edward Waters left after the 2018 football season.

However, the Sun Division folded when its teams left the Mid-South after the Sun Conference reinstated football for 2022, leaving the Mid-South with 15 football members.^[10] Later, the Appalachian Division folded when the AAC announced to sponsor the sport for the 2022 fall season, leaving the Mid-South with 9 football members.^[11]

Bethel (Tenn.)
Campbellsville
Cumberland (Tenn.)
Cumberlands (Ky.)
Faulkner
Georgetown
Lindsey Wilson
Pikeville
Thomas More

Notes: - Mid-South full member - Mid-South affiliate member

Notes and References

News: Wilson. Michael. Local teams officially join Mid-South football conference. February 27, 2016. The Lakeland Ledger. February 25, 2016.
News: Evenson. Johyn. Keiser University Athletics adds football starting in 2018. April 23, 2018. October 11, 2016.
News: McPherson . Jordan . This South Florida college will have a football team. And it'll start playing next year . October 10, 2018 . August 29, 2018.
News: Football Joins Mid-South Conference As Affiliate Member . February 24, 2020 . fmuathletics.com . October 15, 2019.
News: Thomas More College approved to move to NAIA beginning in 2019 . Kyle . Brown . James . Weber . . April 17, 2018 . April 20, 2018.
News: Thomas More College to join the NAIA in 2019 . James . Weber . Cincinnati Enquirer . July 24, 2018 . July 27, 2018.
News: Bethel, Freed-Hardeman and Martin Methodist Renew Rivalries with Mid-South Conference Move . March 18, 2020 . Mid-South Conference . July 25, 2019.
News: Life U Athletics Headed to Southern States Athletic Conference in 2022-23 . July 6, 2021 . Life Running Eagles . December 16, 2020.
Thomas More University Unanimously Approved for Provisional Membership to Join Great Midwest . Great Midwest Athletic Conference . August 18, 2021 . September 1, 2021.
News: Football Returns to the Sun Conference in 2022 . December 24, 2021 . Sun Conference . December 22, 2021.
News: Football, Men's Volleyball Newest Championships Sponsored by the AAC . July 20, 2022 . Appalachian Athletic Conference . July 20, 2022.
News: Tennessee Southern Approved For SSAC Membership In 2023-24 . SSAC . July 1, 2022.
Web site: Mid-South Conference . 2021-22 MSC Championships . 2022-02-15 .
Web site: Mid-South Conference Creates Largest College Football Conference . The Sun Conference . February 25, 2016 . March 15, 2016.
Web site: Mid-South, Sun conferences unite for 20-team football league . Tennessean.com . February 25, 2016 . March 15, 2016.