Football is Back! Conference Carolinas Looks Ahead to 2025
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The countdown to the fall of 2025 has officially started for all involved with Conference Carolinas.
The NCAA Division II conference announced on Thursday, Jan. 26, with the addition of Shorter University that they would also be sponsoring football in the 2025-26 academic year for the first time since the 1974-75 academic year.
“Working together with other schools to form a football conference is a wonderful way to extend Shorter’s athletic footprint and strategic mission,” Shorter President Dr. Donald Dowless said. “We see many good days ahead for our football program.”
Conference Carolinas football will feature Barton, Chowan, Erskine, UNC Pembroke, North Greenville and Shorter in the 2025 season.
“This is a huge announcement for Conference Carolinas,” Commissioner Chris Colvin said. “It has been a priority for us to find a way to bring football back to Conference Carolinas, and the addition of Shorter allows us to align with our member institutions to sponsor the sport. We have a great deal of work ahead of the 2025 season, but all of us in Conference Carolinas could not be any more excited. We look forward to working with all of our member institutions as Conference Carolinas football grows and thrives in the years to come.”
Football Directors of Athletics on The Return of Football to Conference Carolinas in 2025
Barton Interim Director of Athletics Britney Woodhull-Smith
"Conference Carolinas has a long history of excellence. As a founding member, Barton College is grateful for the opportunity to develop our football program with the conference and to continue to progress into champions of body, mind and soul."
Chowan Vice President/Director of Athletics Patrick Mashuda
"Chris Colvin and the entire Conference Carolinas staff have worked diligently to ensure that football was a part of the conference landscape of the future. Chowan University will have the opportunity to create history as the league forms its football schedule. That is pretty special and I am proud that our program will be a part of that history."
Erskine Vice President for Athletics Mark Peeler
“For the past 30 years Conference Carolinas has been an integral part of Flying Fleet Athletics. A conference of schools aligned with our similar values and beliefs have been a perfect fit for our institution. While the play has been highly competitive, Conference Carolinas has always valued the student-athlete experience, well-being and sportsmanship. Since announcing the start of football in 2018 we have struggled with the long-term landing of conference affiliation in football. With the advent of football in 2025 in a conference that has meant so much to Erskine, we could not be more excited and optimistic about the future of not only our football program but Erskine Athletics as a whole. Conference Carolinas football clearly provides us the stability to move forward in a positive way as we try to strategically navigate the ever-changing world of college athletics. We can’t wait for the Fall of 2025 and will be honored to be part of the inaugural football campaign!”
UNC Pembroke Director of Athletics Dick Christy
“We are so appreciative of our current home in the Mountain East Conference, and know it will be a bittersweet day in 2025. What Commissioner Colvin has done under the guidance of our Presidents is momentous, and it has truly strengthened Conference Carolinas. The solidarity and faith our membership has shown in launching the sport of football is truly impressive, and I think it speaks well of the future of the sport in our league.”
North Greenville Athletic Director Jan McDonald
“We are excited about Shorter University joining Conference Carolinas and the addition of football as a conference-sponsored sport. Our league continues to grow under the current leadership and we are looking forward to what the future has in store.”
Shorter Director of Athletics Richard Hendricks
“We all look forward to joining the formation and kickoff of Conference Carolinas football in 2025. We believe we will benefit from the strength and stability of Conference Carolinas, increase our visibility and exposure, while also positioning our football team strategically for success in Division II football. Coach Morrison and his coaching staff have made great strides with our program, and I suspect they will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. We will join a great group of football-playing institutions in 2025 and I have no doubt Zach and his staff will have us prepared to compete at a high level. We are excited about the future of football in Conference Carolinas.”
Conference Carolinas Football Membership History
Appalachian State 1931--1967 (No Teams 1943-44)
Atlantic Christian/Barton 1946--1950; 2025--
Catawba 1931--1974 (No Team 1943)
Chowan 2025--
East Carolina 1947--1961
Elon 1931--1974 (No Teams 1942-45)
Erskine 2025--
Guilford 1931--1974 (No Teams 1943-44)
High Point 1931--1932, 1938--1942, 1945--1950
Lenoir-Rhyne 1931--1974 (No Teams 1942-45)
Mars Hill 1973--1974
UNC Pembroke 2025--
Newberry 1961--1972
North Greenville 2025--
Presbyterian 1965--1972
Shorter 2025--
Western Carolina 1933--1968 (No Teams 1942-44)
(Note: The 1974-75 academic year was the final year that Conference Carolinas sponsored football until its eventual return in the 2025-26 academic year)
About Conference Carolinas
Conference Carolinas has a rich tradition in roots that dates back to its inception on Dec. 6, 1930. The NCAA Division II athletics conference presently has member schools located in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Member institutions for the 2022-23 academic year are Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel, Erskine, Francis Marion, King, Lees-McRae, Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, North Greenville and Southern Wesleyan. Young Harris will officially join Conference Carolinas with the start of the 2023-24 academic year and Shorter will join the league with the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year.
Conference Carolinas believes in the development and formation of the whole person in body, mind and soul. Our students are nationally recognized for their extraordinary success in the classroom, in the community and at the highest levels of NCAA competition. Conference Carolinas is built upon the idea of offering challenging NCAA competition in an environment that fosters both the academic and athletic achievements of its student-athletes. Conference members offer exemplary educations and scholarships for performance in the classroom and on the field. Conference Carolinas and its members are committed to challenging adversity and building tomorrow's leaders.
Conference Carolinas is a sole sponsor of 23 sports and collaborates with two other conferences to offer opportunities in four additional sports for a total of 27. The conference will be the sole sponsor of 24 sports (28 total including collaborations with other conferences) beginning in 2023-24. That number will advance to 25 sports (29 total including collaborations with other conferences) with the addition of football in the 2025-26 academic year.
The ability to provide its membership sports sponsorship in 29 sports is the most in all of NCAA Division II. In addition, Conference Carolinas also provides championship opportunities for its member institutions in esports and spirit (cheerleading and dance).
This is all in addition to holding Developmental Championships for its member institutions. A Developmental Championship will be held in men’s and women’s soccer, men’s basketball and baseball in the 2022-23 academic year.
Conference Carolinas is believed to be the first NCAA conference to offer sub-varsity championships to its members.
Please visit
ConferenceCarolinas.com to learn more about Conference Carolinas.
Current Conference Carolinas Membership
*Atlantic Christian/Barton: 1930-31--
present
Belmont Abbey: 1989-90--present
Chowan: 2019-20--present
Converse: 2008-09--present
Emmanuel: 2018-19--present
Erskine: 1995-96--present
Francis Marion: 2021--present
King: 2011-12--present
Lees-McRae: 1993-94--present
Mount Olive: 1988-89--present
UNC Pembroke: 1976-92; 2021-22--present
North Greenville: 2011-12—present
Shorter: 2024-25
Southern Wesleyan: 2016-17--present
Young Harris: 2023-24
*Charter Member
Twitter: @ConfCarolinas
Instagram: @ConfCarolinas
Facebook: Facebook.com/ConferenceCarolinas
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