NCAA Division II Awards Conference Carolinas Grant for Exemplary Strategy for Third Consecutive Year
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Conference Carolinas has been awarded a grant by NCAA Division II for the third consecutive year for its strategic positioning as a conference for its efforts as part of its annual Spirit Championships.
The NCAA Division II conference grant program, now in its 22nd year, has provided millions of dollars to Division II conferences to implement priorities and initiatives that support the Division II Strategic Plan and the Division II strategic positioning platform. The grant funding allows NCAA Division II conferences to operate more effectively and efficiently.
Over the summer Assistant Commissioner/SWA Jill Robbins and Commissioner Chris Colvin submitted the grant proposal. The Division II Planning and Finance Committee then officially awarded Conference Carolinas the over $1,500 grant on Friday, Aug. 25 to acknowledge its “Conference Tournament Expenses” strategy for the Spirit Championships in the “Game Day, Conference and National Championships” strategic positioning outcome area.
The Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Spirit Championships are held in conjunction with the Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Basketball Championships each year at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Conference Carolinas has now held two Spirit Championships with the third annual event scheduled for Saturday, March 9, 2024.
The 2024 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Spirit Championships will feature the cheerleading championship for the third straight year, while the dance championship will be contested for the second year in a row.
“We are truly humbled and honored to be recognized in this way by NCAA Division II for the third straight year,” Commissioner Chris Colvin said. “We always prioritize helping our member institutions fulfill their missions, and we believe that the Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Spirit Championships allow us to have another unique way to incorporate even more student-athletes from our campuses into championship-level competition. The Spirit Championships have added a great deal to a weekend that we consider one of the best showcases in all of NCAA Division II.”
Conference Carolinas was honored in 2021 with an NCAA Division II grant for promoting its student-athletes, coaches and administrators through its “Body, Mind and Soul” feature series. The conference was honored with the grant in 2022 for its efforts with its Developmental Championships. Conference Carolinas is believed to be the first NCAA conference to offer sub-varsity championships to its members.
This is 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 2023-24 academic year are Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel, Erskine, Francis Marion, King, Lees-McRae, Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, North Greenville, Southern Wesleyan and Young Harris.
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 a sole sponsor of 24 sports and also collaborates with two other conferences (South Atlantic Conference and Great Midwest Athletic Conference) to offer opportunities in four additional sports for a total of 28 in the 2024-25 academic year. Conference Carolinas will be a sole sponsor of 25 sports and offer opportunities for a total of 29 sports with the official 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. This is all in addition to hosting developmental championships in various sports for its member institutions. Conference Carolinas is believed to be the first NCAA conference to offer sub-varsity championships to its members.
To learn more about Conference Carolinas, please visit
ConferenceCarolinas.com.