Night Hawks switch conferences
Jul. 5—THOMASVILLE- On July 1, 2023, Thomas University moved most of their athletic teams to the Southern States Athletic Conference. These teams include Men's and Women's Cross-Country, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Indoor Track, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track, Baseball, and Softball. Football and Flag Football will remain in The Sun Conference as affiliate members. Men's and Women's Swimming will participate in a conference alliance between The Sun Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference.
Thomas was selected to become the 12th member of the SSAC during the 2022 conference summer meeting. "Thomas is going to make a great addition to our league in 2023-24" said SSAC Commissioner Mike Hall, in 2022. "There is already a lot of familiarity as many of our current members already play them in several sports. I'm excited to welcome the Night Hawks into our conference!"
Tennessee Southern (Pulaski, TN) and Point University (West Point, GA) also joined the conference on July 1.
The Southern States Athletic Conference was established as the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference (GACC) on March 16, 1999. On June 27, 2004, the conference changed its name to the Southern States Athletic Conference. The 2023-24 SSAC membership includes: Blue Mountain College (Blue Mountain, MS), Brewton-Parker College (Mount Vernon, GA), Dalton State College (Dalton, GA), Faulkner University (Montgomery, AL), LIfe University (Marietta, GA), Loyola University (New Orleans, LA), Middle Georgia State University (Cochran, GA), Point University (West Point, GA), Thomas University (Thomasville, GA), University of Mobile (Mobile, AL), University of Tennessee Southern (Pulaski, TN), Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, AL), William Carey University (Hattiesburg, MS). After the 2024-25 season, Middle Georgia will transition to NCAA Division II. The SSAC offers championships in 19 sports. In addition to the sports that Thomas will compete in within the conference, the Southern States offers championships in Men's and Women's Bowling, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Tennis, and Volleyball.
The Sun Conference was created in March 1990 as the Florida Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (FIAC), and renamed to the Florida Sun Conference in 1992. It adopted its current name in August 2008 to reflect its expansion to institutions outside of Florida. Thomas joined The Sun Conference in the 2012-13 academic season. While in The Sun Conference, the Night Hawks were able to win championships in the following sports: Men's Soccer (Tournament: 2013, 2014, 2018, Regular Season: 2018), Golf (Regular Season: 2014), Softball (Regular Season and Tournament: 2018), and Baseball (Tournament: 2019). The Flag Football team, who will remain in the conference as an affiliate member, have won the past two regular season and tournament crown (2022, 2023). Football will compete in the Sun Conference for their upcoming, inaugural season in 2023.
