BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Gulf South Conference partners with Chowan University and Erskine College as affiliate members for football. The forward-thinking collaboration led by the GSC provides a football home for both institutions in advance of plans by Conference Carolinas to sponsor football in 2025.
Chowan will join the GSC for the 2023 season, with its first conference game set for September 9 against Delta State. Erskine will participate exclusively in the 2024 season and open its league schedule with Valdosta State in Week Three.
“We are excited to welcome Chowan and Erskine,” said GSC Commissioner Matt Wilson. “The Gulf South Conference has been a leader in creating additional opportunities through individual sport partnerships. It is a credit to our membership that we can do these quickly and nimbly for the betterment of the institutions and our student-athletes.”
Both institutions will receive full access to conference championship and awards during their respective tenures, with affiliation to end following the 2024 season. In addition to becoming affiliate football-only members, the agreement may provide future non-conference dates to on-going GSC members following the conclusion of their affiliation.
Current football-only affiliate member North Greenville will extend their relationship with the GSC through the 2024 season. As part of Conference Carolinas' strategy to launch football, Shorter University has accepted an invitation to join the conference after next season. The institution will compete as an independent for the 2024 football season, with Shorter's other sports competing in Conference Carolinas. The GSC football schedule will feature nine teams for a total of eight games in both 2023 and 2024.
“No conference enjoys losing membership, however the GSC understands the opportunity presented to both North Greenville and Shorter,” commented Wilson. “Their candor and communication during this process has been appreciated, as it allowed us to prepare and plan accordingly for the future of the conference. We are optimistic that this two-year collaboration sets the table for GSC football and Gulf South to continue its rich tradition of success.”
Located in Murfreesboro, N.C., about an hour and half southwest of Virginia Beach, Chowan becomes the third football-only member in GSC history. The Hawks have been one of the top programs in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) over the last two seasons going 14-7 record during that time, highlighted by the program’s first-ever CIAA Northern Division title in 2022 and an appearance in the CIAA Championship game.
"We look forward to spending the next two seasons playing against some of the toughest opponents that NCAA D2 football has to offer, stated Chowan's Vice President of Athletics Patrick Mashuda. "We look ahead towards the bright future of football in Conference Carolinas in 2025, but for 2023 and 2024 we are fully vested in becoming good stewards of the Gulf South Conference in ways that help to develop our student-athletes and coaches."
Erskine is located in Due West, S.C., approximately an hour south of Greenville. The Flying Fleet are currently a football-only affiliate member with the South Athletic Conference (SAC) after joining the league in 2022. The institution reintroduced football to its campus in Spring 2021, after a 70-year hiatus, and spent the first two seasons playing as an independent.
“Erskine is appreciative of the Gulf South working with us to provide a conference affiliation in the fall of 2024,” said Erskine Vice President for Athletics Mark Peeler. “We respect the Gulf South as the premier Division II football conference in America so we know the challenge will be great, but we are blessed to have the opportunity. I am grateful to commissioner Matt Wilson for working so diligently to make this happen for us.”
For over 50 years, the Gulf South Conference has cultivated a proud tradition of football excellence, becoming one of the primer leagues in NCAA Division II, with a 138 all-time NCAA postseason wins, 37 national semifinal appearances, 22 title game appearances and 13 NCAA Division II football national titles.
In the last decade alone, the Gulf South has boosted two or more teams in the NCAA football playoffs 11 times, which has yielded seven championship game appearances—five-straight between 2016-21—three national titles, and 10 Super Region Two crowns. Additionally, the conference has been well-represented in the professional ranks with 35 total former student-athletes competing in the National Football League during that time, including All-Pro selections Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama), Kenny Moore II (Valdosta State), as well as Malcolm Butler and Tyreek Hill (West Alabama).