ATLANTA, Ga. (March 8, 2023) – Southern Athletic Association commissioner Jay Gardiner has announced that the SAA will begin sponsoring men’s and women’s indoor track and field beginning in 2024.
 
“Adding indoor track and field as an official conference sport is an exciting opportunity for all of us at the SAA,” said Gardiner.  “Our students, our coaches and our fans will appreciate the excitement of competing for another NCAA championship title.  Our coaches have done a great job of advocating for this addition and our AD’s Council and President’s Council have shown their support by approving this move.”
 
The SAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held in late February each year. The inaugural event is set to be hosted by Centre at the Colonels’ new six-lane, 200-meter indoor facility. The Birmingham Crossplex, site of the 2006, 2018 and 2023 NCAA Division III National Championships, will be the host venue in 2025.
 
Men’s and women’s indoor track and field will be the 22^nd and 23^rd sports for the SAA.
 
In 2023, 26 NCAA Division III conferences hosted indoor track and field championship meets. All eight SAA schools compete in at least one indoor event during the winter months and are eligible to qualify for the NCAA National Championship.
 
Three-time outdoor national champion JP Vaught of Centre headlines seven SAA athletes set to compete at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships, March 10-11 in Birmingham. The senior has won the outdoor 200 meter title each of the last two seasons and is ranked seventh in the indoor event heading into the championship. Teammate Logan Isaacs is ninth in the pole vault while Berry’s Alden McDonald is 19^th in the same event. Birmingham-Southern’s Maurice Sutherland is seeded 12^th in the triple jump.
 
Centre’s Jasmine Claunch is the sixth ranked triple jumper while Rhodes qualified two for the championships, Ace Cole in the pole vault (13^th) and Rachel Sullivan in the high jump (16^th).
 
SAA Cross Country/Track and Field Coaches Council Chair Luke Syverson of Berry added, “This is an exciting step forward for the SAA and our sport. All our SAA schools already participate in indoor and have had significant accomplishments at both the regional and national level. Our coaching body is thankful for our presidents and athletic directors who acknowledge the value this has for our schools and students.”
 
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Southern Athletic Association is committed to fostering athletic competition and cooperation among academically selective, residential liberal arts colleges located in the southern United States. Founded in 2011, its members embrace varsity athletics as an integral part of the campus experience offering meaningful opportunities for self-understanding, commitment, mastery, maturation and leadership.  Core SAA members are Berry College, Birmingham-Southern College, Centre College, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Oglethorpe University, Rhodes College, and the University of the South—Sewanee.  The SAA sponsors sports in baseball, M&W basketball, M&W cross country, field hockey. M&W golf, M&W lacrosse, M&W soccer, softball, M&W swimming & diving, M&W tennis, M&W track & field and volleyball.