NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference will bring back Women’s Swimming and Diving as its 20th sponsored sport, beginning with the 2023-24 season, Commissioner Keith Gill Announced Thursday.
The current membership of four institutions will include Georgia Southern, James Madison, Marshall and Old Dominion. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored Women’s Swimming and Diving from 2001-2013.
Over the 13 year performance, the Sun Belt qualified more than 30 athletes for the NCAA Division I Championships and had at least two athletes qualified every year. The Sun Belt produced eight CSCAA All-Americans and four top 25 finishes in the team rankings.
“After adding men’s soccer and beach volleyball during the 2022-23 season, we are excited to once again expand our conference sport sponsorship with the return of Sun Belt women’s swimming & diving,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “We look forward to providing an enhanced conference championship experience for these programs under the Sun Belt Conference umbrella at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center in 2024.”
The Sun Belt Conference will host a conference championship in 2024. The event is set for February 14-17 at the Rosen Aquatics Center in Orlando, Fla. Individual bids to the NCAA Championship are earned through qualification times and standards.
The 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will take place in Athens, Ga., March 20-23. The CSCAA National Invitational will take place in Ocala, Fla. From March 14-16.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The Sun Belt will now sponsor 20 NCAA Division I sports annually. The Sun Belt is comprised of 14 member institutions: App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy.
Sun Belt Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Institutions:
Georgia Southern
Location: Statesboro, Ga.
First Season of Women’s Swimming and Diving: 2008
Previous Conference Affiliations: CCSA (2008-2023)
Head Coach: Allyson Sweeney (Second Year)
James Madison
Location: Harrisonburg, Va.
First Season of Women’s Swimming and Diving: 1966
Conference Championships: 12 (1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2012, 2019, 2019, 2020, 2021) CAA, (2022) ECAC
Previous Conference Affiliations: CAA (1986-2021), ECAC (2022), CCSA (2023)
Head Coach: Dane Pederson (Tenth Season)
Marshall
Location: Huntington, W.Va.
First Season of Women’s Swimming and Diving: 2003
Previous Conference Affiliations: MAC (2003-2005), C-USA (2006-2022), MVC (2023)
Head Coach: Ian Walsh (Sixth Season)
Old Dominion
Location: Norfolk, Va.
First Season of Women’s Swimming and Diving: 1984
Conference Championships: One (1998, CAA)
Previous Conference Affiliations: CAA (1992-2013), C-USA (2014-2022), CCSA (2023)
Head Coach: Jess Livsey (Fifth Season)