Peach Belt Accepts USCB as Newest League Member
Sand Shark athletics are moving up: the Peach Belt Conference Board of Directors last week invited USCB to join their league.
"This is a great moment for the Peach Belt and we are very pleased to welcome University of South Carolina Beaufort to the conference," said PBC Commissioner David Brunk. "This day has been a long time coming and we are very proud to be able to provide them a home in NCAA Division II. The mission and core values of this institution align perfectly with those that we have maintained for the last 30 years and the Sand Sharks will be a wonderful addition to the Peach Belt."
The invitation is contingent upon USCB being accepted into the NCAA Division II provisional process. The university will apply to the NCAA before Feb. 1, 2022 and receive notice of their provisional acceptance before September 2022. Upon acceptance, USCB will become the 11th PBC member institution and will begin competing in the Peach Belt in the 2022-23 academic year. A three-year transition process will culminate in USCB’s elevation to full NCAA Division II status beginning in the fall of 2025.
The Sand Sharks currently play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
"After many productive discussions over several years, we are thrilled to accept the invitation and formalize our intention to join the Peach Belt Conference," said USCB athletic director Quin Monahan. "We appreciate the years of partnership with the NAIA and the Sun Conference, which have been a terrific home for us since launching our athletic program. Prospectively, we are excited about growth opportunities and about USCB's future with the Peach Belt and Division II."
USCB sponsors 11 sports – five for men and six for women – all of which are also sponsored by the Peach Belt Conference with the exception of men's and women's indoor track and field. The Sand Sharks will compete for PBC men's championships in baseball, cross country, golf and track & field while the women will compete in cross country, golf, track & field, soccer and softball.
"We are proud that USCB is an institution positioned for tremendous growth," said USCB chancellor Dr. Al M. Panu. "A significant factor of this growth is development of curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programming that keeps pace with best-in-class university experiences across the country. Joining the Peach Belt Conference and NCAA Division II is another step in this direction for our student-athletes and for all USCB Sand Sharks."
Current members of the Peach Belt Conference are Augusta University, Clayton State University, Columbus State University, Flagler College, Francis Marion University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Lander University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Georgia, University of South Carolina Aiken and Young Harris College.
"We are thrilled to welcome USC Beaufort to the Peach Belt Conference," said Dr. Richard Cosentino, president of Lander University and chair of the PBC Board of Directors. "Having visited the campus and seen what great things are occurring there, I could not think of a better fit for USC Beaufort and for the Peach Belt. I am also happy to have another school from our state of South Carolina in the conference and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."
USC Beaufort began intercollegiate athletics in 2007.
Peach Belt Conference Commissioner David Brunk (right) welcomed University of South Carolina Beaufort to the league on April 14 in a press conference at USCB. Supported by Chancellor Al Panu, USCB Athletic Director Quin Monahan (left) enthusiastically accepted the invitation, which is contingent upon USCB being accepted into the NCAA Division II provisional process.
