Peach Belt to Allow USCB and Other Provisional Teams to Compete for Conference Titles

BLUFFTON —In a move that benefits the University of South Carolina Beaufort, the Peach Belt Conference Board of Directors voted to allow provisional members to compete in all PBC Championship events. The decision goes into effect immediately.

Starting this fall, USCB teams will be able to compete for league titles in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s and men’s golf, women’s and men’s outdoor track and field, women’s soccer, and softball. Previously, the conference had not allowed schools transitioning to Division II to compete for any league tournament that awarded an NCAA automatic bid.

USCB Chancellor Al M. Panu welcomed the news. 

“Our current and prospective student athletes will be highly motivated to compete, knowing that there is an opportunity for post-season competition at the PBC conference level.  Our coaches are excited and I believe this move will be make the entire conference more competitive,” he said.

Peach Belt Conference Commissioner David Brunk said decision removes a major hurdle for current and future athletic departments that are transitioning Division II:  recruiting athletes when there is no championship to play towards. Full transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II is a three-year process. USCB just completed the first year of this transition and is scheduled to reach full NCAA Division II status in Fall 2025.

“Now, all schools who make the move into the Peach Belt will immediately be able to compete in all of our championship events across the board,” Brunk said.

USCB Director of Athletics Quin Monahan called the policy change “phenomenal news for USCB.”

“When we first made application to NCAA Division II and the Peach Belt, I was quick to say that it was a ‘short term pain for a long-term gain’ (regarding no postseason play for three years),” USCB Director of Athletics Quin Monahan said.  “Now I’m thankful for Dr. Panu’s vigilance, and thankful to the PBC Board of Directors for their decisive action.  This is another great day for USCB!”

Any provisional team that wins a PBC Tournament will still not be able to compete in the NCAA Tournament, per NCAA rules. The Peach Belt is constructing rules and regulations to determine who the automatic qualifier will be for each PBC tournament should a provisional institution win.

"The process for determining the automatic qualifier is currently being discussed by our athletic directors' council and we will have a full set of regulations covering all our championship sports before the fall season begins," Brunk said.

The PBC Board of Directors is comprised of the presidents and chancellors from the league's member institutions. Founded in 1990, the Peach Belt (formally the Peach Belt Athletic Conference) became a full NCAA Division II conference in the 1991-92 season. 

USCB joined the Peach Belt in 2021 and competed in a full PBC schedule during the 2022-23 season. Sand Shark baseball and softball finished in tenth place; women’s soccer finished ninth; and Maisonne Jones captured an individual track and field title, posting a 5.97m long jump. 

Starting this fall, USCB teams will be able to compete for Peach Bel titles in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and softball.