The Peach Belt Conference enters its second quarter-century as one of the premier leagues in NCAA Division II. Entering its 26
th season, the league is home to 36 national championships and 28 national finalists. Starting with only two championships in 1991, men’s and women’s basketball, the conference has expanded to 15 championship sports with the addition of men’s and women’s track and field in the spring of 2013.
The conference traces its roots back to November of 1988 when 11 schools first met in Greenville, S.C. to form a Division II conference. Following a second meeting on Dec. 3, 1989, five of those 11 schools, plus two others, formed the Peach Belt and begin play in fall 1990.
The seven charter members of the conference were Armstrong State University, Columbus State University, Francis Marion University, Georgia College, Lander University, USC Aiken and USC Upstate. The name Peach Belt Athletic Conference was adopted in January of 1990 and modified to Peach Belt Conference in May of 2000.
Augusta University joined the conference in 1991 and UNC Pembroke became the ninth member on July 1, 1992. They were followed by Kennesaw State University on July 1, 1994, Clayton State University on July 1, 1995 and the University of North Florida on July 1, 1997. Kennesaw State and North Florida departed for the Division I ranks in 2005, USC Upstate did the same in 2007, and the conference welcomed in the University of North Georgia in 2005 and Georgia Southwestern State University in 2006. In 2009-10, the Peach Belt added Montevallo and Flagler. Young Harris became the league's 14th member in 2012-13 and in 2014 completed the transition to full NCAA Division II status.
The conference currently holds championships in 15 sports, seven for men and eight for women. They are men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf and men's and women’s track and field.
Peach Belt Member Institutions:
Augusta University - Augusta, Georgia
Clayton State University - Morrow, Georgia
Columbus State University - Columbus, Georgia
Flagler College - St. Augustine, Florida
Francis Marion University - Florence, South Carolina
Georgia College - Milledgeville, Georgia
Georgia Southwestern State University - Americus, Georgia
Lander University - Greenwood, South Carolina
University of North Carolina Pembroke - Pembroke, North Carolina
University of North Georgia - Dahlonega, Georgia
University of South Carolina Aiken - Aiken, South Carolina
Young Harris College - Young Harris, Georgia
