Reinhardt to Compete as Appalachian Athletic Conference Member beginning in 2009-10

Reinhardt College will be moving to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC), beginning competition in the upcoming 2009-10 academic year. Reinhardt will remain as a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) through June before officially joining the AAC on July 1, 2009.

            "We are excited to become a new member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference," said Dr. J. Thomas Isherwood, Reinhardt's president. "The strong tradition of support for the student-athlete and of service to the community attracted us to the conference. We look forward to years of positive association with the fine institutions of the AAC." 

            The AAC office is in Asheville, N.C., with John Sullivan serving as commissioner. The conference is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and represents institutions located regionally in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina. Current AAC members include:

• Bluefield (Va.) College,
• Bryan College (Dayton, Tenn.),
• Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, Ga.),
• King College (Bristol, Tenn.),
• Milligan College (Tenn.),
• Montreat (N.C.) College,
• Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, Tenn.),
• Union College (Barbourville, Ky.),
• the University of Virginia's College at Wise and
• Virginia Intermont College (Bristol, Va.).

For more information on the AAC, please visit www.AACSports.com.

            "The Appalachian Athletic Conference is very pleased to welcome Reinhardt College as its newest member," Sullivan said. "We have been impressed with the dedication to a comprehensive, competitive collegiate athletic program at Reinhardt as evidenced by President Isherwood, Vice President Roger Lee, Athletics Director Bill Popp and the entire coaching staff. We look forward to working together with the student-athletes, staff and faculty of Reinhardt while building champions of character for many years to come."

            In 2009-10, Reinhardt will begin play as an AAC member in the sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, softball and women's volleyball. The College will start competition in men's lacrosse, but the sport is not currently sanctioned by the NAIA or the AAC. Reinhardt offers athletic aid to qualified student-athletes in all 14 sports. For more information on Reinhardt Athletics, please visit www.ReinhardtEagles.com.

            "We are very excited to join the AAC and have the opportunity to compete with other schools that are similar to ours," Popp said. "Our staff and student-athletes are genuinely excited for the chance to see new places and faces, and experience some of the beautiful campuses of the AAC members. We hope we can have a positive impact for the current members of the AAC, and provide quality competition and healthy rivalries."        

            Reinhardt was a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) from 1999-2001. In 2000-01, the Eagles and Lady Eagles began their NAIA membership and joined the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference (GACC), which changed its name to the present SSAC in 2004-05.