Sunshine State Conference

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Sunshine State Conference
Sunshine State Conference logo
Established 1975
Association NCAA
Division Division II
Members 11
Sports fielded 18 (men's: 8; women's: 10)
Region Florida
Headquarters Melbourne, Florida
Commissioner Ed Pasque (since 2014)
Website sunshinestateconference.com
Locations
Sunshine State Conference locations

The Sunshine State Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that was originally formed in 1975 as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 18 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's volleyball. SSC institutions have won a total of 94 NCAA national team championships, including seven in the 2014-15 academic year. The conference has also claimed a total of 78 national runner-up trophies, including four in 2014-15.

The conference was preceded by the Florida Intercollegiate Conference,[1] which was disbanded in the mid-1960s. The Sunshine State Conference was founded in 1975 by Saint Leo University (then a college) Basketball Coach & Athletic Director Norm Kaye. Kaye served as Commissioner the first year until Dick Pace was named Commissioner in 1976. Kaye continued as Executive Director of the Conference for an additional 12 years. Pace was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

The six charter Conference members were: Biscayne College (now called St. Thomas University), Florida Technological University (now University of Central Florida), Eckerd College, Florida Southern College, Rollins College, and Saint Leo College.

The Conference has had dozens of athletes go on to have successful professional careers. Some examples include: Current PGA Tour players Lee Janzen and Rocco Mediate went to Florida Southern. Janzen won golf's U.S. Open in 1993 & 1998; on the baseball side are Tim Wakefield (Florida Tech), Ryan Hanigan (Rollins), Bob Tewksbury (Saint Leo), and J.D. Martinez (Nova Southeastern). Wakefield tied a career high of 17 wins pitching for the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and Tewksbury was third in balloting for the National League Cy Young Award while going 16-5 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1992.

Membership

Current members

Institution Location
(Florida)
Founded Enrollment Nickname Colors Joined
Barry University Miami Shores 1940 9,300 Buccaneers           1988
Eckerd College St. Petersburg 1958 3,584 Tritons           1975
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach 1926 6,794 Eagles           2015
Florida Southern College Lakeland 1883 2,319 Moccasins           1975
Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne 1958 8,985 Panthers           1981
Lynn University Boca Raton 1962 4,660 Fighting Knights           1997
Nova Southeastern University Davie 1964 33,135 Sharks           2002
Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach 1968 3,260 Sailfish           2015
Rollins College Winter Park 1885 3,153 Tars           1975
Saint Leo University St. Leo 1889 16,275 Lions           1975
University of Tampa Tampa 1931 10,515 Spartans           1981
  • Provisional member in green.
  • Reclassifying member in yellow.

Former members

Institution Location Founded Nickname Joined Left Current
Conference
University of Central Florida Orlando 1963 Knights 1975 1984 The American
(NCAA D-I)
University of North Florida Jacksonville 1969 Ospreys 1992 1997 Atlantic Sun
(NCAA D-I)
St. Thomas University Miami Gardens 1961 Bobcats 1975 1987 The Sun
(NAIA D-II)

Membership timeline

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (sport) 

Conference facilities

File:SSC-dotmap.png
Map indicating locations of member schools
Institution Arena Capacity
Barry Health and Sports Center 1,938
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical ICI Center 1,968
Eckerd College McArthur Center 1,000
Florida Southern College Jenkins Field House 2,500
Florida Tech Clemente Center 1,500
Lynn de Hoernle Center 1,000
Nova Southeastern Don Taft University Center Arena 5,500
Palm Beach Atlantic Rubin Arena 2,000
Rollins College Warden Arena 2,500
Saint Leo Marion Bowman Center 2,000
Tampa Bob Martinez Sports Center 3,432

National Championships

Sunshine State Conference schools have won 94 NCAA Division II National Championships.

Championships by season

Season Titles Team
2009-10 3 Florida Southern golf (M) • Nova Southeastern golf (W) • Barry tennis (M)
2010-11 2 Nova Southeastern golf (W) • Barry tennis (W)
2011-12 2 Nova Southeastern golf (M) • Nova Southeastern golf (W)
2012-13 6 Tampa baseball • Barry golf (M) • Lynn golf (W) • Nova Southeastern rowing • Lynn soccer (M) • Barry tennis (M)
2013-14 3 Barry golf (M) • Lynn golf (W) • Barry tennis (W)
2014-15 7 Tampa baseball • Florida Southern basketball (M) • Nova Southeastern golf (M) • Barry rowing • Lynn soccer (M) • Barry tennis (M) • Tampa volleyball

Championships by school

School NCAA
Titles
Most Recent
Florida Southern 28 2015-Men's Basketball
Rollins 14 2008-Women's Golf
Tampa 15 2015-Baseball
Barry 15 2015-Women's Rowing
Lynn 12* 2014-Men's Soccer
Nova Southeastern 7 2015-Men's Golf
Florida Tech 2 1991-Men's Soccer

Controversy

On July 17, 2007, NCAA vacated Lynn's 2005 Women's Division II Softball Championship due to extra benefits given to two players. The NCAA found that former coach Thomas Macera gave two Lynn softball players cash payments totaling more than $3,000. Lynn was also placed on probation for two years.[2] Lynn University originally won 12 National Championships at the Division II level, but now the NCAA only recognizes 11 of them because of the unsanctioned actions.

Mayors' Cup Champions

The Mayors' Cup was originally presented following the 1986–87 academic year to recognize the annual SSC all-sports champion. The men's division recognizes competition in eight sports: cross country, soccer, basketball, swimming, baseball, golf, lacrosse, and tennis. The women's division recognizes competition in nine sports: cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, golf, rowing, softball, and tennis.

Sports

Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball Green tickY
Basketball Green tickY Green tickY
Cross Country Green tickY Green tickY
Golf Green tickY Green tickY
Lacrosse Green tickY Green tickY
Rowing Green tickY
Soccer Green tickY Green tickY
Softball Green tickY
Swimming & diving Green tickY Green tickY
Tennis Green tickY Green tickY
Volleyball Green tickY

Men's sponsored sports by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Total
SSC
Sports
Barry Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
Eckerd College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Florida Southern College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Florida Tech Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Lynn Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Nova Southeastern Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Palm Beach Atlantic Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 5
Rollins College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Saint Leo Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Tampa Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Totals 11 11 7 11 6 11 6 9 72
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical — Lacrosse (M) begins play by 2017.[3]
  • Palm Beach Atlantic — Cross Country (M) and Lacrosse (M) begin play by 2017.[4]

Women's sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Cross
Country
Golf Lacrosse Rowing Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Volleyball Total
SSC
Sports
Barry Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Eckerd College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Florida Southern College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Florida Tech Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Lynn Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Nova Southeastern Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Palm Beach Atlantic Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Rollins College Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Saint Leo Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Tampa Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Totals 11 9 11 5 5 11 11 7 11 11 92
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical — Lacrosse (W) and Rowing begin play by 2017.
  • Palm Beach Atlantic — Lacrosse (W) begins play by 2017.

Other sponsored sports by school

School Men Women
Football Track
& Field
Indoor
Track
& Field
Outdoor
Beach
Volleyball
Track
& Field
Indoor
Track
& Field
Outdoor
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical IND IND IND IND
Eckerd College IND
Florida Southern College IND IND
Florida Tech GSC PBC PBC
Nova Southeastern PBC PBC
Tampa IND IND

References

  1. Florida Southern Mocs
  2. "NCAA vacates Lynn's 2005 softball title", Palm Beach Post Staff, Palm Beach Post, July 17, 2007
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links