BLUFFTON, S.C. - As USC Beaufort begins its three-year provisional process into NCAA Division II, the Sand Shark Department of Athletics has a unique opportunity for the first year of the provisional process to have dual membership with the NCAA and the NAIA for the 2022-23 season only.

For this upcoming season, all USCB athletic teams will compete, as a temporary member, in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC).The CAC, NAIA's independent conference, is a 17-member conference that competes at the national level. Members of the CAC include: Arkansas Baptist, Bacone College, Crowley's Ridge College, Fischer, Florida College, Florida National, Georgia Gwinnett, Haskell Indian Nations, Indiana-Purdue Columbus, Iowa Wesleyan, Morris, North American, Northern New Mexico, Penn State Schuylkill, University of the Virgin Islands, University of Victoria, Voorhees and Washington Adventist. 

Unlike normal conference play - if USCB plays a CAC member school during the regular season, it does not count as a conference game. Thus, there is not a regular-season champion for CAC sports - only at Continental Athletic Conference Tournaments. The CAC uses its automatic qualifiers (AQs) during its postseason tournaments, which allows Sand Shark teams to earn a berth to NAIA National Championships during the season. After the 2022-23 season, USCB will no longer be a member of the Continental Athletic Conference. 

The Sand Sharks will play a full Peach Belt Conference slate during all three provisional years - 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. Per standard operations of the NCAA membership process, the Sand Sharks are not eligible to participate in either Peach Belt Conference Tournaments or NCAA Championships during all three provisional years. However, Sand Shark teams can still be crowned Peach Belt Regular-Season Champions at the conclusion of the regular season. 

After successfully passing all three provisional membership reviews, the USC Beaufort Department of Athletics will be full and active members of the NCAA Division II ranks beginning in the 2025-26 season. During that year, USCB will continue to play a full Peach Belt schedule and is eligible to participate in PBC Tournaments and NCAA National Championships. 

Below is the complete timeline of USCB's provisional process.

For more information about the Continental Athletic Conference, click HERE, and for more information about the Peach Belt Conference, click HERE.