Conference Carolinas
Brian Hand
GREENVILLE – Conference Carolinas Commissioner Chris Colvin unveiled the additions of Lander and Limestone as Associate Members in acrobatics and tumbling on Wednesday, June 3.
Lander and Limestone acrobatics and tumbling will officially join in the 2020-21 academic year and they will both be part of the inaugural season of Conference Carolinas sponsoring the NCAA Emerging Sport in 2021.
“I could not be more excited to announce the additions of Lander and Limestone as Associate Members in the growing sport of acrobatics and tumbling,” Colvin said. “The 2020-21 academic year will be historic for Conference Carolinas acrobatics and tumbling, and having nine programs involved in our inaugural conference season will allow us to build something special in year one and beyond.”
Conference Carolinas and the Mountain East Conference are the only NCAA conferences to presently sponsor the sport.
Conference Carolinas is now a sole sponsor of 23 sports, which is among the most in all of the NCAA. Including the collaboration with the South Atlantic Conference in men’s wrestling and field hockey, Conference Carolinas now provides its member institutions sports sponsorship in 25 different sports, which is the most in all of NCAA Division II (NE10 sponsors 24 sports).
Conference Carolinas will have nine programs competing in acrobatics and tumbling in the 2021 season in Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Coker, Converse, Emmanuel, Erskine, King, Lander and Limestone.
The 2021 season will be the inaugural campaign for Lander.
“We’re excited to have our acrobatics and tumbling program joining Conference Carolinas,” Lander Director of Athletics Brian Reese said. “This partnership puts us in a great geographic footprint and we look forward to competing in a great league.”
The 2021 season will be the third season for Limestone, who was ranked 10th in the nation in the shortened 2020 season.
“We are very excited that the Limestone acrobatics and tumbling team will have a home in Conference Carolinas,” Limestone Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Michael H. Cerino said. “This is an excellent opportunity for our student-athletes to be able to compete for a championship and to earn distinction among their peers through the various awards the league will sponsor. This partnership will provide a tremendous student-athlete experience for each of those competing in an emerging sport that is growing rapidly throughout the nation.”