Jan. 23, 2012

Longwood accepts invitation to join Big South

Longwood University has been added as a full member of the Big South Conference, beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.

The Lancers have 14 varsity sports, of which 13 are in the Big South: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and softball. Field hockey will continue to compete in the NorPac.

Longwood becomes the 12th member of the Big South and give the conference four schools each in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The current membership includes Liberty, Radford and VMI in Virginia; Campbell, Gardner-Webb, High Point and UNC Asheville in North Carolina; and Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Presbyterian and Winthrop in South Carolina.

Longwood is the final independent in Division I baseball to find a conference home. Of the five independents for the 2012 season, Nebraska-Omaha will join the Summit League next year, while CSU Bakersfield, Dallas Baptist and Seattle will compete in the WAC in 2013.

Head coach Buddy Bolding (left) is in his 34th year as head coach of the Lancers, with an overall record of 900-495-4 in 33 seasons at Longwood. On October 3, 2009, the University dedicated the baseball facility as Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium.

The Lancers were 28-18 a season ago, including 17-9 at home and 11-9 on the road. Longwood posted two wins over James Madison and one over VCU in 2011.

(photo courtesy of Longwood Media Relations Office)