The Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) was founded in 1999 and ceased to exist in 2016. It was an NCAA-affiliated intercollegiate athletic conference (Division III). While originally most of its member institutions came from the southeastern United States, later members from other states joined the conference.
The Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) originated from a vision shared by several colleges to create a sports league that mirrored their shared educational and athletic ideals. Formed in the early 1990s, the GSAC transitioned from a concept to a fully-fledged athletic conference, marking a significant development in collegiate sports.
The GSAC’s journey is marked by notable milestones, particularly in basketball and soccer, where its teams frequently made waves in national tournaments. This athletic distinction was matched by a strong emphasis on academic achievement among its athletes, fostering a culture where education and sportsmanship went hand in hand.
In its current form, the GSAC stands as a beacon in the collegiate sports world, especially for smaller institutions. Its expansion strategy, which includes welcoming new members and exploring diverse sports avenues, reflects its dynamic nature. Today, the GSAC’s commitment to upholding excellence in both the athletic and academic realms cements its esteemed status in the world of college sports.
What is Great South Athletic Conference?
The Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) is a coalition of NCAA Division III colleges, primarily based in the southern United States. Renowned for its dual focus on competitive sports and academic integrity, the GSAC offers an environment that nurtures well-rounded student-athletes. As a Division III entity, it eschews athletic scholarships in favor of fostering all-encompassing growth among its sports participants.
For the first ten years, the Great South Athletic Conference has been using a very simple and boring badge. It was a horizontally stretched gray oval in a light blue outline, with the two-leveled black lettering in a slanted sans-serif typeface set over it and underlined by a white triangular element, coming through the border from the right and pointing to the left. The upper line of the title case inscription was larger than the bottom one, and this looked very strict and simple.
The Great South Athletic Conference logo featured the abbreviation “GSAC” in large block capitals followed by the full name of the organization in smaller letters.
The design was based on a pretty calm palette dominated by dark blue. You could also see the sun adding a bright orange accent. The top of the sun was orange, while the other half was blue.