ANDERSON, S.C. – With the 2017-18 seasons looming on the horizon, it was announced during the recent league meetings in Greenville, S.C., that Anderson University will host the South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Championship and the SAC Softball Championship next April.
"It is a privilege as a member of the prestigious South Atlantic Conference to have the opportunity to host conference championships," said Anderson Director of Athletics Bill D'Andrea. "It provides Anderson University an opportunity to feature our entire community and university. We look forward to our conference schools competing at Anderson for these two conference championships in the spring."
The two title events will mark the second and third SAC Championships to be held in the Electric City after the Trojans hosted the 2015 SAC Volleyball Championships at the Abney Athletic Center.
During AU's seven-year tenure in the SAC, the Trojans have hosted numerous men's and women's conference basketball quarterfinals at the Abney Center in addition to serving as the host for the men's and women's league basketball championships at Furman in 2013, 2014 and 2015. AU hosted the men's and women's SAC Soccer Championships last season in Rock Hill, S.C., with Trojan Stadium seeing tournament quarterfinal matchups in both 2010 and 2011. The Trojans also closed out their tenure at Smethers Field by hosting a softball regional at the site in 2014.
"Hosting the SAC Softball Championship will be another first for Anderson University," noted head softball coach Tommy Hewitt. "It will also be nice for our team to able to sleep in their own beds and a great opportunity for our fan base to catch the games. Overall this will be an exciting event for the Anderson community."
The single elimination tournament is scheduled for April 27-28 at the AU Softball Complex, with the top eight teams in the league standings vying for the league title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Southeast Regional.
The three-day SAC Men's Golf Championship is slated for April 8-10 at Cobb's Glen Country Club, with all 11 teams battling for the conference title and each golfer aiming for the individual championship.
"We are excited to be hosting the 2018 SAC Men's Golf Championship," added AU Director of Golf Danny Neal. "Playing the championship at our home course should give our team a competitive edge as we are so familiar with the nuances of the course layout and green complexes. Also, it will be nice to have a 'home match' feel to the event, with the team sleeping in their own beds."