Maryville College, located in Maryville, Tennessee, was an original member of the CCS when the conference was formed in 2022. Their time in the conference will be brief, as they recently announced a phase-out to the Southern Athletic Association starting in the summer of 2025.
The Collegiate Conference of the South currently consists of nine schools, and Maryville usually sits on top of the standings for numerous sports. Last year, they were conference champions in baseball, softball, men’s basketball, and women’s soccer. In just two seasons, they have won a total of five conference championships and have been runner-up in four championships.
Maryville will become an affiliate of the SAA in 2025, with only women’s golf and football transferring conferences, while the school will become a full SAA member in the summer of 2025 when the remaining programs complete their transfer.
Maryville was an original member of the CCS when it was formed in 2022 and is set to leave after a short time in the conference. Maryville’s move gives many CCS schools chances for revenge if they were runner-up in previous championships.
The Southern Athletic Association was founded in 2011. The conference features schools Piedmont often faces, like Berry College and Oglethorpe University. Although Maryville’s conference play against Piedmont will end in 2026, they will still face off occasionally.
A recent memory about Maryville for the Piedmont faithful was the Scots eliminating the Lions’ men’s soccer team from the playoffs last year. In a tight contest, Maryville emerged victorious, winning by a score of 2-1. Sophomore defender Nathan Jacome remembers the game vividly:
“We were 3rd place, and they were 6th place, we knew they would come out fighting,” Jacome stated. “Them winning 2-1 despite being the underdogs proves their passion for their team and the school.”
Maryville has proven themselves determined to emerge victorious in their contest vs. the Lions and look to continue their relentless mentality in the SAA.
Although the Scots’ time in the conference has been brief, they’ve been able to win multiple championships and leave a small legacy in the opening years of the CCS.
