Sunshine State Conference
Encyclopedia
The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, men's and women's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, women's rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

, men's and women's soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, men's and women's tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

, and women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

. SSC institutions have won a total of 83 NCAA national team championships, including two in the 2008-09 academic year.

The conference was preceded by the Florida Intercollegiate Conference, which was disbanded in the mid-1960s. The Sunshine State Conference was founded in 1975 by St. Leo University (then a college) Basketball Coach & Athletic Director Norm Kaye
Norm Kaye (athletic director)
Norm Kaye founded the Sunshine State Conference in 1975 in Florida. The SSC is one of the premiere Division II sports conferences in the United States, having won 83 national championships. The six charter conference members were: Biscayne College Norm Kaye ("Coach K") founded the Sunshine...

. Kaye served as Commissioner the first year until Dick Pace was named Commissioner in 1976. Kaye continued as Executive Director of the Conference for an additional 12 years. Pace was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Florida Sports Hall of Fame
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honoring athletes with outstanding achievement in sports in Florida. It has expanded its goals to include encouraging physical fitness among Florida's citizens through the example of its honorees.The FSHOF was founded by the Florida...

 in 1985.

Jay Jones became commissioner of the conference in 2009. Jones replaced Mike Marcil, who served as commissioner from 2004. Marcil had previously replaced retired SSC Hall of Famer Don Landry. Gregg Kaye (no relation to Norm Kaye) was named assistant commissioner in 2001 and promoted to associate commissioner in 2005. Kelly Harrison was originally named assistant to the commissioner in 2002 and returned to that position in 2006 after a one-year absence and remains on the conference office staff to date as an assistant commissioner and senior woman administrator.

The six charter Conference members were: Biscayne College (now called St. Thomas University), Florida Technological University (now University of Central Florida), Eckerd College, Florida Southern, Rollins College, and St. Leo College.

The Conference has had dozens of athletes go on to have successful professional careers. Some examples include: Current PGA Tour players Lee Janzen
Lee Janzen
Lee McLeod Janzen is an American golfer who is best known for twice winning the U.S. Open, in 1993 and 1998.-Early years and amateur career:...

 and Rocco Mediate
Rocco Mediate
Rocco Anthony Mediate is an American professional golfer with multiple PGA Tour wins.-Early years:Mediate was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. According to the Golf Channel, he is the son of a barber and has Italian ancestral heritage. Mediate attended Florida Southern...

 went to Florida Southern. Janzen won golf's U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

 in 1993 & 1998; on the baseball side are Tim Wakefield
Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield is an American professional baseball pitcher. Wakefield began pitching with the Red Sox in 1995, making him the longest-serving player currently on the team. Wakefield is also the oldest current active player in the majors, and one of two active knuckleballers, the other...

 (Florida Tech) and Bob Tewksbury
Bob Tewksbury
Robert Alan Tewksbury is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Tewksbury's talent was initially discovered by Andy Michael in Concord. Michael contacted the New York Yankees and Tewksbury was drafted by them out of Saint Leo University in the 19th round of the 1981 draft...

 (St. Leo). Wakefield tied a career high of 17 wins pitching for the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 and Tewksbury was third in balloting for the National League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...

 while going 16-5 for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

 in 1992.

Current members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Joined Nickname
Barry University
Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....

Miami Shores, Florida
Miami Shores, Florida
Miami Shores is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,380 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,040....

1940 Private 9,300 1988 Buccaneers
Eckerd College
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...

St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

1958 Private 3,584 1975 Tritons
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...

Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...

1883 Private 3,488 1975 Moccasins
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...

Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...

1958 Private 7,626 1981 Panthers
Lynn University
Lynn University
Lynn University is a private, non-profit university in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1962.The university currently hosts students from 40 states and 90 nations...

Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...

1962 Private 4,660 1997 Fighting Knights
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...

Davie, Florida
Davie, Florida
Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town's population was 91,992 at the 2010 census.- History :Davie was founded by Jake Tannebaum and Tamara Toussaint. The original name of the town was Zona. In 1909 R.P. Davie assisted then Governor Broward by draining the swamplands...

1964 Private 33,135 2002 Sharks
NSU Sharks
The Nova Southeastern Sharks are the athletic teams representing Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida The currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference...

Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....

Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...

1885 Private 4,320 1975 Tars
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...

Saint Leo, Florida 1889 Private 15,120 1975 Lions
The University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...

Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

1931 Private 10,515 1981 Spartans

Former members

Institution Affiliation Years New Conference Classification
University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

Charter Member 1975–1984 C-USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

NCAA Division I
St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (Florida)
St. Thomas University is a private Roman Catholic university in the Miami, Florida, United States suburb of Miami Gardens.-History:The University traces its roots to the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, by...

Charter Member 1975–1987 The Sun Conference NAIA Division II
University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...

Full Member 1992–1997 Atlantic Sun
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...

NCAA Division I

Membership timeline

Conference facilities

Institution Arena Capacity
Barry University
Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....

Health and Sports Center 1,938
Eckerd College
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...

McArthur Center
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...

Jenkins Field House 2,500
Florida Tech Clemente Center 1,500
Lynn University
Lynn University
Lynn University is a private, non-profit university in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1962.The university currently hosts students from 40 states and 90 nations...

de Hoernle Center 1,000
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...

Don Taft University Center Arena
The University Center at Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University’s 366,000 square-foot Don Taft University Center is a critical piece in the infrastructure of the university. It was constructed over a period of 2 years. The inaugural event hosted comedian Jamie Kennedy on August 23rd, 2006. It provides a focal point for campus life...

5,500
Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....

Warden Arena 2,500
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...

Marion Bowman Center 2,000
University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...

Bob Martinez Sports Center
Bob Martinez Sports Center
Bob Martinez Sports Center is a 3,432-seat multi-purpose arena in Tampa, Florida named after former Tampa mayor and governor of Florida, Bob Martinez....

3,432

National Championships

The Sunshine State Conference is often considered the conference of champions. The SSC currently has 9 members, and each institution is eligible for Championship play. Of the current 9 members, 7 of them have won national championships. The schools include; Barry University, Florida Southern College, Florida Tech, Lynn University, Nova Southeastern University, Rollins College, and University of Tampa.

Controversy

  • On July 17, 2007, NCAA vacated Lynn's 2005 Women's Division II Softball Championship due to extra benefits given to two players. The NCAA found that former coach Thomas Macera gave two Lynn softball players cash payments totaling more than $3,000. Lynn was also placed on probation for two years. Lynn University originally won 9 National Championships at the Division II level, but now the NCAA only recognizes 8 of them because of the unsanctioned actions.

Institution # of NCAA Titles Most Recent
Florida Southern 27 2010-Men's Golf
Rollins 14 2008-Women's Golf
Tampa 12 2007-Women's Soccer
Barry 8 2010-Men's Tennis
Lynn 8* 2009-Baseball
Nova Southeastern 12 2010-Women's Golf
Florida Tech 2 1991-Men's Soccer

Mayors' Cup Champions

Year Overall Champion Men's Division Women's Division
2009 Nova Southeastern Barry Rollins
2008 Nova Southeastern Florida Southern Nova Southeastern
2007 Barry Barry Florida Southern
2006 Barry Lynn Barry
2005 Florida Southern Lynn Florida Southern
2004 Rollins Rollins Rollins
2003 Rollins Rollins Rollins
2002 Barry Florida Southern Barry
2001 Florida Southern Florida Southern Florida Southern
2000 Florida Southern Florida Southern Barry
1999 Florida Southern Florida Southern Florida Southern
1998 Florida Southern Florida Southern Florida Southern
1997 Barry Florida Southern Barry
1996 North Florida Florida Southern North Florida
1995 North Florida North Florida Florida Southern
1994 North Florida North Florida North Florida
1993 Tampa Tampa Tampa
1992 Tampa Florida Tech Tampa
1991 Tampa Tampa Barry
1990 Tampa Tampa Florida Southern
1989 Florida Southern Florida Southern Florida Southern
1988 Florida Southern Florida Southern Florida Southern
1987 Florida Southern Tampa Florida Southern
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