By Jett Johnson
Sports Editor
Trevecca is set to move from the G-MAC to the Gulf South Conference for the 2024-2025 academic year.
At a recent press conference, Matt Wilson, Gulf South Conference commissioner, spoke on the importance of this move.
“It’s a perfect collaboration and perfect partnership. The investment that the institution is making from the amount of personnel, staff and resources they provide student-athletes to have incredible academic athletic success,” said Wilson. “From the investment being put into the student housing, libraries and campus athletic facilities shows a clear vision of who Trevecca wants to be. That looks a lot like the Gulf South Conference.”
Wilson also praises the location and fit when it comes to Trevecca’s competitiveness.
“The location makes great sense. Nashville, Tennessee is obviously a great destination city. When you look at the competitive success that Trevecca has had in their former conference as well as what they’re going to be able to do in regional play. Again, it looks a lot like the Gulf South Conference,” he said.
Dan Boone, president of Trevecca, also spoke at the press conference and explained how the conference change is regionally convenient.
“We’ve been unsuccessful in terms of finding for us a pot of southern schools to play. It was the lack of our ability to do that and the continued long travel of our students. In the entire conference (G-MAC), there’s only one school that we can play on a home and back trip. As a result, our athletes have put a lot of miles on their bodies on the road,” said Boone.
Although Trevecca will have new rivals, Boone wants to see the whole conference be successful.
“I want the success of the schools of the Gulf South Conference to be a high priority to us, and we’ll commit ourselves to that. We want to be a great partner with them and to them,” said Boone.
Mark Elliott, athletic director, praised the G-MAC and explained some of the significance of moving conferences.
Let me just say over the past 12 years the G-MAC has been a great place for us, and I have nothing but respect for them. Us moving to the southeast which is the cornerstone of our faith, the Nazarene district that we represent is super important to us,” said Elliott.
Elliott still wants Trevecca to hold their core values no matter which conference they move to.
“We will continue to follow our core values which are Christian, scholar, and athlete, which will never change. We will do that anywhere. The Gulf South gives us the best chance for our fans and everybody else to come along that path with us,” said Elliott.
