D3 Conference History & Recruiting
The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) is made up of nine high-academic institutions across the South. Founded in 2011, the conference was formed to bring together schools with a shared commitment to balancing competitive athletics and strong academics, opening up opportunities for competition against similar institutions spanning Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
Berry College (Mount Berry, Ga.)
Centre College (Danville, Ky.)
Maryville College (Maryville, Tenn.)
Millsaps College (Jackson, Miss.)
Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, Ga.)
Rhodes College (Memphis, Tenn.)
Sewanee (Sewanee, Tenn.)
Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas)
Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas)
The conference identifies four core values: academic excellence, athletic excellence, exceptional culture, and co-curricular learning. The Southern Athletic Association brings together liberal arts institutions committed to strong academics, nationally competitive athletics, and a well-rounded college experience.
Member schools differ in size, location, academic offerings, campus culture, and financial aid opportunities.
For student-athletes and families, this means the SAA offers a range of college experiences within one conference. Families should take an active role in learning what makes each school unique, including extracurricular opportunities, career resources, campus involvement, and the overall community. It is especially important to ask about financial aid and scholarship opportunities, which can vary significantly by institution.
Trinity men’s soccer reached the 2025 NCAA Division III national championship game, and Berry football advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, highlighting the SAA’s presence on the national stage.
That success extends across the conference. Rhodes women’s lacrosse captured its 10th SAA championship in 2026, Rhodes men’s lacrosse won the 2025 conference title and advanced in the NCAA Tournament, and recent SAA Tournament champions include Berry softball, Centre baseball, Rhodes men’s basketball, and Millsaps women’s basketball.
Adam Knutson (Soccer, Trinity, ‘26)
The 2025 Division III Player of the Year and SAA Offensive Athlete of the Year, Knutson helped Trinity reach the NCAA Division III championship game.
Lauren Avant Sumski (Women’s Basketball, Rhodes, ‘14)
A two-time First Team All-American and 2014 conference MVP, Sumski led Rhodes to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. She later became the first in SAA history to win league titles as both a player and head coach.
