Big South takes on a new look with Hampton, USC Upstate coming aboard

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Big South is getting a makeover this weekend.

Hampton and USC Upstate officially come aboard the conference Sunday, the same day flagship member Liberty exits for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

"It's certainly a shift," said Robert Lineburg, the athletic director of Big South member Radford. "[But] it still remains a very viable and strong mid-level conference."

Radford is losing its closest and biggest league rival with the departure of Liberty.



"We'll miss that rivalry," Lineburg said.

But the Big South still has three Virginia members, thanks to the addition of Hampton. Lineburg is looking forward to having a Tidewater school in the league.

"That Tidewater area … has a lot of opportunities for us from a recruiting standpoint — not only from athletics, but it'll help us … [with] overall student recruitment to have a Big South school in that area," Lineburg said.

"The Tidewater area's huge for us," Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander said. "All of our institutions recruit there, so it's great to have a presence."

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