SSC Announces 2015-16 Championship Dates and Locations
By Florida Tech // July 22, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Sunshine State Conference has announced the dates and sites for its 15 2015-16 postseason conference championships.
In 2014-15, seven Sunshine State Conference teams finished their seasons with national championship trophies. It marks the first time in conference history that seven national championships have been won in a single academic year, besting the previous high of six titles (2012-13).
The SSC became the first NCAA Division II conference to win seven national championships in one academic year since the California Collegiate Athletic Association did so in 1988-89.
SSC teams that captured national titles in the past year were: Lynn men’s soccer, Tampa volleyball, Florida Southern men’s basketball, Barry men’s tennis, Nova Southeastern men’s golf, Tampa baseball and Barry women’s rowing.
Cross Country
Florida Southern College will host the 2015 Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships. The event will take place at Holloway Park & Nature Preserve in Lakeland, Florida on Saturday, Oct. 24. Holloway Park was formed in 2010. It offers various cross country trails from 3,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers across its 250 acres.
NCAA Postseason: Regional competition will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 or Sunday, Nov. 8 in Saint Leo, Florida. NCAA Finals will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 in Joplin, Missouri.
2014-15: Saint Leo University won its first cross country championships in the men’s and women’s divisions this past season. The event was hosted by University of Tampa at the Sydney Dover Trails in Tampa.
Soccer
The 2015 Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Soccer Championships will be hosted by members institutions*. Quarterfinals will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3. Semifinals will be Friday, Nov. 6. Finals will be on Sunday, Nov. 8.
NCAA Postseason: The winner of the women’s tournament will receive automatic qualification to the 2015 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship. There is no automatic qualifier for men’s soccer. The NCAA Division II Championship is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12-Sunday, Nov. 22 at non-predetermined sites. Semifinals and finals for both men and women will be Thursday, Dec. 3-Saturday, December 5 in Pensacola, Florida.
2014-15: On the way to winning its third national championship, Lynn University won both the SSC men’s regular season and postseason tournaments. Barry University won the conference women’s soccer regular season, but Rollins College took the postseason tournament. Rollins advanced to the national title match, falling to Grand Valley State.
*In the event that the same institution is the top seed in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the following procedure will be used: In odd years, the top-seeded women’s team and the second best men’s seed will serve as Final Four hosts. In even years, the top-seeded men’s team and the second best women’s seed will serve as Final Four hosts.
Volleyball
The 2015 Sunshine State Conference women’s volleyball regular season champion will have an automatic qualifier to the NCAA regional.
NCAA Postseason: NCAA Division II Volleyball Regionals begin on Thursday, Dec. 3 at non-predetermined sites. The finals will be held Thursday, Dec. 10-Saturday, Dec. 12 in Tampa.
2014-15: The University of Tampa won its 10th consecutive, 24th overall Sunshine State Conference championship in 2014. The Spartans hosted and won the NCAA regional before taking home their second national championship.
Swimming
Entering its sixth year, Florida Tech will host the Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Swimming Championships at the YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando. Dates for the championship are Thursday, Feb. 18-Sunday, Feb. 21.
This is the third consecutive year for the championship to be held at the YMCA Aquatic Center and fourth overall (2011). In 2012 and 2013, the event was held at the Long Center in Clearwater, Florida. The YMCA Aquatic Center is a popular venue for club and high school programs. It also hosts the Arena Pro Swim Series.
NCAA Postseason: Individual qualifiers to the NCAA championship will be determined by “A” and “B” standards. NCAA Championships take place Wednesday, March 9-Saturday, March 12 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
2014-15: Florida Southern College has dominated the SSC swimming men’s championship as of late. The Mocs have won all three of their championships in consecutive order (2013, 2014, & 2015). Nova Southeastern University secured its second SSC swimming women’s championship this past season. NSU’s first championship came in 2012.
Basketball
Higher seeds will host during the quarterfinal rounds in the 2016 Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships. Semifinals and finals will be held at the ICI Center on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Both tournaments move to the ICI Center after three years at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. Prior to Silver Spurs Arena, the tournaments were held at member institutions from 2002 to 2012. SSC tournament play begins on Wednesday, March 2 and concludes on Sunday, March 6.
NCAA Postseason: Winners of each tournament will receive automatic qualification to the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships. Women’s basketball regional play begins Friday, March 11 at non-predetermined sites. Elite 8 competition starts Tuesday, March 22 with the quarterfinals and semifinals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Women’s finals will be played in Indianapolis. Men’s basketball regional play begins Saturday, March 12. Elite 8 competition starts Wednesday, March 23 in Frisco, Texas.
2014-15: Prior to winning its second national championship in men’s basketball, Florida Southern College won its 10th region title and 23rd SSC postseason title. The Mocs have won the last four SSC men’s basketball tournaments and previous three regular season titles. Nova Southeastern University captured its second SSC women’s basketball postseason championship. NSU followed that performance by winning the NCAA Division II South Region Championship for the third consecutive year. Nova Southeastern’s season ended in the Elite 8 by the eventual national champion, California (Pa.).
Golf
Barry University will play host to both the Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Golf Championships at Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne in 2016.
Crandon was built in 1972 with influence from President Richard Nixon. It rates as the third most difficult municipal golf course in the U.S. behind Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines. Crandon hosted the Senior PGA Classic from 1987-2004.
For the fourth straight year, the 54-hole SSC tournaments will be broken into three days of 18 holes each. Dates for the competition are Saturday, April 16-Tuesday, April 19.
NCAA Postseason: Team and individual champions will represent the SSC at the NCAA Regionals in the first week of May. NCAA Championships will be held Tuesday, May 17-Saturday, May 21 at the Spring Festival in Denver.
2014-15: Rollins College hosted last season’s championship at RedTail Golf Club in Sorrento. Lynn University won its third SSC Men’s Golf Championship and finished National Runner-Up to Nova Southeastern University. The national title is number two for the NSU men’s program. Barry University captured its first ever SSC Women’s Golf Championship. Rollins finished the year as National Runner-Up to Indianapolis.
Tennis
The University of Tampa will host the 2016 Sunshine State Conference Men’s & Women’s Tennis Tournaments. The location for the tennis championships has yet to be determined. Dates for the event will be Thursday, April 28-Saturday, April 30.
NCAA Postseason: Winners of each tournament will receive automatic qualification to the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships. First and second rounds for the 2016 NCAA Tournaments will be played at non-predetermined sites Saturday, May 7-Tuesday, May 10. Finals will take place Wednesday, May 18-Saturday, May 21 at the Spring Festival in Denver.
2014-15: Barry University men and women won the conference tournaments for the 12th and ninth time, respectively. The Buccaneers secured their third NCAA Division II Men’s Tennis national championship, while the women were National Runner-Up to Armstrong (Ga.). Saint Leo University hosted both 2015 SSC tennis championships.
Women’s Rowing
The 2016 Sunshine State Conference Women’s Rowing Championship will be hosted by the University of Tampa at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota on Friday, April 29. This year marks the fourth consecutive SSC rowing championship at Nathan Benderson Park. The venue was home to the 2014 World Cup Final and 2015 World Cup First Round. It will host the 2015 World Cup Final of the Modern Pentathlon. Prior to Nathan Benderson Park, the championship was held at Canal 54 in Fellsmere (2008-2011).
NCAA Postseason: All divisions will converge on the Sacramento State Aquatic Center in Gold River, California for a second straight year. Dates for the NCAA Championship are Friday, May 27-Sunday, May 29.
2014-15: Rollins College hosted the 2015 championships at Nathan Benderson Park. Barry University secured its sixth conference championship, second in three seasons. Barry went on to win the Varsity 8 and Varsity 4 at the NCAA Championship to capture the university’s first rowing national championship.
Lacrosse
The SSC Men’s & Women’s Lacrosse Championships will be hosted by the highest seed in each tournament*. Semifinals will take place Friday, April 29. Finals will be held Sunday, May 1.
NCAA Postseason: NCAA Division II postseason for men’s lacrosse begins on Saturday, May 14 at non-predetermined sites and concludes Sunday, May 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NCAA Division II postseason for women’s lacrosse will start at non-predetermined sites Friday, May 13-Saturday, May 14. NCAA women’s lacrosse finals will take place Thursday, May 19-Saturday, May 21 at the Spring Festival in Denver.
2014-15: The University of Tampa hosted and won the SSC Men’s Lacrosse Championship for the second consecutive year. Tampa advanced to the NCAA tournament, falling to Lake Erie in the first round. Rollins College upset No. 1 Seed and host Florida Southern College to win the inaugural SSC Women’s Lacrosse Championship. Both Rollins and Florida Southern made the NCAA tournament and fell in the first round.
*In the event that the same institution is the top seed in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the following procedure will be used: In odd years, the top-seeded women’s team and the second best men’s seed will serve as Final Four hosts. In even years, the top-seeded men’s team and the second best women’s seed will serve as Final Four hosts.
Baseball
The 2016 Sunshine State Conference baseball regular season champion will have an automatic qualifier to the NCAA regional.
NCAA Postseason: NCAA Division II Baseball Regionals begin on Thursday, May 19 at non-predetermined sites. Cary, North Carolina will host the finals once again. Competition is slated to run Saturday, May 28-Saturday, June 4.
2014-15: Nova Southeastern University won its first Sunshine State Conference championship in 2015. University of Tampa overcame NSU and five other regional schools to win the NCAA South Region. Tampa marched through the regionals and finals without a loss, securing its seventh national championship in program history.
Softball
The 2016 Sunshine State Conference softball regular season champion will have an automatic qualifier to the NCAA regional.
NCAA Postseason: NCAA Division II Softball Regionals and Super Regionals will be held at non-predetermined sites Friday, May 6-Saturday, May 14. Finals will be held Wednesday, May 18-Saturday, May 21 at the Spring Festival in Denver.
2014-15: University of Tampa repeated as SSC regular season champions, winning its fourth regular season title in program history. Florida Institute of Technology advanced the farthest of all SSC schools, reaching the Super Regionals.
