by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
Edward Waters College has begun discussions with other schools that may be interested in forming a new conference for their football teams.
Athletic Director Bob Alan and Henry Smith, assistant sports information director at EWC, met Jan. 5 in Orlando with representatives of the other schools.
The new conference may have as few as four, and as many as six, teams in its first year. It will be called either the Southeastern Athletic Conference or the Sunshine Conference.
Attending the meeting with Alan and Smith were athletic directors or coaches from Weber International University, Babson Park; Allen University, Columbia, S.C.; Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Ala.
Alan declined to name two other participants at the meeting. They are from Virginia and North Carolina and already belong to another conference.
Participants will vote on membership and the conference name in March.
Edward Waters participates in NAIA Division 1 events. Its basketball, volleyball and baseball teams belong to the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The football team now competes independently. If the new conference is formed, the other three teams “probably wouldn’t drop out (of the EIAC),” said Alan.
“The benefit to belonging to a conference is it gives a team the right to finish first and compete for the playoffs,” said Alan. “It wouldn’t be just wins and losses.
“It becomes more meaningful. You can set individual and team goals with the kids getting different awards. It gives the team a purpose.”
The vote will be held in March at a meeting site yet to be determined.
“We’re planning on being ready for the fall,” said Alan. “We have to be prepared with paperwork and all by the first of May.