Southern Conference

Name

Southern Conference

Legal name

Southern Conference

Website

https://soconsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletic Conference Administration

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

College & University Sports Networks (Conference/School-Owned) (MPABAJAD), College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB), College/University Sports Events (NCAA & equivalents) (MPAGAMAE), Local Sports Broadcast Stations (Regional Local Rights, High School/College) (MPABACAK)

Keywords

• Collegiate athletics conference
• Intercollegiate sports administration
• NCAA Division I FCS
• Conference championships
• Media rights distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Spartanburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Rights: Five-year extension with Nexstar Media Group provides regional linear TV coverage of football and basketball games across multiple markets including WSPA, WYCW, WMYT, WWCW, WJHL, WCBD, WGHP, WBTW
2. Conference Membership Dues: Revenue from member institutions through annual dues and conference participation fees
3. Sponsorships: Partnership with Ingles Markets as title sponsor for SoCon Game of the Week, providing financial support and promotional coverage

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Southern Conference administers NCAA Division I FCS intercollegiate athletics for 11 member colleges and universities, organizing regular season competition, conference championships, and postseason qualification across 20 sponsored sports. The conference negotiates collective media rights, manages officiating and scheduling, recognizes academic excellence, and distributes broadcast coverage to regional and streaming audiences on behalf of its member institutions.

Product overview

The Southern Conference is a NCAA Division I FCS athletic conference with 11 member institutions. Its digital presence centers on the official website (soconsports.com) which provides coverage of conference sports including football, basketball, and outdoor track & field. The conference operates as a unified platform delivering news, schedules, statistics, academic honors, and multimedia content across all member schools. Key products include football coverage with preseason polls and all-conference teams, outdoor track & field championship reporting, and academic awards programs recognizing student-athlete excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SoCon Academic Awards Programs
• Conference Media Rights Distribution
• SoCon Intercollegiate Athletic Competition and Championships

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,698 student-athletes on Academic Honor Roll with 281 posting 4.0 GPA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nexstar Media GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 July 2026Five-year extension continuing partnership for regional linear TV coverage of SoCon contests. Includes men's and women's basketball regular season, conference tournaments, and football. Stations include WSPA, WYCW serving Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville markets. Last year's package included 30 broadcasts.
• Ingles MarketscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 July 2026Ingles Markets partnered with Nexstar and SoCon for five-year extension as title sponsor for SoCon Game of the Week and promotional coverage of signature SoCon events. Ingles has history built on character and commitment to education.
• SpiideocoreTechnology or Integration · 15 July 2026Spiideo selected as instant replay technology partner for football, men's basketball, and women's basketball across the entire league. Provides cloud-based replay with Remote Collaboration capability for football, and BenchMode for basketball coaches. Technology found in 7,000+ arenas across NCAA, Premier League, NHL, NBA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Patriot League: FCS conference with a comparable academic profile (highly selective member institutions) and similar emphasis on the student-athlete model. Comparable in brand positioning around academic-athletic balance and member dues-driven economics.
• Colonial Athletic Association (CAA): FCS conference with a comparable mix of public and private member institutions, similar sports portfolio breadth, and a comparable broadcast footprint via regional sports networks. A relevant peer for evaluating championship product and conference governance.
• Southland Conference: FCS conference in the South-Central U.S. with similar member institution profile (smaller regional universities) and comparable revenue mix of media rights, sponsorship, and member dues.
• Ohio Valley Conference: FCS conference with comparable membership scale (10+ schools), shared regional TV distribution challenges, and similar membership-driven revenue model. Operates in an adjacent geography (Mid-South/Southeast) and is a like-for-like benchmark for media rights and sponsorship economics.
• Big Sky Conference: Larger FCS conference operating in the western U.S. with comparable membership scale, football-driven revenue model, and similar regional linear TV distribution approach via conference-specific broadcast packages.
• Missouri Valley Football Conference: Football-focused FCS conference with comparable championship infrastructure and broadcast economics; relevant peer for evaluating football-specific media rights deals and championship product.
• Big South Conference: Another NCAA Division I FCS conference operating in the Southeast with a similar footprint of small-to-mid-sized member institutions, comparable media rights structure, and similar sponsorship dynamics. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography and subdivision.
• ASUN Conference: FCS conference that has actively expanded membership in recent years and operates with a similar mix of small private and regional public institutions. Directly comparable in scale, governance model, and expansion strategy.

Others

• NCAA: Governing body that sets the rules of competition, postseason qualification, and academic standards within which SoCon operates. Material ecosystem participant whose policy and realignment decisions directly impact SoCon's strategic options.
• ESPN+: Distribution platform partner rather than direct competitor; SoCon uses ESPN+ for streaming championship events. Relevant for understanding distribution economics and audience reach for SoCon's digital content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SoConSports
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthernConference
• Instagraminstagram.com/soconsports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SoConSports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-southern-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Conference