SSC at 50: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
On This Page: How The SSC Was Started | The SSC's First Contest
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2025-26, marking five decades as NCAA Division II's "Conference of National Champions."
Nestled entirely within the vibrant and diverse state of Florida, the SSC began in 1975 as a basketball-only league and has grown into a national powerhouse, now sponsoring 21 sports across 11 member institutions. Over the years, SSC programs have captured 135 NCAA Division II team national championships across 14 sports, 173 individual national titles, and earned an NCAA-record 90% Academic Success Rate — the best in the nation.
Filling the conference's history are championship moments, academic achievements, and growth. From its first contest on December 3, 1975, to a league-record eight national titles in 2024-25, the SSC continues to set the standard in both competition and the classroom.
The 50th Anniversary celebration will honor the SSC's past, showcase its present, and inspire its future, with a dedicated season-long campaign featuring historical highlights, special recognitions, and anniversary branding at championships, on broadcasts, and across digital platforms.
A New Conference is Born
Norm Kaye was a catalyst. His work and vision proved to be the motivating force in banding together schools into what we now call the Sunshine State Conference. A practical idea and a series of meetings were the meager beginning of the "Conference of National Champions."
With Kaye leading the way, an exploratory meeting was held on the campus of Florida Southern College to discuss the formation of an NCAA Division II conference. Two main focuses were evident at the March 2nd, 1975, gathering: the league will be basketball-focused, and it will be located in Central Florida. Representatives from five of the six original member schools were in attendance.
Following positive reports, the committee organized a second exploratory meeting, hosted two weeks later at Eckerd College. The conclave focused on membership, dues, officiating, and NCAA selection. Kaye was unanimously named Interim Commissioner, and Dr. Thomas B. Southard, President of Saint Leo College*, was named President of the newly formed conference. Dr. Calvin C. Miller, Florida Technological University President, suggested the "Sunshine State Conference," and the name was adopted.
A deadline of 6:00 p.m. on March 21st, 1975, was set. All schools intending to enter the conference must notify the newly elected commissioner. Saint Leo, Florida Technological University**, Rollins College, Florida Southern College, Biscayne College***, and Eckerd were in, and a new NCAA conference was born.
"When the league was formed in March of 1975, we believed we were starting something that could be special," commented Jim Harley, Eckerd's former head basketball coach and athletic director." It was just basketball that first year, but we thought that all sports would be part of the league over time."
Following the approval of a league constitution in June of 1975, the first official meeting of the Sunshine State Conference took place on October 8th in Orlando. Athletic Directors, Coaches, and Faculty Representatives of the six-member institutions were in attendance. The group made amendments to the constitution, created committees, discussed future growth, and approved basketball regulations. With i's dotted and t's crossed, league play in men's basketball was set to begin.
The "basketball only" league tipped off on December 3rd, 1975. Originally composed of six member schools, the Sunshine State Conference has developed into an athletic and academic national powerhouse.
Membership Timeline
1975 - Conference is established with six founding members: Biscayne College, Eckerd College, Florida Southern College, Florida Technological University, Rollins College, and Saint Leo College
1981 - Florida Tech and the University of Tampa join
1984 - Florida Technological University withdraws
1987 - Biscayne College withdraws
1988 - Barry University joins
1991 - University of North Florida joins
1996 - University of North Florida withdraws, Lynn University joins
2002 - Nova Southeastern joins
2014 - Palm Beach Atlantic University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University join as provisional members
*Now Saint Leo University
**Now University of Central Florida, no longer an SSC member
***Now St. Thomas University, no longer an SSC member
[Published: 6/17/16 / Last Edited: 8/13/25]
Eckerd and Florida Southern Men's Basketball Compete in First SSC Contest
On March 2nd, 1975, a meeting was held on the campus of Florida Southern College to discuss the formation of an NCAA Division II conference. Two main focuses were clear: the league will be basketball-focused, and it will be located in Central Florida. During a second exploratory meeting, hosted two weeks later at Eckerd College, Norm Kaye of Saint Leo College* was named Interim Commissioner and Dr. Thomas B. Southard, President of Saint Leo, was named President of the newly formed conference. Dr. Calvin C. Miller, President of Florida Technological University, suggested the "Sunshine State Conference," and the name was adopted for use.
"When the league was formed in March of 1975, we believed we were starting something that could be special," commented Jim Harley, Eckerd's former head basketball coach and athletic director." It was just basketball that first year, but we thought that all sports would be part of the league over time."
Following the approval of a league constitution in June of 1975, the first official meeting of the Sunshine State Conference took place on October 8th in Orlando. Basketball regulations and league bylaws are approved. With i's dotted and t's crossed, league play in Men's Basketball is set to begin on December 3rd, 1975.
In the first game in conference history, Eckerd College hosted Florida Southern College. The Moccasins were victorious, defeating the Tritons 96-84.
Harley, a 1993 inductee into the SSC Hall of Fame, remembers the tremendous individual performances from the contest, especially Florida Southern's Dan Wright. "I remember Wright checking out of the game with about a minute left in just a tremendous individual performance. Wright just sort of looked over the court while putting on his warm-up jacket, and smiled a little, knowing he had just had a great game."
Dan Wright led the game in scoring with 31 points, including 18 in the first half, as FSC held a 43-38 lead at intermission. Eckerd pulled within three points, 60-57, with 13:47 remaining in the game. Florida Southern countered with a 22-8 run to seal the game. Paul O'Halloran paced Eckerd with 29 points.
Wright went on to coach for 35 years at Lakewood High School, where he won two state championships and retired in 2011. O'Halloran went on to coach and became athletic director at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee.
[Published: 12/3/15 / Last Edited: 8/13/25]
SSC 40 Great Moments - Celebrating 40 Years of the SSC