Christ-like in the battle: NGU football’s move to Conference Carolinas
Blythe Barrineau, Sports and Visual Arts Editor
Photo courtesy of Sam Meyeres
North Greenville University is entering a new era in athletics. For the first time in 51 years, the football team will compete in the Conference Carolinas with the other 20 athletic teams.
“There’s no ceiling on what we can do here,” said Will Lowrey, athletic director at NGU.
The decision to join Conference Carolinas was first announced in 2023 and has been highly anticipated ever since. The transition is historic for the football team and outlines a plan that prioritizes long-term financial stability and alignment with like-minded institutions.
Lowrey explained that it was very important to make sure NGU was being responsible and good stewards of the money they have been given. Competing in the Gulf South Conference required many road trips lasting 10 or more hours. The team had to factor in the cost of lodging and food for over 80 players and coaching staff.
“Outside of football, we’ve been in this conference that’s allowed us to basically group up in pods that are geographically centered, and that cuts our travel down.” said Lowrey.
The schools NGU will begin to play in Conference Carolinas are closer and will reduce travel costs significantly.
The recent financial struggles and closure of Limestone University has reinforced the importance of this decision for NGU.
Another key benefit of the move to Conference Carolinas is the similarities in size, mindset and structure to the other universities. While many of the teams in the Gulf South Conference are Division 2 schools, the enrollment count was upwards of 16,000. NGU has an enrollment count of 2,300 – making us significantly smaller.
“We don’t ever want to run away from competition, but in the Gulf South Conference, even though the other teams we left behind are Division 2 programs, they were public institutions… Essentially, they were the same size as a lot of Division 1 programs.” said Lowrey.
Conference Carolinas also includes several institutions that share NGU’s values and goals as a private, Christian institution.
Since all of NGU’s other athletic teams are already part of Conference Carolinas, the transition for football has been fairly simple.
“We’re already communicating with our other sports,” said Lowrey. “It’s just a more efficient process.”
The Conference Carolinas headquarters is located in Greenville, South Carolina – just a 40 minute drive from campus. This has made communication and collaboration much easier.
Now that the transition is settled and the season has kicked off, the future goal of the athletic department is to continue to seek what it means to be “Christ-like in the battle.”
“Even if we win championships, if we do that in a very negative way that doesn’t represent Christ, what do we really achieve?” asked Lowrey.
To reach that vision, the department plans to focus on discipleship among coaches and student-athletes. Coaches will be equipped to mentor players not just athletically but spiritually.
NGU planned a special celebration for the first Conference Carolinas game this season on September 13. Many representatives from Conference Carolinas, Barton College and NGU attended the game to help kick-off a new era of NGU football and NGU athletics.
With the transition complete and the football season underway, the future looks bright for football and the entire athletic program
