Campbell football moving to Big South Conference

Campbell’s football program is joining the Big South, an FCS conference, in 2018, the school announced Monday.

The switch means Campbell will have an allotment of 63 football scholarships after being in the non-scholarship, football-only Pioneer League since 2008.

“When I came to Campbell four years ago I wanted to build Campbell into a FCS powerhouse, and now we get that opportunity by moving to scholarship football and a great conference in the Big South,” head coach Mike Minter said in a press release.

The Camels are Big South members in 18 other sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer.

Other conference football members include Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern and Liberty.

“Ever since Campbell University returned to the Big South Conference in 2011, we have encouraged them to join Big South football,” Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander said in a press release. “... We knew that once it added scholarships, Campbell football would be an outstanding addition to the Big South. It will not take long before the Camels are contending for the conference championship and FCS playoffs.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Campbell football moving to Big South Conference."