Atlantic Sun, LakePoint Sporting Community announce partnership

EMERSON, Ga. — The Atlantic Sun Conference and LakePoint Sporting Community announce a new partnership designed to effectively serve the interests of the A-Sun's member-institutions and student-athletes and in doing so, the intercollegiate athletic and youth community as a whole.

    The partnership was announced Wednesday by Earl Ehrhart, CEO of LakePoint Sports and Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) Commissioner Ted Gumbart, at the Rally Volleyball Pavilion at LakePoint.

    "LakePoint is honored to be an official partner of the Atlantic Sun Conference, and have the opportunity to host championship events like sand volleyball, baseball and lacrosse for the universities of the conference," said Earl Ehrhart, CEO, LakePoint Sports. "We appreciate the opportunity to work with the conference to create showcase events for A-Sun teams, coaches and fans."

    "The A-Sun is thrilled to have LakePoint as an official partner as we take another step in providing our institutions and their student-athletes unparalleled opportunities for competition," said Gumbart. "The state-of-the-art LakePoint facility will provide A-Sun teams and fans with a wonderful championship experience."

    As an "Official Conference Partner of LakePoint," the A-Sun will ensure that LakePoint is considered for hosting A-Sun Championships for which the site has the specified facilities and submits a qualified, competitive bid. Also as soon as practical, the A-Sun (or an A-Sun member-institution if required by NCAA regulations) and its "Official Partner" LakePoint will jointly bid for appropriate NCAA Championships, designating the A-Sun as Host Conference.  As a third component of the partnership, the A-Sun will also consider all reasonable and appropriate opportunities to use LakePoint as a site for hosting new and future conference events and meetings. The partnership between the A-Sun and LakePoint comes at an opportune time for both organizations.

    During the 2013-14 academic year, the Atlantic Sun reached new heights of success. On and off the field, there were many record-setting accomplishments:

    • Eight teams from Men's and Women's Basketball participated in postseason for the first time ever, as did three Softball and four Men's Golf teams. Baseball capped off the year by advancing to an NCAA Super Regional.
    • Off the field the A-Sun shone among its peers as well in national measurements. In the 2013 NCAA Graduation Success Rate report, a total of 51 A-Sun postseason participants equaled or scored above the GSR national average, including a total of 26 perfect scores. Additionally, a total of 12 Atlantic Sun Conference teams posted perfect scores for the 2012-13 academic year and 96 percent cleared the NCAA's standard benchmark in the NCAA's 10th annual Academic Progress Rates report.
    • The A-Sun also had 13 teams recognized by the NCAA for earning Public Recognition Awards, which are given each year to teams with Academic Progress Rates in the top 10 percent in each sport. The A-Sun recorded at least 13 teams for the third straight year, and for the sixth consecutive year the A-Sun has had at least 10 teams earn the award. The A-Sun has totaled 110 teams receive Public Recognition Awards since the first were awarded in 2004-05.
    • Extending beyond the field and the classroom, the impact of the A-Sun and its membership on member communities was also evident in 2013. Seven Atlantic Sun Conference member institutions were named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, including two with distinction. That number is up for the second consecutive year.
    • Since 2012, the A-Sun has also been a leader in the area of campus production of original video content for ESPN3. Steadily increasing numbers of live events in Men's and Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Men's and Women's Soccer, Baseball and Softball have all been provided via ESPN and WatchESPN. By January 2015 all eight member institutions will be participating in the A-Sun's unique and innovative leadership in the campus video production initiative.
    LakePoint is also building on several successful events from 2013-14, such as a 56-day PerfectGame tournament and now serving as a home to professional Rally Volleyball. Currently LakePoint offers a 10-court beach volleyball complex and 14 completed multi-purpose fields designed for such sports as baseball, soccer, lacrosse and 7-on-7 football.  LakePoint will be the largest complex of this kind in the country and will be home to a myriad of attractions such as:
    • Nine-lane track with natural grass infield for FIFA-sanctioned soccer

    • 28 hotels

    • Approximately 100 restaurants

    • 16 major-league sized ballfields, about that many youth-sized fields, softball fields

    • 14 multi-purpose fields that can host soccer and lacrosse matches, but can be outfitted for 81 volleyball courts

    • 300,000 sq. ft. indoor facility

    • Movie theater

    • Zipline course

    • Bowling alley

    • Nine-hole executive golf course

    • Ropes course

    • "Boomtown" shopping and entertainment village

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