SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference has added three universities as associate members in the sport of wrestling, it was announced Monday. Campbell University, Gardner-Webb University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville will join the league beginning with the 2011-12 season.

The addition of the three schools, in conjunction with UNCG's discontinuation of its program following the 2010-11 season, will bring the conference's wrestling membership to eight schools.

"The addition of these three programs should help solidify the sport of wrestling in the Southern Conference," said conference commissioner John Iamarino. "We are confident the new members will lead to a more exciting championship and greater opportunities to advance SoCon wrestlers to NCAA postseason competition."

Campbell, located in Buies Creek, N.C., and Gardner-Webb, situated in Boiling Springs, N.C., are familiar to SoCon teams, as four of six league teams competed against the Camels in dual meets last season while the Runnin' Bulldogs faced each conference team. Campbell and Gardner-Webb are full-time members of the Big South Conference.

Campbell, which has an enrollment of 3,000 students on its main campus, has fielded a wrestling program since 1968.

"It's definitely a big move, and I think it's a good move," said Joe Boardwine, who is entering his second year as head coach at Campbell. "We looked at it as both a coaching staff and as an institution, and thought this move would help take our program in the direction we wanted to take it."

Gardner-Webb, boasting a student population of 4,300, is entering its 23^rd season of wrestling in 2011-12.

SIUE, a school with 14,107 students located in suburban St. Louis, has a rich wrestling tradition, including three consecutive Division II national championships in 1984, '85 and '86. The Cougars are members of the Ohio Valley Conference for the majority of their sports.

The Cougars, which are in their final year of transition to full Division I membership status, will become eligible to compete for the Southern Conference championship starting in the 2012-13 season.

The three new institutions will join with Appalachian State University, The Citadel, Davidson College, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Virginia Military Institute as the eight schools in the Southern Conference for wrestling.

"Winning a SoCon title means a little bit more to the wrestling community than winning an East Region title, and so I think this will help not only with recruiting, but also in motivating our current athletes to train at a higher level to meet higher expectations," said Boardwine. "That being said, our goals for this program and its individuals will always be above and beyond the conference level. We want to start producing national champions and All-Americans. If we are doing that, then we will be able to compete well within any conference."

The Southern Conference, which first held a wrestling championship in 1930 and has done so in each season since 1947, will conduct its 75th wrestling championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. next March. The league itself, founded in 1921, is entering its 91st season in 2011-12.

Campbell will re-join the Big South Conference on July 1, 2011 as a full-member in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball. CU also competes as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) and the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA).