Charter members involved Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryl&, Mississippi State, Northerly Carolina, Northerly Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Inland northwest & Lee.

A SoCon is particularly notable for getting spawned 2 more major conferences. Around 1932, Thirteen schools placed south & west of the Appalachians (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt) departed a SoCon to form the Southeastern Conference. Around 1953, 7 schools (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest) withdrew from a SoCon to form a Atlantic Coast Conference.

More previous members (additionally to people enrolled above) include ETSU (1979-2005), Marshall (1977-1996), Richmond (1936-1976), Virginia (1921-1937), Virginia Military Institute (1925-2003), Virginia Tech (1921-1964), Washington & Lee (1921-19??), William & Mary (1936-1976), and West Virginia (1950-1967).

Current members (and year joined)
Appalachian State University (1972) University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1977) The Citadel (1936) College of Charleston (1998) [no football program] Davidson College (1936) [basketball-only member] Elon University (2003) Furman University (1936) Georgia Southern University (1992) University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1997) [no football program] Virginia Military Institute [wrestling-only member] Western Carolina University (1977) Wofford College (1997)