CHARLOTTE --- The 2016 Big South Conference men's basketball championships will be moving from Myrtle Beach/Coastal Carolina University, announced Big South Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander Tuesday. Conference bylaws stipulate that members leaving with less than two years notice are not eligible to host championships. On August 31, 2015, Coastal Carolina announced it would be joining the Sun Belt Conference as of July 1, 2016.

The 2016 Big South Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will now be split into two separate events, with the men's championship being held Thursday-Sunday, March 3-6, followed by the women's basketball championship the next week on Thursday-Sunday, March 10-13. Both events will be bid out to parties interested in hosting, with an expected decision by early November.

Meanwhile, the 2015-16 Big South women's basketball schedule has been adjusted to reflect the additional week to the regular season, which will now end on Saturday, March 5.

Since Coastal Carolina's announcement, the Big South Conference has been working through basketball championship contractual details with the institution and the Myrtle Beach Chamber. All parties agreed to move the predetermined championships, but in the interest of fairness to Coastal Carolina's student-athletes, the institution would be allowed to host championships with "earned seed" formats. Those championships include the first round of men's and women's soccer, and women's lacrosse.

Gardner-Webb will open the 2015-2016 season on Friday, November 13 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The game will tip-off at 9:30 pm ET and will air live on ESPN3. The Runnin' Bulldogs will kick off their Big South Conference schedule on Wednesday, December 2 at Presbyterian College.