Division II adds 300th member

It’s official: Division II has grown to 300 member schools, with an additional 18 colleges and universities progressing in the membership process.

In July, the Division II Membership Committee approved full membership for eight schools, whose active status took effect on Sept. 1. The schools that completed the three-year membership process and are eligible for Division II championships competition are:

• Azusa Pacific University
• Point Loma Nazarene University
• Roberts Wesleyan University
• Shorter University
• Southern Nazarene University
• Trevecca Nazarene University
• Union University
• Young Harris College

In addition to those new members, six schools are beginning the membership process and an additional 12 colleges and universities are advancing in the three-year membership process.

Provisional year schools

Seven schools entered the 2014-15 season in the provisional membership period and are on track for active membership in 2015-16, including:

• Daemen College
• Fresno Pacific University
• Lee University
• Lubbock Christian University
• Northwestern Oklahoma State University
• Oklahoma Christian University
• The University of Virginia’s College at Wise

The membership committee recommended Fresno Pacific University repeat its provisional year, a decision the school later appealed. Schools in the membership process have the right to appeal the summer membership committee decisions to the Division II Management Council Subcommittee. The subcommittee, which is a group of Division II athletics directors, senior woman administrators, conference officers and faculty athletics representatives, hears all appeals involving the status of institutions in the Division II membership process.

The subcommittee upheld the membership committee’s decision requiring Fresno Pacific University to repeat the provisional year with conditions.

Candidacy year two schools

Five schools are entering the second year of the membership process, including:

• Holy Names University
• Mississippi College
• Rogers State University
• Southern Wesleyan University
• Spring Hill College

In an Aug. 26 teleconference, the membership committee amended its original decision to require Southern Wesleyan University to repeat candidacy year one and permitted the school to begin the second year of the membership process.

Holy Names University appealed the membership committee’s July decision requiring the university to repeat candidacy year two; that decision was upheld.

Candidacy year one schools

Of the eight schools that applied for Division II membership this year, five have been approved to begin the three-year process. In addition, Emmanuel College (Georgia) was asked to repeat the first year of candidacy.

Schools at the start of the process are:

• California State University, San Marcos
• Concordia University Irvine
• Concordia University Oregon
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Emmanuel College
• Oklahoma Baptist University

In July, the membership committee determined that new applicants Cumberland University, Georgetown College and Westminster College were not prepared to enter the Division II membership process.  

Cumberland and Georgetown appealed the decisions and, after hearing the appeals, the management council subcommittee determined that the membership committee did not err in its original decisions. The subcommittee found that the membership committee properly applied NCAA legislation and official interpretations and did not deviate from approved procedures. Therefore, the subcommittee determined that the decisions of the membership committee should not be overturned.

All membership decisions for the year are final.