Oakland City approved for NAIA membership by national office
Oakland City approved for NAIA membership by national office
From NAIA National Office:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is pleased to announce the approval of five (5) institutions for membership, which will be effective July 1, 2020. Formal approval was voted upon by the NAIA Council of Presidents (COP) on March 31 at the annual NAIA COP Business Meeting.
New members include: Oakland City University (Oakland City, Ind.), Park University Gilbert (Gilbert, Ariz.), Texas A&M University-San Antonio, University of North Texas at Dallas and Westcliff University (Irvine, Calif.). Oakland City will be returning to the NAIA from NCAA Division II, becoming the sixth school to move from the NCAA in the past five years. It will be immediately eligible for postseason competition, which is a benefit afforded to former members that return to the NAIA.
"The NAIA is excited to welcome these five schools into our association," said Jim Carr, NAIA President and CEO. "Each of these institutions exemplifies the NAIA's core values and will undoubtedly make great additions to their respective conferences, as well as the organization overall."
The NAIA has shown to be a better fit for several NCAA DII and DIII schools. In some cases NAIA members are spending as much as 40% less than their counterparts in the NCAA, while still operating high-caliber athletics programs.
With 14 sports, Oakland City boasts the largest athletics department among the newcomers. The Mighty Oaks have been approved for membership in the River States Conference.
Park Gilbert (Ariz.) and Westcliff (Calif.) have both been approved for membership in the California Pacific Conference (CalPac). Texas A&M-San Antonio has been accepted for membership in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) while North Texas at Dallas received a favorable endorsement from the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC), with a decision on conference membership expected later this spring.
Park Gilbert will enter the NAIA as the lone branch campus of a current NAIA member to be admitted for membership this year. The institution is a branch of current NAIA institution and future Heart of America Athletic Conference member Park University in Parkville, Mo.
Two of this year's newest members will be starting athletics for the first time on their campus. Both Texas A&M-San Antonio and North Texas at Dallas will field sports for the first time in the fall of 2020.
The NAIA Council of Presidents approved a second membership application cycle, allowing schools to apply for NAIA membership mid-summer and receive a decision as early as the beginning of October.
The NAIA also accepts new member applications with a deadline on October 1 for the following academic year. Schools must meet membership criteria that include financial stability, sports sponsorship, accreditation, and a commitment to character-driven athletics. Enrollment numbers, retention rates, and overall financial commitment to athletics are also taken into consideration.
ABOUT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS (NAIA)
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 77,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $800 million in scholarships and compete in 27 national championships. www.naia.org | @NAIA