LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Friday morning Dr. Barry H. Corey, President of Biola University, received a phone call from leadership at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), informing the institution that it's officially been granted full membership into NCAA Division II.
This notification ends Biola's three-year membership transition process and comes four-and-a-half years after university leadership first identified the need to rise from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to NCAA Division II. This announcement of full membership comes more than 10 years after Biola's Board of Trustees first began considering a shift in the Eagles' national athletic affiliation.
"I am deeply grateful for the many staff members throughout Biola who have worked so hard to make this day a reality," said Corey. "Many institutions have fallen short in the quest for NCAA membership. Not so with Biola. Biola has been viewed as a model institution in the process, thanks to the work of so many."
Full membership in NCAA Division II affords Biola teams the right to compete in NCAA postseason events and appear in national and regional rankings beginning in 2019-20. The Eagles' student-athletes are also now eligible to earn regional and national awards for their efforts. Additionally, Biola is invited to apply for more NCAA and conference grants.
The 2019-20 athletic season will be Biola's third in the PacWest Conference and as members of NCAA Division II. The first two years Biola was considered a provisional NCAA member and ineligible for the benefits listed above.
"Working with Biola for the last three years has been an amazing experience.," said Jill Wilson of LL Consulting. "The great folks at Biola have put in a ton of hard work throughout the process and we're excited to welcome them into the Division II family."
Transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II included annual site visits from NCAA leadership, tens of thousands of pages of paperwork submitted from the Biola Athletics offices and support staff from all around campus and a commitment to reworking the infrastructure surrounding intercollegiate athletics at Biola.
"It's exciting to now have access to PacWest Conference and NCAA Division II postseason competition and benefit from the other perks of full membership in NCAA Division II," said Dr. Bethany Miller, senior director of athletics. "We look forward to seeing our student-athletes and coaches all push to reach new heights of success this coming athletic season."
The 2019-20 season officially begins Sept. 5 with Biola men and women's soccer beginning their 2019 campaigns. The University will host a NCAA Membership celebration at its first home on-campus PacWest Conference contest of the year - Volleyball vs. Concordia Irvine on Sept. 28.
ABOUT NCAA DIVISION II
The NCAA is the governing body of athletics programs at more than 1,200 higher education institutions in the United States. NCAA Division II is made up of 300 colleges and universities in 45 states. In NCAA Division II there is an emphasis on regional competition in order to reduce missed class time, and a robust community engagement philosophy that integrates student-athletes within both their campus and regional communities. The division allows student-athletes to compete at a high level of scholarship athletics while excelling in the classroom and fully engaging in the broader campus experience. This balance, in which student-athletes are recognized for their academic success, athletics contributions and campus/community involvement, is at the heart of the Division II philosophy.
ABOUT BIOLA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Biola University Athletics offers 16 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs and houses nearly 300 student-athletes. It has a rich history of competition in the NCAA Division II, NAIA and NCCAA and has records of athletic involvement dating back to 1960. The University has won 11 team national championships and over 50 individual national championships (swimming, diving, cross country, track & field).
ABOUT BIOLA UNIVERSITY
Biola University is a nationally ranked university that provides a premier education in over 35 majors and 75 academic programs. For over 100 years, Biola has prepared students to impact the world for Christ in their chosen careers, while fostering spiritual life transformation in an all-Christian campus community. The campus is located in La Mirada, California right on the border of Los Angeles and Orange County in sunny Southern California.
