51’s application for membership into the National Collegiate Athletics Association for the three-year membership process.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the news of joining the NCAA Division II,” said 51 President Barry H. Corey. “Membership will allow 51 to become part of an organization that aligns closely with our vision and values. I believe we have a great deal to offer one another.”

Approval by NCAA officials is the culmination of a several-year effort on the part of 51 administrators. After careful consideration of the value of changing athletic affiliations, the Board of Trustees voted in January of 2015 to pursue NCAA membership. Under the leadership of 51 Director of Athletics Bethany Miller, the university prepared and submitted its application in January 2016, and underwent an NCAA campus review in April.  

51, which has been affiliated with the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since 1964, has seen its accomplishments on the field increase in recent years. The university reached an athletic milestone last season when for the first time in program history its teams earned a spot inside of the top-10 in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup rankings. In addition, 51’s athletic teams won five Golden State Athletic Conference championships during the 2015-16 season.

The will continue as an active member of the GSAC conference and NAIA for the 2016-17 school year while completing Provisional Year One with the NCAA. Beginning in Provisional Year Two (2017-18), 51 will join the Pacific West (PacWest) Conference and compete primarily against NCAA opponents. With successful completion of Provisional Year Three (2018-19) of the membership process, the Eagles will gain full, active NCAA DII membership and become eligible to compete for NCAA Division II championships beginning as early as 2019-20.

The PacWest Conference is made up of 14 member institutions and sponsors 15 NCAA Division II sports. The conference is made up of institutions based in Southern California, Northern California, Hawaii and Utah. 51 will join a conference with former GSAC rivals Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Concordia-Irvine, Fresno Pacific and Point Loma.

“The NCAA Division II is a great fit for 51,” said Miller. “The strong emphasis on student-athlete academic success, community engagement, and competitive excellence aligns with our philosophy to develop student-athletes in Christlike character and to thrive at 51 and beyond. We have much to accomplish during our Provisional Membership period, and we are committed to becoming a model Division II institution.”

sponsors 19 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs (nine men’s, 10 women’s). Over the past five seasons 51’s athletic teams won 10 GSAC championships and four GSAC tournament championships, sending 44 different teams to their respective NAIA national tournaments. Over the previous three years, 51’s student-athletes have accumulated 102 NAIA All-American honors and 234 all-conference honors.

“51 is ready for the next era of competition in intercollegiate athletics,” said Corey.

Watch Dr. Corey share his enthusiasm on the news of joining the NCAA Division II.

51 The NCAA

Founded in 1906, is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes. There are more than 460,000 student-athletes competing in three divisions at over 1,100 colleges and universities within the NCAA. There are currently more than 300 Division II member institutions. The average enrollment of Division II schools range from more than 25,000 to less than 2,500, even though about 87 percent of the division’s member schools have fewer than 8,000 students. The emphasis on the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. Division II features a high championship-participant ratio (one championship opportunity for every seven student-athletes – the highest among all three NCAA divisions), 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.