Full NCAA DII Membership Awarded!

Lindsay Schneider - 7/24/2008

Contact: Kelly Snedden
Director, Communications
Phone: 316-942-4291, ext. 2164

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 24, 2008

Newman University Awarded Full NCAA DII Membership

Wichita, Kan. – Newman University officials announced today that the institution has been removed from its provisional status and will be a full member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The move is effective Sept. 1, 2008 and will apply to all Newman NCAA intercollegiate competition beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year.

Newman is part of the Heartland Conference, an NCAA Division II conference founded in 1999 that currently consists of nine schools: six from Texas, and one each from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

“This is certainly wonderful news for Newman and a testament to the quality of our athletics program,” said Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. “I congratulate our athletics administrators and all our coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff members for achieving this milestone.”

“It’s a major milestone in the history of Newman athletics and it’s a reflection of the dedication and commitment of our institution,” said Newman Director of Athletics Randy Smith. “Campus wide, we should feel proud that after conducting a thorough evaluation of Newman University and our athletic program, the NCAA has voted to elevate us to active Division II membership. I am elated for President Carrocci, the Athletics Department, and other members of the Newman family who have worked so hard to make this happen.”

The announcement was made by NCAA Membership Services Staff Liaison Jess Rigler, following the formal approval by the NCAA Management Council July 22 of a recommendation to award Newman active membership by the NCAA Membership Committee. Newman was one of 12 institutions moved from provisional to active membership status based on a review of annual reports from 20 institutions progressing through the NCAA membership process. Two other universities in the Heartland Conference, Texas A&M International University and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, were also granted active membership.

Smith added that while in most instances the NCAA Membership Committee includes program suggestions or recommendations to new member institutions, Newman received none.

Newman was admitted to the NCAA on a provisional basis on July 11, 2006, with a transition process beginning in the 2006-2007 academic year. The entire transition process takes up to four years and includes orientation and training for faculty, staff, and administrators. Newman completed its process in only two years, and is now eligible for all postseason games and tournaments by the NCAA. For the past two athletic seasons, the Jets have been able to play against other NCAA Division II opponents, but have not been able to participate in any postseason tournaments.

Prior to being accepted into the NCAA, Newman had been a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Association (MCAC).

Newman officials said the move to NCAA will offer substantial benefits. The NCAA has stronger eligibility guidelines and promotes greater involvement of faculty in athletics at its member schools. The NCAA also provides Division II training and programming in areas such as compliance, rules education, professional development and student-athlete leadership, which typically translate into graduation rates that are much higher than at other schools. Newman’s NCAA Division II status will also increase the university’s visibility on a regional and national scale. National television networks such as CBS, CSTV, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU currently cover 10 Division II men’s and women’s national championships and playoffs. The NCAA also allows junior varsity programs, which increase opportunities for student-athletes and scholarships to attract quality participants.

“It’s a great day for Newman University,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Potter. “When we made the move and knew it was going to be several years before we could participate in postseason play, it was a little difficult to swallow. When you’re recruiting and have to tell students there’s no postseason that’s a big factor. But at the same time I knew it was best for Newman University in the long run. This legitimizes our program and everything we do, and will be good for the university overall.”

Newman is the only private university in the state of Kansas that is a member of the NCAA. The university fields NCAA intercollegiate teams in both men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis, as well as baseball, softball and women’s volleyball. Newman also offers men’s wrestling, which competes as an NCAA independent, and men’s and women’s bowling, which compete in intercollegiate conferences.