OCR Text |
Show r Athletics 11 Westminster moves closer to NCAA THE FORUM - MARCH 12,2014 The college took a historic step by applying for NCAA Division membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. I1' ' I t- V. Provisional Year AO C4 Jessica Van Leeuwen Sniff Reporter , i i? II i (2016-1- 7) Teams will be under the same restrictions as X, the 2015-1- 6 season. is obtained Membership Membership Process According to the Transitional Timeline to NCAA information sheet, Westminster will receive NCAA representatives in late spring of this year for an initial audit. By July of this year, Westminster will be informed of whether it has been (2017-1- 8) Athletic teams mil be allowed to fully participate in NCAA Division II, including RMAC regular season, RMAC (natournament and NCAA post-seastional tournament). accepted or not. Upon acceptance, the college will begin a membership process, which includes two candidacy years and one provisional year. Candidacy Year One (2014-15- ) Teams will continue to compete in the Frontier Conference in the NAIA and will remain eligible for NAIA tournaments. If NCAA requirements for the membership process are met, Westminster will advance to Candidacy Year Two by September 1, 2015 and join the RMAC on RMAC If Westminsters NCAA application is accepted, the Griffins will face new competition. There are currendy 14 colleges in the RMAC. Shay Wyatt said the conference plans to expand to 16 teams. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is the first school set to join as part of the expansion, and Westminster would be the We evaluated our programs and felt that it was a move that would second. If Westminster Candidacy Year Two (2015-1Most teams will be given conference schedules, but will not be allowed to participate in regional or national championbe an exception ships. Some sports-wiland will be allowed to advance past the is accepted, the school sports joining the conference would include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track and volleyball. Unlike the other sports played by both men and women, lacrosse is not fully sanctioned by the conference. According to the RMAC website, womens lacrosse will be sanctioned for the first time in the 2013-201- 4 season. Mens lacrosse, however, will still not be a sanctioned sport. 6) l regular season. If NCAA requirements are met, Westminster will move to the next step, which is the Provisional Year beginning September 2016. complement the i college. Shay Wyatt athletic director Photo courtesy of Alyson Vander Steen In the RMAC is no different. college sports, certain schools are known as powerhouses-an- d Based on the last 10 tournaments, the top teams for Division II include: Kens Kens Baskstitaii- - cf Cclcreds Springs (5 titles) KstrcpsIItsn Stats University cf Denver (5 titles) Women's Scccer-CclsradsSeitsc-Icf Ones Women's BasMsifisfl-Cclcra- (3 mest recent titles) ds Slats University-Fuskl- s Women's (4 titles) Gcif-Weste- rn Hew KsmIso Vil f University 13 titles) UeMali-Slnc- s Cress Conntry-Kdam- s Stats University In belli men and women's 115 titles) Trask &neid-fidam- s Stats In beta men and womens Indeer and estdesr (35 Utles) 1 ! tbs University cf Kebraska Kearney Is ns s Kens Sescer-FcrtLev- ds Census (0 titles) leaner a part cl tits F."Cf Beds Has wen tits mast recent tenraaments (3 titles) RMAC team logos courtesy of Kaleb Center - |