College Realignment Report for April 30, 2024

This is part of an ongoing series covering various college realignment news for all three NCAA Divisions as well as the NAIA. The roundup below will cover news and reports since April 15, 2024, and provide updates on previously discussed topics. As a reminder, all official moves starting with the 2023-24 academic year can be found here while changes happening in 2024-25 or later can be found here.

We’ll break out the reports for each Division in the following order: Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and NAIA. Clicking the links will bring you to that specific section. If a division is not highlighted, there has been no news in the preceding two weeks. We’ve also summarized the news items in a table below if you are more interested in a summary or specific news item rather than having to scroll to find it.

NCAA Changing Transfer, NIL, and Tech Policies; Possible House Settlement

The NCAA will allow unlimited transfers for student-athletes effective immediately following an emergency legislative session. Athletes will need to reach certain academic requirements to transfer and will need to be in the portal by April 30. Graduates have until May 1 to enter the portal. In addition, the NCAA is also changing the NIL policy, which will allow schools to help athletes discover and facilitate NIL deals worth more than $600. Both of these changes were expected following the litany of legal challenges to previous NCAA policy.

The NCAA is also changing its stance on the use of helmet communications. In 2024, FBS teams will be able to have coach-to-player communications via helmets and the comm lines will be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped. The NCAA will also allow the use of tablets on the sideline for all three divisions. The biggest change will be the implementation of the 2-minute warning at the end of each half. Advocates of the rule believe this will synchronize timing rules but others are not convinced.

The NCAA may also settle one of its many lawsuits and create a new framework for the future of college athletics. ESPN reported that lawyers from the NCAA and Plaintiffs from the House v. NCAA case, along with conference leaders, are looking at a settlement possibility. In addition, schools would have to have a revenue-sharing arrangement with athletes that may be around $20 million annually. These are only starting points so additional issues (Title IX, NIL, other lawsuits, Congressional action, etc.) will shape the final product.

Stephen F. Austin Planning a Realignment Change?

CollegeAD reported that Stephen F. Austin has a “potential conference realignment decision looming” as the school completed an expedited search for its next athletic director. The most likely change is a return to the Southland Conference. In 2021, Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin left the Southland to join the WAC. If SFA does return to the Southland, only Abilene Christian will remain in the WAC as Lamar is already back in the Southland and Sam Houston State joined the FBS/C-USA. Even Incarnate Word was set to join the WAC but decided against leaving the Southland 7 months later. It made little sense back in late 2020 when the news broke and SFA’s return would confirm that.

SFA has also been frequently mentioned as a realignment target for Conference USA, which is already expanding in 2024-25 with Kennesaw State and 2025-26 with Delaware to give C-USA 11 members. Adding a team like Stephen F. Austin would give C-USA 5 teams west of the Mississippi and provide closer travel partners for Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, and UTEP. A drive to 14 members could see them add additional teams (such as Missouri State and Tarleton State) to create balanced East and West divisions. Although this outcome is doubtful, it’s food for thought on other possibilities as C-USA seeks to expand.

NCAA Division 1 Sports Changes

NCAA Division 1 will establish a women’s wrestling championship beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Across all three divisions, $200,000 has been allocated for the championships held in 2025-26 and $1.5 million has been allocated for the championships held in 2026-27. Each Division still needs to vote to make women’s wrestling a sponsored sport at the NCAA Convention in January 2025 but that is likely to be a formality.

La Salle is adding 4 new sports beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The Explorers will begin competing in baseball (reinstated), women’s acrobatics and tumbling, women’s rugby, and women’s triathlon in 2025. Furthermore, La Salle is expanding its cheerleading and dance squads and starting a band program. La Salle is a full member of the Atlantic 10 Conference but only baseball is sponsored by the A10.

The three women’s teams added by La Salle are relatively small in terms of membership. La Salle will be the 11th Division 1 school to add women’s rugby (National Intercollegiate Rugby Association), the 11th D1 school to add acrobatics and tumbling (National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association), and the 15th to add women’s triathlon (USA Triathlon). Those three sports will join yet-to-be-determined conferences.

The Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America (CHA) announced they will merge into the Atlantic Hockey America beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The previous conferences were administrated together but run as separate entities. The 11 men’s teams that will move from the Atlantic Hockey Association to Atlantic Hockey America are Air Force, American International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Niagara, RIT, Robert Morris, and Sacred Heart. Six women’s teams will move from the CHA to the new AHA: Lindenwood, Mercyhurst, Penn State, RIT, Robert Morris, and Syracuse. Delaware is starting a women’s hockey team and will join the AHA in 2025-26.

The Summit League may add ice hockey to its sports offerings according to Collegiate Consulting. Denver, North Dakota, Omaha, and St. Thomas (MN) are the four current Summit members that sponsor men’s hockey. St. Thomas competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) while the other three compete in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

Tennessee State is adding 3 new sports according to its press release regarding the hiring of Duante Abercrombie as its men’s hockey coach. The Tigers will begin competing in baseball, women’s soccer, and women’s swimming and diving between 2025 and 2028. No additional details were provided.

Washington State will join the Mountain West Conference in baseball and women’s swimming beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Washington State (and Oregon State) will join the Mountain West in a majority of sports for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years as they attempt to rebuild the Pac-12. The Cougars will be eligible for the Mountain West championship in both sports.

NCAA Division 2 Sports Changes

Division 2 will undergo a few changes including unlimited transfers for undergraduate athletes (provided they meet academic eligibility), adding a women’s wrestling championship beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, realigning the four women’s lacrosse regions, and expanding the field hockey championship from 6 teams to 8 teams (3 automatic qualifiers and 5 at-large selections). There will not be an expansion of the football bracket before the next triennial budget in Fiscal Year 2025, which is currently set at 28 teams. Finally, schools that are applying for D2 membership can complete the process in two years instead of three under a new policy that goes into effect on August 1, 2024.

Based on a survey by D2Ticker, a majority of schools that responded are considering adding sports with the highest responses for women’s flag football and women’s lacrosse. Women’s wrestling was the third most considered sport along with cross country, STUNT, and track & field. On the flip side, over 10% of respondents said cutting sports is under consideration with cross country, tennis, and track & field mentioned most frequently. Nearly 10% believe their school may close while another 12% are considering a conference change or moving to a different division/affiliation.

Bridgeport University (Bridgeport, Connecticut) will bring back its men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The school cut both teams after the 2018-19 academic year due to a low number of athletes for diving and women’s swimming. Bridgeport is a full member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), which does not sponsor the sport meaning the school will need to find a different conference for swimming and diving.

Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, Kentucky) is discontinuing its bowling programs after the 2023-24 academic year. The men’s team had already been downgraded to a club sport while the women’s team competed in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) against teams from all three NCAA divisions.

Point Park University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is adding 4 new teams – men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s wrestling – beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Point Park is moving from the NAIA to the Mountain East Conference at the NCAA Division 2 level in 2024-25. The MEC sponsors men’s wrestling and women’s lacrosse but doesn’t sponsor either men’s lacrosse or women’s wrestling.

Regis University (Denver, Colorado) is adding men’s outdoor track & field along with women’s indoor and outdoor track & field beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Regis is a full member of the Rocky Mountain Atheltic Conference (RMAC), which is where the three new teams will compete.

Saint Augustine’s University (Raleigh, North Carolina) will not compete in football for the 2024-25 academic year as speculated in the Realignment Report from March 31, 2024. However, unlike the March 31 report, the majority of SAU athletic programs (11 in total) will compete in 2024-25 while the school attempts to sort out its financial and accreditation issues. SAU is a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Wheeling University (Wheeling, West Virginia) is adding women’s rugby as its 21st varsity sport beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Wheeling will compete in either the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) or the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR). Wheeling is a full member of the Mountain East Conference.

North Greenville Selects New Nickname and Mascot

North Greenville University (Tigerville, South Carolina) is changing its nickname and mascot. The school will change its nickname from the Crusaders to the Trailblazers and use a red fox as its mascot starting on June 15. NGU previously used the Crusaders nickname beginning in 2001 and were the Mountaineers before 2001. North Greenville is a member of the Conference Carolinas.

NCAA Division 3 Sports Changes

NCAA Division 3 will establish a women’s wrestling championship beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Across all three divisions, $200,000 has been allocated for the championships held in 2025-26 and $1.5 million has been allocated for the championships held in 2026-27. Each Division still needs to vote to make women’s wrestling a sponsored sport at the NCAA Convention in January 2025 but that is likely to be a formality.

D3Ticker surveyed athletic directors from Divison 3 and found that 53% of respondents are considering adding sports with women’s flag football, women’s wrestling, and men’s volleyball making up the top three. 16% may eliminate sports with cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, and swimming & diving being referenced the most. 12% believe their school may close and 8% are considering a change of conference or division/NCAA affiliation.

Two schools canceled the remainder of their season due to a lack of available athletes. Alma College (Alma, Michigan) forfeited its final game against Hope College. The Scots were 1-11 before the forfeit and 0-5 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The University of Southern Maine (Gorham, Maine) canceled the final two matches of its men’s tennis season and forfeited the final two matches against Little East Conference opponents Bridgewater State and Rhode Island College. USM had also canceled its previous two matches due to the lack of available players.

Albertus Magnus College (New Haven, Connecticut) will add women’s golf beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. AMC is a full member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) but the GNAC doesn’t sponsor women’s golf. It is not known which conference women’s golf will compete in at this time.

Benedictine (Lisle, Illinois) is adding women’s flag football beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Benedictine will play an independent schedule in 2024-25 against fellow NCAA Division 3 schools, NAIA programs, and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) institutions. Benedictine is a full member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC).

The Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) will join the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) in women’s wrestling beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. MSOE’s men’s wrestling team is already an associate member of the CCIW. MSOE announced the addition of a women’s wrestling team in November 2023 but did not provide the conference the team would compete in. MSOE is a primary member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC).

Speaking of the NACC, they will add three programs as lacrosse affiliates beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, Illinois) will join the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in both men’s and women’s lacrosse. The University of Dubuque (Dubuque, Iowa) will join in men’s lacrosse. All three schools are leaving the Midwest Lacrosse Conference.

The University of New England (Biddeford, Maine) is adding men’s and women’s tennis beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The Nor’easters are a full member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which is where both tennis teams will compete.

Western Connecticut State (Danbury, Connecticut) is adding 7 new teams over the following three years. In 2024-25, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, women’s golf, and a club women’s ice hockey will begin competition. The track & field teams will compete in the Little East while women’s golf will compete in a yet-to-be-determined conference. In 2025-26, the men’s ice hockey team will transition from club to varsity and join the Little East Conference. In 2026-27, the aforementioned women’s ice hockey team will transition to varsity status and join the Little East.

Wells College Closing

Wells College (Aurora, New York) is closing at the end of the 2023-24 academic year citing the lack of financial resources to continue operating. Wells will partner with Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York for its teach-out program that allows current Wells students to continue their education. Wells College opened in 1868 as a women’s Seminary school and did not become co-educational until 2005. Wells competed in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

NCAA Expands Division 3 Championships; Football Adopts Timing Rules

The NCAA Division 3 Management Council has voted to expand the bracket sizes in 9 sports: baseball (from 60 to 64), field hockey (26 to 28), football (32 to 40), men’s (12 to 14) and women’s ice hockey (11 to 12), men’s (38 to 40) and women’s lacrosse (46 to 47), men’s volleyball (16 to 19), and softball (62 to 64).

The big change is in football with the 8 new slots and combining Pools B and C for at-large selections. That will necessitate an additional Saturday of games meaning teams in the first round would play 6 playoff games to win the National Championship. D3Football had an excellent breakdown of what a 40-team playoff might look like back in January 2024. Division 3 will also use the new timing rules previously implemented at the D1 and D2 levels before the 2023 season. D3 had an average game length of 2 hours and 50 minutes in 2023.

Hiram College Returning to PAC

Hiram College (Hiram, Ohio) is headed back to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Hiram will leave the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) after a quarter century following the 2024-25 academic year. The NCAC already has John Caroll joining in 2025-26, which will keep the conference at 9 members while the PAC will increase to 12 members.

LeTourneau Heading for the SCAC

Another school is headed for the American Southwest Confernece (ASC) exit door as LeTourneau University (Longview, Texas) will join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The move will put the ASC at only four full members – East Texas Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, and Mary Hardin-Baylor – but it may only be a matter of time before the ASC is no more.

Little East Commissioner Retiring

Pamela Samuelson will retire from her post as Little East Confernece Commissioner at the end of the 2023-24 academic year in July 2024. Samuelson was in charge of the LEC for 5 years. There has been little change in full membership for the Little East since its inception but there have been quite a few changes to associate member sports. Most recently, the Little East added men’s and women’s ice hockey as sponsored sports with both set to commence in 2025-26.

NAIA Sports Changes

Brescia University (Owensboro, Kentucky) is adding men’s and women’s bowling beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Both teams will compete in the Mid-South Conference as Brescia’s primary conference – River States – does not sponsor the sport.

Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville, Georgia) is adding men’s and women’s basketball programs beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. This was rumored back in April 2023 as a possibility with the new convocation center being built on campus, which is where both teams will play their home games. Georgia Gwinnett is a member of the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC), which is comprised of independent NAIA institutions.

Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina, Kansas) is moving from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to the Heart of America Conference (HAAC) for men’s volleyball beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. KWU will be the HAAC’s 11th men’s volleyball team. The Coyotes are a full member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) but the conference doesn’t sponsor men’s volleyball.

Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Missouri) is adding archery to its shooting sports program beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. MVC will compete in USA Archery, ASA Archery, and JOAD Archery. Missouri Valley is a full member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).

The University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, Ohio) is adding football beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Rio Grande last played football and 1950. The school intends to start a marching band alongside the addition of football and will play at the Jackson County High School stadium until they can construct their own facility. The RedStorm hopes to join the Appalachian Athletic Conference as their primary conference – River States – doesn’t sponsor the sport.

Valley City State (Valley City, North Dakota) will upgrade its shooting team from club to varsity status beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The newly minted varsity program will be a coed squad.

Wiley University (Marshall, Texas) is adding softball as a club sport beginning with the 2024-25 academic year and will move to varsity status in 2025-26. Wiley will compete in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), which is currently named the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) and the school’s primary conference.

Saint Katherine Closes

The University of Saint Katherine (San Marcos, California) closed with immediate effect on Thursday, April 25. The school was unable to meet its financial obligations and will file for bankruptcy protection. USK was a full member of the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) and was set to join the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) in 2024. The Cal Pac is already losing Benedictine-Mesa, Embry-Riddle Prescott, and Park University-Gilbert to the GSAC in 2024 with UC Merced moving to NCAA Division 2’s California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in 2025. On top of that, the University of Antelope Valley closed in March 2024.

The Cal Pac Conference will have 7 members with California State Maritime, La Sierra University, Pacific Union College, Providence Christian College, Simpson University, Soka University, and Westcliff University.

Photo Courtesy of Stephen F. Austin University