The Division II Membership Committee has enhanced its application process for potential new members by providing a series of “minimum expectations” for schools to meet before they apply to enter the Division II membership process.

The new standards result from the Membership Committee’s desire to ensure that applicants are serious about Division II membership. The minimum expectations in fact dovetail with a change in nomenclature for the process that renames the previous “exploratory” period as a “candidacy” term. The idea is to encourage potential applicants to be farther along in their preparation for Division II membership before they apply so they can move through the candidacy and provisional periods more efficiently.

The changes are part of a new membership application process that is now available online.

“The minimum-expectations document is an effort to provide greater clarity to institutions interested in applying for Division II membership,” said Membership Committee Chair Glenn Stokes, the faculty athletics representative at Columbus State. “These benchmarks provide guidance as to what qualities the committee is looking for in an institution that wants to become a part of Division II.”

Following are the new minimum expectations potential Division II members must satisfy:

•         Analysis/Feasibility Study. The institution shall demonstrate that broad-based, campus-wide discussions occurred regarding membership in Division II, including a discussion on the necessary resources and personnel to operate a Division II intercollegiate athletics program. If the institution used the services of an outside firm or consultant to conduct a feasibility study, the institution should be willing to share the findings of the study with the Membership Committee.

•         Accredited Four-Year Baccalaureate Degree(s)-Granting Institution. The institution shall demonstrate that it is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies and has been offering four-year baccalaureate degree(s) for a minimum of one academic year. (For Canadian institutions, the institution must have applied to a United States regional accrediting agency prior to making application to enter the membership process.)

•         History of a Varsity Athletics Program. The institution shall demonstrate that it has been offering an athletics program at the varsity level for a minimum of one academic year.

•         Strategic Vision for the Intercollegiate Athletics Program. The institution shall provide a clear, detailed strategic vision/plan for its intercollegiate athletics program, including an outline of key goals and priorities, associated timeline and commitment of resources.

•         Commitment of Personnel and Resources. The institution shall demonstrate that it has committed personnel to operate the intercollegiate athletics program at the Division II level, including a full-time director of athletics and a full-time administrative staff member with compliance responsibilities that does not have coaching responsibilities. 

•         Sports Sponsorship. The institution shall demonstrate that it is meeting the Division II minimum sports-sponsorship requirements as outlined in Bylaw 20.10.3 and the three-season requirement as outlined in Bylaw 20.10.4 at the time of application. If the institution is not meeting those requirements, it must include a detailed plan, including a timeline and commitment of resources, to demonstrate that it will be meeting them by the time the institution begins the provisional period.

•         Athletically Related Financial Aid. The institution shall demonstrate that it is meeting the Division II financial aid requirements as outlined in Bylaw 20.10.1 at the time of application. If the institution is not meeting those requirements, it must include a detailed plan, including a timeline and commitment of resources, to demonstrate that it will be meeting them by the time the institution begins the provisional period.

Applications are due no later than June 1. Ultimately, the Membership Committee has the authority to accept or not accept an institution’s application to enter the Division II membership process.