Daytona Beach, FL – The athletics department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University takes a big step in its quest to become part of the NCAA.
The NCAA Membership Committee is allowing ERAU to move forward with the second part of the 3-year membership process after ruling that the school successfully completed its first year of candidacy in the 2014-15 academic year.
“This is a great day for Embry-Riddle and our athletic program,” said Embry-Riddle Director of Athletics John Phillips. “We are excited to move another step closer toward full membership in NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference.”
4 other schools – California State University of San Marcos, Emmanuel College of Georgia, Oklahoma Baptist University and Concordia University’s campuses in Irvine (California) and Portland – were also approved for Year 2 along with ERAU.
This comes as the Eagles embark on their first full season of NCAA Division II in all of its 17 sports as provisional members of the SSC in 2015-16. Prior to this, ERAU was part of the NAIA.
Under the current rules, Embry-Riddle isn’t allowed to play in any SSC championship events or any other kind of postseason play in NCAA II until the 3-year process is completed successfully.
In effect, it means no postseason play for at least the next 2 years, assuming that ERAU does enough to pass through the membership committee this coming season as well as in 2016-17. If that is the case, Embry-Riddle will be a full NCAA member by the 2017-18 season.
Phillips admits that ERAU will have a long way to go to be ready competitively for what he calls the best NCAA Division II conference in the country, but does feel that the school has what it takes right now to compete academically with its new peers.
“In each of the last 16 seasons, Embry-Riddle student-athletes have posted a higher combined grade point average than the rest of the entire Embry-Riddle student body,” Phillips added.
In addition, all of ERAU’s sports teams are now “Scholar Teams” because each team hit an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better in 2014-15. That’s the first time it’s ever happened at ERAU, according to Phillips.
As part of the process, ERAU has been recruiting student-athletes under NCAA guidelines for the past year and putting them through the NCAA Clearinghouse, a must for any student-athlete in order to be eligible for competition.
SSC members won 7 national titles this past season in different sports, something that Phillips says makes it clear that ERAU will need to raise its level of play in all sports just to keep up with its fellow conference members.
Having said that, Phillips also thinks the school’s increased numbers in its summer camps this year are a direct result of the move to NCAA Division II and he believes that – along with the increased media exposure – will greatly benefit the university for years to come, especially if it also leads to more alumni money and involvement down the line.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.