OKLAHOMA CITY (July 29, 2015) – Oklahoma Christian University said Wednesday it has been approved for full NCAA Division II membership, the final step of a journey that began in earnest four years ago.
The decision by the NCAA means that starting with the 2015-16 academic year, the university's teams now are eligible for NCAA and Heartland Conference postseason competition. The Lady Eagles and Eagles will be able to compete in conference tournaments and earn automatic or at-large bids into NCAA Division II tournaments and meets.
OC's membership officially begins on Sept. 1, and the first two OC athletic events under the NCAA banner will be Sept. 3, when the men's soccer team visits Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and the women's soccer team visits Newman (Kan.).
"Oklahoma Christian is honored to enter the NCAA as a full member – and we are ready to continue to compete at the highest levels!" OC President John deSteiguer said. "We are proud of our decades of athletic success, historically in the NAIA and for the last three years as we have been transitioning into the NCAA. Our student-athletes and coaches are important parts of our university family."
OC Athletic Director
Curtis Janz said the successful move to NCAA Division II status required the participation of the entire campus.
"I am very proud of the improvements we have made in the athletics department," Janz said. "It has been a team effort.
Mike Farris,
Murray Evans,
Teresa DeBoard,
Dean Findley and
David Lynn, along with all the coaches, have invested a great deal of time and effort to make this happen. However, this is not just an athletic achievement. It has been a campus-wide effort.
"Many departments on campus have come together to make this a reality. The offices of the registrar, financial aid, student life and admissions have led the way on this collaborative endeavor. I am excited to get to compete for postseason opportunities in the Heartland Conference and the NCAA. We will have to compete at a higher level, but I believe in the character of our coaches and student-athletes and I believe we will be able to build on the athletics success that OC has had in recent years."
OC had held membership in the NAIA from 1965 until June 2011 and had been a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference since its creation in 1978 until leaving the NAIA. Changes in the composition of the NAIA, along with the growth of the university, led OC to re-evaluate its affiliations.
In 2006, OC began a community-wide discussion and study regarding national affiliation. The study, which was led by Janz after he became OC's athletic director, was overseen by then-OC President Mike O'Neal, the President's Advisory Council and the university's Board of Trustees.
The process consisted of a comprehensive study of the university's athletic programs, institutional framework and long-term strategy and fit. This process included OC's senior administrators, staff, faculty, students, alumni, boosters and community neighbors.
Through this process, the university determined its strategic values and long-term vision were more closely aligned with those of NCAA Division II. In April 2011, the OC Board of Trustees approved the filing of an application for NCAA Division II affiliation. The NCAA turned down OC's initial membership application in 2011, but accepted another application filed in 2012.
OC spent the last three years working through the NCAA membership process, successfully advancing each year. The university was a provisional Division II member during the 2014-15 academic year. During those three years, OC also was a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, in order to provide postseason opportunities for its student-athletes.
Now those student-athletes will be able to compete for NCAA titles.
"As a student-athlete, this transition means fresh opportunity," said Shea Coats, a junior softball player from Tuttle who earned Division II All-South Central Region honors in 2015. "The NCAA is the most elite collegiate athletic organization in the United States and to be a part of it provides the opportunity to compete against some of the greatest athletes across America.
"It gives an opportunity for our school to be acknowledged on a larger national stage and to shine a light on the tremendous academic and athletic achievements of our institution. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity of a balanced academic, athletic and social setting through its scholarship programs, health and safety benefits and volunteer work."
During the 2012-13 academic year, OC began competing as a member of the Heartland Conference, a Division II league with 11 member schools in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. Another Heartland school, Lubbock Christian (Texas), also was approved for full NCAA membership, while Rogers State has moved into the third year of the Division II membership process.
OC offers varsity programs in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field.
Founded in 1906, the NCAA oversees 88 championships in 23 sports. There are more than 400,000 student-athletes competing in three divisions at more than 1,000 colleges and universities within the NCAA, including more than 300 in Division II. In Oklahoma, 12 universities – including OC – either are full members of or seeking membership in Division II. The average enrollment of Division II schools is about 4,200 students.
OC Athletic Director
Curtis Janz:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4435326/NCAA%20Acceptance%20Q%26A%20Teaser..m4vOC In The NCAA video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQSGKfhX7s&feature=em-subs_digestWHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT OC'S MOVE INTO NCAA DIVISION II:Ray Vaughn Jr., Oklahoma County Commissioner and 1970 OC graduate:"It is certainly gratifying to see how far OC has come since my father, Ray Vaughn, became the one-man athletic department in 1958. OC is definitely on the climb athletically and I am confident that our performance as a full NCAA Division II member will be quite competitive."
Sherri Coale, University of Oklahoma women's basketball coach and 1987 OC graduate:"I know this has been a tedious task for the university as achieving D-2 status is not for the faint of heart. I have such fond memories of the NAIA that the move feels bittersweet to me, however, the opportunities afforded through membership with the NCAA are very enticing, and the immediate advantages are very real. Athletically, OC will undoubtedly face significant landscape changes that will present unprecedented challenges. While the road to championships at the D-2 ranks may require additional resources to stay competitive and, ultimately, may take some time to navigate, I am certain that the caliber of coaches there are at OC, under the direction of Athletic Director
Curtis Janz, will find ways to maintain our tradition of excellence in competition."
Sunny Golloway, Auburn University baseball coach and 1984 OC graduate:"I am excited for OC. To have played there when it was NAIA and be in the state at Oral Roberts and Oklahoma, I've got to watch OC grow with pride. Every time I have been back through that area, I'll drive on the campus. It brings back a lot of fond memories, just watching the university grow. I know coach (Stephanie) Findley and coach (Dan) Hays and coach (Lonny) Cobble well and it's been neat to follow the progress. I couldn't be more excited about this. I am a proud alum."
Chris Young, Oklahoma State University women's tennis coach and 2000 OC graduate:"This is an exciting step for the future of Oklahoma Christian athletics and an opportunity to raise the profile of the university on a national level. As a proud alum, I am excited to see the continued progression of the department and the success of each program. The athletic department has grown so much over the years and I am thrilled with the progress of each program and the opportunities they will now have to represent OC at a higher level."
Sam Winterbotham, University of Tennessee men's tennis coach and 1999 OC graduate:"I love Oklahoma Christian and I am grateful for the education I received there. I am very proud to be a graduate of a great school. The move to Division II seems to be a really positive step, allowing the university to compete at a much higher level. My hope is that with this move, sports that have been so dominant at the NAIA level might be brought back to be as dominant at the Division II level.
State Rep. Mike Sanders of Kingfisher, 1997 OC graduate"I am so proud of my alma mater, Oklahoma Christian, for achieving NCAA Division II status. This has been a lengthy process but all good things take time. This status will benefit the OC family and all of OC athletics. I am beaming with pride. Congrats!"
State Rep. Randy Grau of Edmond"I am proud to celebrate with OC in starting a new chapter in a long, successful story of producing quality student-athletes. OC and its numerous athletic and academic programs have a far-reaching, positive impact in this community, state and nation. The NCAA Division II, its member institutions and OC will all benefit greatly from this new partnership."
Shea Coats, OC junior softball student-athlete:"To be aligned with the NCAA is an incredible honor for OC and personally as a student-athlete. I'm so thankful for the chance to represent our school on the field and I am more than excited for the future of Oklahoma Christian University and the NCAA."
Loren Gresham, President, Southern Nazarene University:"Hearing of Oklahoma Christian's acceptance into NCAA Division II was certainly good news for the division and for small-college athletics in Oklahoma. Having been competitors for five decades in the same conference, we value their university culture and their sportsmanlike values in the arena of sport. We look forward to continuing our relationship to Eagle teams in the future as our schools engage in intercollegiate contests for the mutual benefit of both institutions. Congratulations, Oklahoma Christian!"
Curtis Janz, Athletic Director, Oklahoma Christian University and 1986 OC graduate:"NCAA Division II has many aspects in which Oklahoma Christian believes. We understand that you cannot compartmentalize excellence. Excellence in the athletic arena is not good enough. We expect our student-athletes to show excellence in their academics, in their leadership, in their spiritual development and in their service to the community. Division II also believes in these things and it shows with the "Life in the Balance" initiative and their focus on student-athlete well-being."
