Blue Hose moving into Division I

April 6, 2006

The Presbyterian College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to allow the Blue Hose athletics program to begin the process of reclassification from NCAA Division II to Division I (Division I-AA in football).

The official process will begin when PC submits its formal application to the NCAA, which is due June 1.

"Presbyterian College is committed to excellence in academics and in all that we do for our students. This move will further strengthen PC by incorporating the strategic plan for athletics into PC: 2010, the college's strategic plan," PC president John Griffith said.  "Membership in Division I/I-AA football will complement our central academic and student life priorities and will allow greater opportunities to play many of our historic rivals."

The college on Wednesday applied for and was granted membership to the Division I Big South Conference.  The Blue Hose will begin Big South competition as a member beginning with the fall 2007 semester. "On behalf of the entire membership of the Big South Conference - student/athletes, coaches and presidents, we are pleased and very excited to welcome the entire community of Presbyterian College to the conference," said G. David Pollick, Birmingham-Southern College president and president of the Big South Conference.  "Both the quality of the Big South Conference and Presbyterian College truly make this a pleasure.  It is always satisfying when high quality organizations which share a common value system find one another, making each just that much stronger.  Such is the case with this marriage.  The Big South's commitment to the preparation of young leaders by combining high scholarly expectations with healthy athletic competition is wonderfully characterized in the addition of our newest member - Presbyterian  College."

 "As its newest member, Presbyterian College brings to the Conference a strong history of excellence in its intercollegiate athletics program.  The institution is also a very good fit for the Big South in terms of its geographical location, its facilities and its dedication to the ideals of academic excellence and the true spirit of athletic competition," added Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio, chairman of the Conference's Membership Committee and President of Winthrop University. 

"Everyone throughout the Big South Conference joins me in saying we look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Presbyterian."

Griffith said the Big South Conference was the first choice of the college as it examined conference membership options.

"The Big South is an excellent conference for Presbyterian College to join as we begin play in NCAA Division I.  The competitive opportunities for Blue Hose athletes and the opportunity to be associated with such fine institutions are important factors for us," he said.  "Over the past decade, we have played several conference members and now look forward to a permanent relationship with these institutions and to establishing new relationships as a member of the Big South," Griffith said.

PC's athletics teams will continue to compete during the 2006-07 academic year as a member of the Division II South Atlantic Conference and will remain eligible for all SAC and Division II national championships.  That marks an exploratory year during which PC must finalize its decision to move forward.

If the college chooses to continue with its reclassification following the exploratory period, it must notify the NCAA in writing.  That confirmation will commence a four-year transition period during which the Blue Hose athletic teams will compete at the Division I level within the Big South Conference, but its results will not count in conference standing and Blue Hose teams will not be eligible for league championships or postseason play.  PC's first season as a full Division I/IAA football member will be 2011-12.

" Presbyterian College will be an outstanding member of the Big South Conference," Big South commissioner Kyle B. Kallander said.  "Its thoughtful and extensive deliberation of its move to Division I and the Big South portends a successful transition.  There is no question that Presbyterian will compete successfully for conference championships immediately upon achieving eligibility."

The recommendation to advance the college's athletics program came following a two-year study by a strategic planning committee chaired by PC director of athletics Bee Carlton.  That group examined the current state of the athletics department, financial analyses, peer comparison, site visits, and a survey of the three current competitive divisions within the NCAA.

"It's been an interesting and educational two years," Carlton said.  "What made me a believer was visiting schools similar to us that made the transition - from Wofford, which we were certainly familiar with, to Birmingham-Southern and, more recently, places like High Point University.  These are schools that are doing things in a quality way.  It struck me that we are already doing a lot of the same things in a quality way, so in many respects it should not be such a challenging step up."

PC sponsors intercollegiate play for both men and women in basketball, soccer, tennis, cross country, golf, lacrosse, and cheerleading.  The Blue Hose also field teams in football, volleyball, baseball, and softball.
Because lacrosse is not currently offered as a sport in the Big South Conference, the PC men's and women's lacrosse teams play independent schedules.

A charter member of the South Atlantic Conference, PC has claimed the league's Athletic Excellence Award, presented annually to the top athletic program in the conference, during four of the past eight years.

Blue Hose teams have made a conference-leading 60 postseason appearances since the SAC began full NCAA Division II play in 1993.  Conference schools previously had participated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).  The college boasts 13 ESPN the Magazine Academic All America selections since 1994.

"I think (Division I/IAA football) is the next logical step.  The way the world is, you never stay the same.  You try to move forward and do things with excellence.  I believe we're right on the cusp of moving forward and doing some very exciting things," Carlton said.

For information on the Blue Hose athletics program, visit www.presby.edu/bluehose.