PURDUE NORTHWEST APPROVED FOR FINAL YEAR OF NCAA II MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
HAMMOND and WESTVILLE, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) athletics moved closer to completing the NCAA Division II membership process after the NCAA on Friday approved advancing the Pride into its third and final provisional year.
“This is an important achievement,” said PNW Chancellor Thomas L. Keon. “It clearly demonstrates that here at Purdue Northwest, we balance high quality academics with a highly regarded and competitive athletics program. We are extremely grateful to our entire university community for all the support of our student-athletes, as well as dedication and hard work shown throughout this process.”
Membership into NCAA Division II is a three-year process. PNW is anticipated to complete the provisional period at the end of the 2018-19 academic year and become an NCAA member in 2019-20.
“This is awesome news! The Pride student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, administration and PNW community worked very hard to achieve this milestone,” said Director of Athletics Rick Costello. “On behalf of PNW, I would like to thank the NCAA membership committee for advancing the Pride to the final year. We are excited for this next step in continuing the progress of our athletic department. Go Pride!”
Purdue Northwest enters its second year of competition in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) this fall, joining Ashland (Ohio), Davenport (Mich.), Ferris State (Mich.), Grand Valley State (Mich.), Lake Superior State (Mich.), Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Northwood (Mich.), Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Wayne State (Mich.), and Wisconsin Parkside (Wis.)
About NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II is one of the three membership divisions at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, an organization comprising more than 1,200 institutions, conferences and affiliated organizations. Division II is a group of institutions and conferences that serve almost 90,000 student-athletes nationwide, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The emphasis for the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and the development of societal attitudes in service to the community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning provide Division II student-athletes with a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead. For additional information on Division II efforts, visit ncaa.org.
About Purdue University Northwest
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that values academic excellence, supports growth and celebrates diversity. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW fosters a vibrant academic community through high quality and engaging undergraduate and graduate education.