Tuesday, October 14, 2008
USI to play new opponents next year
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The USI Screaming Eagles will be seeing new opponents on the conference schedule next year with the admittance of Maryville University and the University of Illinois at Springfield by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The GLVC Council of Presidents at their October 7 meeting unanimously approved their admittance. “The Great Lakes Valley Conference is pleased to welcome both Maryville University and the University of Illinois at Springfield to the league,” said Jim Naumovich, GLVC commissioner. “Both institutions boast outstanding academic and solid athletic programs and are well positioned to make a successful transition to NCAA Division II.” The two institutions will begin regular season competition in the GLVC during the 2009-10 academic year. UIS will be eligible for postseason competition in 2010-2011, while Maryville will compete for postseason championships in 2011-2012. The delay in postseason eligibility coincides with the institution’s eligibility for NCAA Division II championships as each is completing reclassification. UIS, previously affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), is in its second exploratory year in Division II, while Maryville is currently in its first exploratory year as it makes the transition from Division III. With the addition of Maryville and UIS, the GLVC also announced the change from two to three divisions for basketball in 2009-10. USI will move to the South Division that will include traditional rivals Bellarmine University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, the University of Indianapolis, and Northern Kentucky University. Maryville is located in St. Louis, and along with the University of Missouri-St. Louis, will be one of two GLVC institutions in the St. Louis area. Maryville sponsors 13 sports including all seven of the ‘core’ sports (men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball) currently sponsored by the GLVC. The Saints also sponsor men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s cross country, each of which are sponsored by the conference. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois. The athletic department was established in 1977 and the Prairie Stars competed in the NAIA as an independent until the 2002-03 academic year when they joined the America Midwest Conference (AMC). UIS built a strong athletic foundation in the NAIA and captured three national championships in men’s soccer, while producing a national presence in several other sports. The University sponsors 10 sports, all of which are sponsored by the GLVC. The Prairie Stars offer men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, softball, and volleyball. They are expected to add baseball by the 2010-11 academic year to fulfill the GLVC ‘core’ sports requirement. The GLVC was established in 1978 and is one of the largest NCAA Division II conferences in the country. The GLVC last expanded in 2005 with the addition of Drury, Rockhurst and Missouri S&T. The league began in 1978 with six members and had previously expanded to 14 members in 2005, prior to SIU Edwardsville’s departure in 2008. The addition of Maryville and UIS will mark the first time in its history the GLVC has had 15 members. Ray Simmons Sports Information Rsimmons@usi.edu or 812/465-1622 |
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