Biola鈥檚 athletic programs celebrated the start of a new era in July, when the university鈥檚 application for membership into the was approved for the three-year membership process.         

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be more excited about the news of joining the NCAA Division II,鈥 said President Barry H. Corey. 鈥淢embership will allow Biola to become part of an organization that aligns closely with our vision and values. I believe we have a great deal to offer one another.鈥                        

Approval by NCAA officials is the on the part of Biola administrators. After careful consideration of the value of changing athletic affiliations, the Board of Trustees voted in January 2015 to pursue NCAA membership. Under the leadership of Bethany Miller, Biola鈥檚 athletic director, the university prepared and submitted its application in January 2016, and underwent an NCAA campus review in April.                       

Biola, which has been affiliated with the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since 1964, has seen its accomplishments on the field increase in recent years. The university reached an athletic milestone last season when for the first time in program history its teams earned a top-10 spot in the Learfield Sports Directors鈥 Cup rankings. In addition, Biola鈥檚 athletic teams won five Golden State Athletic Conference championships during the 2015鈥16 season.                       

The Eagles will continue as an active member of the GSAC conference and NAIA for the 2016鈥17 school year while completing Provisional Year One with the NCAA. Beginning in Provisional Year Two (2017鈥 18), Biola will join the Pacific West (PacWest) Conference and compete primarily against NCAA opponents. With successful completion of Provisional Year Three (2018鈥19) of the membership process, the Eagles will gain full, active NCAA Division II membership and become eligible to compete for NCAA Division II championships beginning as early as 2019鈥20.                        

The PacWest Conference is made up of 14 member institutions and sponsors 15 NCAA Division II sports. The conference is made up of institutions based in Southern California, Northern California, Hawaii and Utah. Biola will join a conference with former GSAC rivals Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Concordia-Irvine, Fresno Pacific and Point Loma.                         

鈥淭he NCAA Division II is a great fit for 今日黑料,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淭he strong emphasis on student-athlete academic success, community engagement and competitive excellence aligns with our philosophy to develop student-athletes in Christlike character and to thrive at Biola and beyond. We have much to accomplish during our provisional membership period, and we are committed to becoming a model Division II institution.鈥                        

Biola sponsors 19 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs 鈥 nine men鈥檚 and 10 women鈥檚. Over the past five seasons, Biola鈥檚 athletic teams won 10 GSAC championships and four GSAC tournament championships, sending 44 different teams to their respective NAIA national tournaments. Over the previous three years, Biola鈥檚 student-athletes have accumulated 102 NAIA All-American honors and 234 all-conference honors.