Walsh University Application Accepted by the NCAA

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Walsh University has been approved for the Division II membership process in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Cavaliers were notified by the NCAA in a phone call to University president Richard Jusseaume and Director of Athletics Dale Howard.

“Our acceptance to candidacy in NCAA II culminates more than a year of hard work to meet required criteria. We consider this the next step forward in bringing our athletic programs to a level consistent with a Catholic university of distinction,” Walsh University President Richard Jusseaume.

The Cavaliers will remain active members within the NAIA for the next two years while beginning the transition period. Walsh has been part of the association for almost 40 years.

“We are very excited about the prospect of obtaining full membership into the NCAA II. Walsh has a very proud history in the NAIA, winning national championships and numerous conference championships, and we are now poised to move our athletic program to the next level," Walsh University Director of Athletics Dale Howard."

The Walsh athletic program, which contains eight teams for women and eight for men, will enter what is called Candidacy Year 1 with the NCAA followed by Candidacy Year 2. Year three is known as a provisional year which requires Walsh to drop its NAIA membership as it meets additional NCAA requirements.

If all goes as planned, the Cavaliers would become a full NCAA member in their fourth year of compliance which would be the 2013-14 academic year.

Only six schools in the state of Ohio are active Division II members - Ashland, Central State, Findlay, Lake Erie, Tiffin, and Urbana, who just found out on Friday that it was approved for full membership. Other schools from the state in the NCAA membership process include Cedarville, Ohio Dominican and Notre Dame College.

Walsh will remain a member of the American Mideast Conference. The Cavaliers joined the Mid-Ohio Conference in 1975-76.