Thomas More University is a step closer to competing in NCAA Division II athletics. The school in Crestview Hills has been formally granted provisional membership.
The move comes almost a year after being granted provisional membership in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). The university expects to begin competing in the GMAC in the 2023-24 school year. In a release, Thomas More says that means its teams would be eligible for NCAA Championships during the 2025-26 year.
"The transition to the NCAA is significant as we continue to enhance our regional position as the premier Catholic Liberal Arts University," says Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D., in a release. "The experience that we create for our student-athletes is intentional and designed for success in the classroom and on the field of competition. As we invest in our athletics program by adding new sports, full-time coaches, and renovations and expansions in facilities, this opportunity to elevate the position of Thomas More Athletics with the reputation and brand of the NCAA is a significant and transformational endeavor."
The Saints currently compete in the Mid-South Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
The school left NCAA Division III to go to the NAIA in 2019. At that time, Chillo called the move a logical step, saying it would help Thomas More create its university brand. Thomas More switched from being a college to a university in October 2018.
Chillo said another factor was being in the NAIA allowed the school to provide its student athletes with scholarships.
Thomas More was previously part of the NAIA from 1947 to 1990 when it moved to the NCAA.
