University of Southern Indiana Athletics Announce Fast-Track to Full Division I Membership
Here's some exciting news regarding University of Southern Indiana Athletics. School officials announced that USI is accelerating its transition to full NCAA Division I membership. That means the Screaming Eagles will be eligible for NCAA Championships sooner than expected!
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USI Interim President Steve Bridges and USI Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall shared a statement that reads (in part)...
In a call today with the NCAA, we confirmed that we are meeting their academic and financial requirements, and USI is ready to be a full-fledged Division I member. Our campus community will work extremely hard this spring to fulfill the necessary criteria to be eligible for NCAA Championships beginning in 2025-2026. Under the previous path, USI Athletics would not have been eligible until 2026-2027. We will work hand in hand with the NCAA and OVC over the next several months to meet reporting deadlines and host site visits on campus. Our coaches and staff are excited about what lies ahead for USI Athletics!
This is huge news for USI Athletics! The Screaming Eagles have already been making waves in their new Division I conferences. They’ve seen major success in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), Horizon League (men’s tennis), and Summit League (swimming and diving). Just last year, the women’s basketball team won the OVC regular season and conference championship, while the men’s and women’s cross-country teams dominated their league. USI runners have also racked up an impressive 13 individual championship titles in cross country and track & field!
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But remember, we're talking about student-athletes here, and the USI athletes are excelling in the classroom, too. The university has earned the prestigious OVC Institutional Achievement Award for academic excellence in each of its first two years in the conference.
The future is looking brighter than ever for USI Athletics! With an incredible team of coaches, staff, and student-athletes, the Screaming Eagles are ready to take their game to the highest level!
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