Frostburg State University Accepted Into NCAA Division II Membership Process
Jul 12, 2019 5:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.(July 12, 2019) – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced earlier this afternoon that Frostburg State University has officially been accepted to begin the Division II membership process, capping a 41-year run as a member of Division III.
Frostburg and its 21 varsity programs will join the Mountain East Conference (MEC) for the 2019-20 athletic year after accepting a membership invitation to join the league last July.
“We see this move as an advantage to our student-athletes and to our institution as a whole. We look forward to a new level of competition and new connections with schools in the Mountain East Conference,” said FSU President Ronald Nowaczyk.
Frostburg’s acceptance became official earlier today in a news release from the NCAA National Office. FSU is now just the second Division II member in the state of Maryland, joining Bowie State University.
“Today’s announcement is a culmination of 18 months of work across many departments throughout campus. The students, faculty and staff on our campus have worked tirelessly to make this a reality,” said Frostburg Director of Athletics Troy A. Dell. “Collectively, they should all be commended for this achievement. We look forward to turning the page and beginning the provisional process.”
The Bobcats currently sponsor 18 of the MEC’s 20 championship sports with eight men's sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, outdoor track and field, soccer, swimming and tennis) and nine women’s sports (acrobatics & tumbling, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball). FSU recently announced Acrobatics & Tumbling as its 22nd varsity sport, starting in the fall of 2020 and competing in the spring of 2021.
“We congratulate Frostburg State University on its acceptance into the NCAA Division II membership process, and we are excited that their admission paves the way for FSU to begin competition this fall in 20 sports as a member of the Mountain East Conference,” said MEC Commissioner Reid Amos. “From the beginning, it has been clear that Frostburg State aligns well with the values, goals and mission of the Mountain East. While a transition to Division II will take time, I anticipate that FSU will quickly become be a highly competitive member of the MEC.”
In December, Frostburg also announced that it will become an associate member of the East Coast Conference in the sport of men’s lacrosse and will begin competition in the spring of 2020. Frostburg’s field hockey team will compete as an independent in the fall of 2019, while conference affiliations continue to be explored.
Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit the Frostburg State web site or the FSU Facebook page. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.
