LEBANON, TENN. - The Great Midwest Athletic Conference has partnered with Cumberland University as it embarks on a transition to potential NCAA Division II membership. The G-MAC Presidents Council has unanimously admitted Cumberland as a provisional member effective immediately and will sponsor the institution as it works through the NCAA Division II membership application process.
Cumberland submitted its interest to the G-MAC in coordination with a recent decision to pursue membership in NCAA Division II and will submit its application to enter into the association’s process prior to the February 1, 2014 deadline.
If admitted by the NCAA Membership Committee next July, Cumberland will begin candidacy year one of the three-year reclassification process in 2014-15 and would potentially be on course to become an active Division II member in 2017-18.
Cumberland University is a private, four-year institution, located in Lebanon, Tennessee with an enrollment of 1,500 students. The successful athletics department is currently affiliated with the NAIA and the Mid-South Conference.
Cumberland enters the G-MAC as the 11th member, eight of which are active NCAA DII institutions, with one member in its final provisional year of candidacy (Trevecca Nazarene), and now two institutions (Georgetown and Cumberland) that will be applying for DII membership in the spring of 2014.
“The G-MAC is proud to sponsor Cumberland University for NCAA Division II membership and pleased to welcome the institution as a provisional member of our conference,” said Commissioner Tom Daeger. “Cumberland is a proud institution that has embraced athletics as an integral piece of their mission and is poised to make a successful transition to NCAA Division II membership if admitted to do so by the NCAA DII Membership Committee.”
The Bulldogs sponsor 18 sports, including 13 programs (Baseball, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, and Volleyball) that are among the 17 sports the G-MAC currently sponsors, while Football, Bowling, and Wrestling are among the emerging sports for the conference.
Cumberland was founded in 1842 and is located just 30 minutes East of Nashville and G-MAC member, Trevecca Nazarene University. Athletically, the Bulldogs have had tremendous success winning two NAIA National Championships in Baseball (2004 and 2010) under long time Head Coach Woody Hunt, who is in the American Baseball Coaches Association and Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Cumberland has collected additional championships with two individual wrestling national championships and three national individual cycling titles.
“President (Dr. Harvill) Eaton and Athletic Director Ron Pavan have developed the athletics program into the “Front Porch” of the institution and their strong leadership has been evident as we have learned more about the institution over the last several months, “said Commissioner Daeger. “The Presidents’ Council unanimously endorsed sponsoring Cumberland for NCAA Division II membership and look forward to welcoming Dr. Eaton to the Council as a provisional member.”
In the 2012-13 athletic calendar year as a member of the Mid-South Conference (NAIA), Cumberland took home championships in Women’s Soccer (Tournament Champion), Women’s Basketball (Tournament and Regular Season Champion), Men’s Bowling (Tournament Champion), and Baseball (Regular-Season Champion).
Overall Cumberland finished second in the conference’s Presidents’ Cup standings. In football, the team went 4-2 in conference and 8-3 overall, ranking #20 nationally in the NAIA, which was a slight improvement from its 7-3 (4-2) record in 2011, which ranked them #25 in the nation.
Cumberland has collected 109 NAIA All-American Awards, including 19 in 2012-13, and 237 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards, including 37 in 2012-13.
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The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was approved as an active NCAA Division II conference by the Membership Committee on July 12, 2013 and will officially become active on September 1, 2013.
The conference features eight active NCAA Division II members, including Alderson Broaddus University (Philippi, W.Va.), Cedarville University (Cedarville, Ohio), Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio), Davis & Elkins College (Elkins, W.Va.), Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, Ky.), Ohio Valley University (Vienna, W.Va.), Salem International University (Salem, W.Va.), and Ursuline College (Pepper Pike, Ohio). Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, Tenn.) has moved into the third (Provisional) and final year of the NCAA DII Membership Process, while Georgetown College (Georgetown, Ky.) is a provisional member and will apply for DII membership prior to the deadline in February of 2014.
The G-MAC crowned 12 conference champions in 2012-13 in its inaugural year as an NCAA Division II Member Conference and will conduct 17 championships in 2013-14.