Penn College Athletics to Seek NCAA Division III Exploratory Status
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Pennsylvania College of Technology will apply for exploratory status in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, college officials announced.
The one-year exploratory classification provides institutions with an opportunity to learn more about the NCAA and Division III, which comprises more than 170,000 student-athletes at nearly 450 colleges and universities nationwide.
If the college is accepted for exploratory status, at the end of the year, it would consider pursuing a four-year provisional membership in Division III for the Penn College Wildcat athletic teams.
“We believe this process offers great opportunities for the college, and we look forward to the educational process afforded during the exploratory year – if granted,” said Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour. “Our evaluation shows that Division III’s emphasis on academics coupled with competitive athletics coincides with Penn College’s mission and values and its tradition of high academic standards and achievement for student-athletes.”
The college’s director of athletics, Scott E. Kennell, said Division III status offers a range of benefits for the college’s athletes and its athletic programs.
“Division III, on average, accepts a maximum of four members to provisional status annually, so we understand that provisional membership is not guaranteed,” Kennell said. “However, we believe making the transition to the NCAA will align us with a stronger and more widely recognized athletic brand.”
“Over the past several years, our programs have enjoyed significant growth and success at the conference and national levels,” Kennell added. “Given our institutional support, we believe Penn College Athletics would be a great fit and a desirable candidate for NCAA Division III.”
Penn College, a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University since 1989, resurrected intercollegiate athletics in 1992. The college currently fields 12 varsity athletics teams that compete in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). The college began competing in the PSUAC in 2004 and in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) in 2008.
The Penn College Wildcats have won the PSUAC Chancellor’s Cup four consecutive years and have placed in the top seven of the USCAA Director’s Cup each year of membership. Both awards are given to the most successful all-around athletic program.
Since 2004, Penn College Athletics’ accomplishments include 35 conference championships. Since 2008, the Wildcats have had 23 national tournament appearances, 48 (25 in the PSUAC) coaches of the year, 117 all-conference selections and 317 PSUAC All-Academic selections.
Penn College Varsity Athletic Teams
For more, visit the Athletics website. For more about the college, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
The one-year exploratory classification provides institutions with an opportunity to learn more about the NCAA and Division III, which comprises more than 170,000 student-athletes at nearly 450 colleges and universities nationwide.
If the college is accepted for exploratory status, at the end of the year, it would consider pursuing a four-year provisional membership in Division III for the Penn College Wildcat athletic teams.
“We believe this process offers great opportunities for the college, and we look forward to the educational process afforded during the exploratory year – if granted,” said Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour. “Our evaluation shows that Division III’s emphasis on academics coupled with competitive athletics coincides with Penn College’s mission and values and its tradition of high academic standards and achievement for student-athletes.”
The college’s director of athletics, Scott E. Kennell, said Division III status offers a range of benefits for the college’s athletes and its athletic programs.
“Division III, on average, accepts a maximum of four members to provisional status annually, so we understand that provisional membership is not guaranteed,” Kennell said. “However, we believe making the transition to the NCAA will align us with a stronger and more widely recognized athletic brand.”
“Over the past several years, our programs have enjoyed significant growth and success at the conference and national levels,” Kennell added. “Given our institutional support, we believe Penn College Athletics would be a great fit and a desirable candidate for NCAA Division III.”
Penn College, a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University since 1989, resurrected intercollegiate athletics in 1992. The college currently fields 12 varsity athletics teams that compete in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC). The college began competing in the PSUAC in 2004 and in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) in 2008.
The Penn College Wildcats have won the PSUAC Chancellor’s Cup four consecutive years and have placed in the top seven of the USCAA Director’s Cup each year of membership. Both awards are given to the most successful all-around athletic program.
Since 2004, Penn College Athletics’ accomplishments include 35 conference championships. Since 2008, the Wildcats have had 23 national tournament appearances, 48 (25 in the PSUAC) coaches of the year, 117 all-conference selections and 317 PSUAC All-Academic selections.
Penn College Varsity Athletic Teams
- Baseball
- Men’s and Women’s Basketball
- Cross-Country
- Golf
- Men’s and Women’s Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Women’s Volleyball
- Wrestling
For more, visit the Athletics website. For more about the college, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.