By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
One step closer.
Thomas More announced Thursday that it would be moving into Year 2 of its provisional membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC).
The move “officially transitions the Saints from the Mid-South Conference (MSC) in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), where they have competed for the past four academic years,” the school said in an official release marking the occasion.
The Saints’ first official Division II contest at Republic Bank Field will have the men’s soccer team taking on Salem University on August 31, 2023, at 7 p.m.
While in the NAIA, through this past spring, the Saints brought home all sorts of impressive honors, including a national championship in women’s basketball, two national runner-up team finishes in women’s basketball and two individual national runner-up spots. Here’s the link — Thomas More University”>Thomas More Athletics Ends Era in NAIA & Mid-South Conference — to the list of all the records and major accomplishments each TMU program recorded the last four seasons in the NAIA.
“We are thrilled to receive the official word that Thomas More is moving forward to year two of provisional membership in the NCAA Division II,” said Terry Connor, vice president and director of athletics. But they had a great run in the NAIA and the Mid-South Conference. “They treated us very well,” Connor said.
Looking forward, “Our team has really come together and worked diligently to prepare for the move,” Connor said. “We are excited for the opportunities this presents to our student athletes, and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish.”
The first step to a return to the NCAA came with TMU’s unanimous approval for a provisional membership in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). Then followed TMU’s successful 2022 bid to rejoin the NCAA, competing in Division II. The Saints will be eligible for conference championships and tournaments immediately in the 2023-24 academic year. The NCAA eligibility for championships will take another two years, making TMU’s 2025-2026 academic year their first when they can be completely competitive.
“The transition to the NCAA is significant as we continue to enhance our regional position as the premier Catholic Liberal Arts University,” Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. said.
“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.”
This is all part of a “five-year strategic plan” for intercollegiate sports begun in the fall of 2021 that included:
• A major comprehensive fundraising campaign for enhanced athletic facilities for many of the Saints intercollegiate sports teams such as the July 6 beginning of construction for a new softball complex.
• A partnership, announced in March of 2022, with the Florence Y’alls Baseball Club resulting in the renaming of the home of the Florence Y’alls to “Thomas More Stadium.”
• The stadium also became the home of the Saints’ baseball team starting this past spring.
• Renovations at Republic Bank Field and the surrounding track were completed in 2021 to the home of TMU’s football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, cross country and track & field teams.
• Additional plans are in place for other facility upgrades for TMU sports.