After a long wait to see if it would be accepted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Westminster College became an official member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Tuesday.
Westminster College, a liberal arts college based in Salt Lake City, became the 16th member institution of the RMAC. The college, which uses the Griffin as its mascot, previously competed at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level in the Frontier Conference.
The RMAC invitation preceded the NCAA’s approval, and it has taken a year for Westminster to gain proper approval to begin the NCAA approval process.
“(Tuesday) is another historic day for the RMAC with the addition of Westminster,” RMAC Commissioner Chris Graham said in a news release. “We anticipate great competition for years to come, and we congratulate them on this new athletic endeavor.”
This isn’t the Griffins’ first stint in the RMAC. It also was a member from 1967 to 1979.
Westminster will compete in 14 varsity sports in the conference, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
The addition of the Griffins will result in the return of two basketball leagues within the conference.
“This approval is due to the efforts and support of many at the college,” Westminster athletic director Shay Wyatt said in a news release. “While we still have much work ahead of us, this is an important step toward active membership within NCAA Division II and the RMAC, which will further enhance the college and the experience for our student-athletes.”
Westminster was approved contingent on a three-year membership process, after which it will be re-evaluated. It will be subject to an annual review to see if it can move on to the next year of the membership process.
The Griffins won’t be eligible for NCAA Division II championship events until at least 2018-19.
“We are pleased to be approved for ‘Candidacy Year One’ in NCAA Division II and become part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference,” Steve Morgan, president of Westminster College, said in a news release. “NCAA Division II encourages excellence in its student-athletes and provides a supportive environment to move our athletic program forward in a student-focused manner. The Westminster community looks forward to participating in the RMAC and completing the transition to NCAA Division II active membership status.”
The RMAC now has representatives in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com