SIAC Council of Presidents approves Spring Hill College For Conditional Admission
October 2 2012
Atlanta, GA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announced that its Council of Presidents, by unanimous vote, approved the application of Spring Hill College for conditional membership, contingent upon acceptance into NCAA Division II.
Spring Hill will apply for membership in January to begin the three-year transitional process toward full membership into Division II. Spring Hill will continue to hold membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) through the 2013-2014 academic year, but will play a full schedule against SIAC opponents beginning in 2014-2015.
“We began the process of determining the future of our athletics program nearly two years ago. After thorough study and deliberation, we came to the conclusion the NCAA Division II was the right fit for Spring Hill College. We look forward to joining 26 of the 28 Jesuit Colleges and Universities nationally that are members of the NCAA,” said Jim Hall, Director of Athletics for Spring Hill College.
“As we made our decision to pursue NCAA Division II membership we also hoped to secure membership in a prestigious conference that was a good fit geographically and philosophically. We are pleased to have our application accepted by the SIAC and eagerly await the opportunity of further developing our programs at the NCAA Division II level with our fellow SIAC member schools.”
Spring Hill College, located in Mobile, Alabama, has been a member of the NAIA since 1959. In its rich athletic history, the Badgers 15 Men’s and Women’s athletic programs have won 32 conference championships and six district titles. Since 1979, SHC student-athletes have earned Daktronics-NAIA All-America honors on 69 occasions.
“We are pleased about the prospect of Spring Hill College becoming a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,” SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore said. “Not only is Spring Hill College an institution with strong academics and athletics, but they were also cited by Dr. King for its commitment to racial justice and equality in his letter from the Birmingham Jail.”
About Spring Hill
Founded in 1830, Spring Hill College has provided a powerful liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition for almost two centuries. Spring Hill’s mission is to help students become leaders in service to others, fulfilling the unique potential of each individual.