NCAA Division II Provisional Membership Accepted

Emory & Henry will join the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) for the 2022-23 academic year after accepting a membership invitation to join the league last November. The College will participate in 19 of the SAC’s championship sports, including the conference’s combined men’s wrestling championship with Conference Carolinas.

“This is a monumental moment in our institution’s immense history as we continue to position Emory & Henry as the flagship higher education institution of Middle Appalachia for scholars and athletes,” said Dr. John W. Wells, Emory & Henry College President. “Reclassification has been a high priority within our strategic plan as we prepare for the future of higher education.”

The College’s acceptance became official on Friday afternoon in a news release from the NCAA National Office, and Emory & Henry becomes just the fourth Division II member in Virginia.

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“Today’s announcement is a culmination of 18 months of work across many departments throughout campus,” said Anne Crutchfield, Director Athletics. “From the beginning, it has been clear that Emory & Henry aligns well with the values, goals, and mission of Division II and the SAC. While a transition will take time, I anticipate that we will quickly become be a highly competitive member of the SAC.”

Emory & Henry will begin the first of three provisional years in August. If all benchmarks are met, the College would be eligible for full membership in August of 2024. The impact of the move to Division II and other strategic initiatives have helped produce record enrollment for the fall 2021 semester.

“This is a monumental moment in our institution’s immense history as we continue to position Emory & Henry as the flagship higher education institution of Middle Appalachia for scholars and athletes,”