Emory & Henry becomes full NCAA Division II member

EMORY, Va. (WJHL) – Emory & Henry College has become a full NCAA Division II member for the upcoming academic year.

According to a news release from the college, the NCAA membership committee deliberated after Emory & Henry completed the necessary annual reporting. Emory & Henry leadership were informed Thursday that the NCAA had granted the full membership to the school.

“The news that we have been fully admitted to Division II status is the result of great teamwork and in particular the efforts of Dr. Anne Crutchfield and the rest of the athletics administration,” Emory & Henry President Dr. John W. Wells stated in the release. “Moving to Division II elevates the entire institution. This is another great day at Emory & Henry.”

Now that the college is officially Division II, the Wasps can qualify for the NCAA Tournament if they win the South Atlantic Conference or perform well enough in the season. Emory & Henry can also vote on Division II legislation and can receive Division II grants and programming.

Emory & Henry joined the South Atlantic Conference in the 2022-23 school year with provisional status in hopes of becoming a full Division II member by 2024 and solidifying its place in the conference.

Emory & Henry has been in the realignment process from Division III to Division II for three years, according to the release. During that time, the college has seen an increase in enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate students.

The college has also started several infrastructure projects, such as constructing and renovating residence halls and starting construction of the Food City Sports Complex at Interstate 81. In April, Emory & Henry announced the multi-million dollar sports complex was expected to open by August 2024.

Emory & Henry Director of Athletics Kyle Sensabaugh said the work of the past three years culminated in the move from Division III to Division II.

“We are ecstatic that Emory & Henry is now a full member of NCAA Division II,” Sensabaugh said in the release. “The work we did in this process over the past three years made us examine everything we do in the Department of Athletics and in several other offices on campus. Now that we can compete in Division II national tournaments, our sights are set on earning our first bid to the postseason.”

In addition to Emory & Henry, three other institutions were granted Divison II membership. Allen University, Edward Waters University and Westmont College were also accepted by the membership committee to become Division II schools.

A total of 293 institutions will make up the NCAA Division II in 2024-25.

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