Birmingham-Southern, Franciscan (Ohio), Geneva and St. Joseph's (Bklyn.) were each approved as full members of NCAA Division III for the upcoming academic year, as their membership was approved by the Division III Management Council at their meeting in July.

Birmingham-Southern was transitioning from NCAA Division I, while Geneva was joining from the NAIA.

The announcement ends a five-year reclassification process for the BSC athletics program. BSC also will be eligible for Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament championships this year.

“No institution in the history of intercollegiate athletics has taken the journey Birmingham-Southern has the past 12 years,” said Joe Dean Jr., BSC’s athletic director.  “From the NAIA to NCAA Division I and now a full member of NCAA Division III, it is an amazing story marked with achievements on the playing fields and courts and in the classroom.”

The announcement ends a five-year reclassification process for the BSC athletics program from NCAA Division I to Division III. Active membership means that all of the college’s men’s and women’s varsity sports teams will be eligible for NCAA Division III championships beginning with the upcoming 2011-12 academic year and that the college has a vote at the annual NCAA Convention. BSC also will be eligible for Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament championships this year.

“No institution in the history of intercollegiate athletics has taken the journey Birmingham-Southern has the past 12 years,” said Joe Dean Jr., BSC’s director of athletics.  “From the NAIA to NCAA Division I and now a full member of NCAA Division III, it is an amazing story marked with achievements on the playing fields and courts and in the classroom.”

"St. Joseph's Brooklyn campus is delighted to join our Long Island campus as a member of Division III of the NCAA," stated Sister Elizabeth A. Hill, the school's president. "The NCAA is the gold standard in college athletics, and I am very proud that the excellence of our program has been recognized.  The values of Division III and the college are very compatible and we are all looking forward to many years of exciting and rewarding competitions."

When St. Joseph's (Bklyn.) began the quest for NCAA membership in 2005, the athletic department sponsored just five intercollegiate varsity sports. With the addition of men's soccer for the 2011-12 season, the department now sponsors 12 varsity sports: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball, women's swimming and men's soccer.

Men's varsity sports at Geneva include: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer and indoor and outdoor track. Women's varsity sports include: basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. The Golden Tornadoes will also be eligible for PAC championships for the first time.

Franciscan, a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, will be eligible for AMCC championships and is adding women's swimming and diving this year.