Click here for a printer-friendly (PDF) version of this release
BAY CITY, Mich.
— The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (GLIAC) has accepted the membership applications of its
two newest members, Malone University (Ohio) and Walsh University
(Ohio), which will officially begin membership in the conference on
July 1, 2012.
“We are excited to have Walsh and Malone
join the GLIAC,” stated Dr. Glenn Mroz, chairperson of the
GLIAC Presidents Council. “The member schools in the
conference emphasize the development of scholar-athletes, and we
are always open to those institutions that share that deep seated
value.”
The GLIAC Presidents Council, made up of the
presidents of the league’s then 14 member institutions, voted
to officially accept Malone and Walsh as provisional members until
each institution is granted full NCAA Division II membership.
The league’s Management Council voted to recommend to the
GLIAC Presidents Council that both institutions be granted
membership at its annual fall meeting after both institutions made
formal presentations to the league in Traverse City, Michigan on
September 27, 2011.
“Malone and Walsh will be tremendous
assets to the GLIAC as we grow through expansion,” stated
GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. “These institutions
are rich in tradition and success, both academically and
athletically. We believe Malone and Walsh will be very competitive
in the conference and nationally as they reach NCAA Division II
membership.”
Malone and
Walsh will not be eligible for GLIAC postseason
championships/tournaments in the 2012-13 seasons in sports that
have an NCAA Division II automatic qualification. The sports
that have an automatic qualifier include men’s and
women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball,
women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and
men’s golf. Both schools will be eligible to
participate in championships in the 2012-13 academic year in cross
country, women’s golf, men’s soccer, indoor and outdoor
track and field. Additionally, Malone will be able to compete in
the GLIAC men’s and women’s swimming & diving
championships.
Malone University, founded in 1892, has 2,500
students and currently offers 20 intercollegiate sports with an
athletic department emphasis of being Christ Centered, Athlete
Focused and Coach Driven. Located in Canton, Ohio, Malone is a
Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions in the
liberal arts tradition. Affiliated with the Evangelical Friends
Church, MU awards both undergraduate and graduate degrees in more
than 100 academic programs. Malone is recognized by the
prestigious Templeton Foundation as a leader in character
development and is ranked among the top colleges and universities
in the Midwest under the category Regional Universities according
to U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best
Colleges 2011.
“Conference affiliation is a crucial
variable in the NCAA Division II transition process,”
commented Malone Athletic Director Charlie Grimes. “The
GLIAC provides Malone University the opportunity to align itself
with academically respected and athletically successful
institutions within the states of Ohio and Michigan. This
conference membership will challenge and enrich our student-athlete
experience at Malone and we humbly and enthusiastically step up to
this new challenge.”
Founded in 1960, Walsh currently has over
2,900 students and will offer 19 varsity sports in 2012-13.
Located in North Canton, Ohio, Walsh is an independent Catholic,
liberal arts institution that encourages individuals to act in
accordance with reason guided by the example and teachings of Jesus
Christ. The university’s aim is to develop students’
mind, body and spirit – this is Walsh’s distinguished
tradition and the heart of its appeal. Walsh University
was recently accepted for membership into Colleges of Distinction,
a higher education organization that publishes an annual guide in
which universities must rank highly in four areas – engaged
students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful
outcomes. Walsh University is one of only 10 universities in Ohio
– and the only university in Stark County – to be
listed in the college guide.
“Walsh is thrilled to be accepted as a
member into one of the premier NCAA II conferences, the
GLIAC,” exclaimed Walsh Vice President/Director of Athletics,
Dale Howard. “For many reasons, the GLIAC is a great
fit for our student-athletes and our sports programs as we will be
aligned with institutions that have similar mission statements and
goals for their student-athletes, both in and outside of the
athletic arena.”
Founded in 1972, the GLIAC has been a leader in
the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men
and women for 40 years. The league boasts 14 full members, nine of
which are located in Michigan, and five in Ohio. The
GLIAC’s members in Michigan include: Ferris State
University, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, Lake
Superior State University, Michigan Technological University,
Northern Michigan University, Northwood University, Saginaw Valley
State University, and Wayne State University. The
league’s Ohio institutions include: Ashland University, the
University of Findlay, Lake Erie College, Ohio Dominican University
and Tiffin University.
The GLIAC conducts championships in 21 sports,
11 for men and 10 for women. The GLIAC Executive Council is
comprised of three representatives from each institution - its
director of athletics, senior woman administrator, and faculty
athletics representative.