NKU = Division 1

[Bmuskie]

From the enquirer's website.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS -- Northern Kentucky University President Dr. James Votruba will make "a major announcement" during halftime at tonight's men's basketball game tonight.

The Norse play St. Joseph's at 7:15 p.m. at Regents Hall. It is one of the last games the team will play there before moving across campus to the Bank of Kentucky Center next season. Commemorative events are planned for the final home at Regents Hall, which is 7 p.m. Saturday against Indianapolis.

In a statement, the university said Votruba's announcement tonight "will be of historic significance for NKU basketball and the opening of the Bank of Kentucky Center this November."


No further information was given. We'll update this story as information develops.

They are just finishing up the new Bank of Kentucky Center which is their new on-cmapus arena. The arena holds 10,000. It would be hard for me to imagine that the University would build a 10,000 seat arena for a D-2 program.

[Muskie]

So they'll be an independent then?

[Bmuskie]

They will have to go through a period, I believe it is 4 or 5 years, where they will be on probation. It is basically a trial period to see how they do administrative wise in the Division 1 system. during that time they are ineligible for post season play and they are an independent. After that period they become a full member and are able to go to the postseason as well as join a conference.

[XU 87]

My guess is that NKU will try to get in the OVC or WKU's conference (Sun Belt?). Maybe even the Horizon league.

[dc_x]

And they will soon pass Dayton as a program.

[cinskyline]

Well, that isn't the announcement, but I think they will go Div. 1 soon:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080214/NEWS0103/302140018

[DC Muskie]

Will 10,000 people actually WATCH NKU basketball?

[XU Fan]

Well, that isn't the announcement, but I think they will go Div. 1 soon:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080214/NEWS0103/302140018

Nice link. So the major announcement that "will be of historic significance for NKU basketball" is that they're going to play Louisville next year? Wow.

It seems like a bit of overkill in terms of the buildup. Announcing that they are switching to D1 would be big, but saying they are playing Louisville next year doesn't seem to have historic significance. All the same, good luck to NKU.

[Stonebreaker]

If you build it, they will come.

[Bmuskie]

wow what a letdown. I mean it is big that they will play U of L to open the arena but that is not an anouncement of historic significance.

[X-band '01]

The NCAA has put a freeze on teams joining Division I, so it's going to be at least 4 years before NKU would be eligible to jump up from D-II to D-I. That being said, they would be a natural fit for the Ohio Valley or the Summit League; they would be in WAAAAAy over their heads in the Sun Belt or Horizon leagues.

ESPN Preview on NCAA D-I Independents (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3026680)

[coasterville95]

The enquirer is kicking this around again. It appears that Votruba has once again declared their intention to go Div 1. The most recent article seems to be thinking OVC is the most likely conference, but conceedes it won't all happen at once, for one thing NKU will have to offer at least one more sport than they currently offer to make the move from Div II to Div I.

But, agreed with above, if you didn't see The Bank as Div I bait, you weren't paying attention. Really nice arena.

[xubrew]

As long as NKU has been talking about going div1, had they done it instead of talked about it, they'd be five years removed from the transitional period by now.

The new arena is an asset, but you don't need to apply for div1 status. You just need to sign up for it. They could have gone div1, built the arena, and by the time they were finished building it they'd have been coming off probation. As it stands now, they'll be begging the probationary period.....IF they finally do it.

I believe the OVC will want them, though.