Board of Trustees Unanimously Approves University of Northern Colorado's Move to Division I
<< Back to Articles
Colin McDonough (UNC)
05/11/2002
The University of Northern Colorado's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a move to Division I in intercollegiate athletics on Friday. With this vote, UNC can now petition the NCAA for the transition from Division II to Division I. UNC's Director of Athletics Jim Fallis said the letter-of-intent would likely come in June. The UNC football program would compete at the I-AA level, while all other intercollegiate sports would compete at the I-A level. A big factor in the Board's approval of the Bears' move to Division I came after the University was able to secure 70 more athletic scholarships. The drive to land those scholarships came from University President Hank Brown and many faithful UNC supporters. Fallis said today's vote was a major step forward for the University and the athletic department. "The Board of Trustees' decision today is a clear signal that Athletics is an integral part of the University's strategic plan," Fallis said. "After weighing all the factors, this certainly is the right time for UNC to make the move to Division I. The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to change and this decision ensures that UNC will continue to be at the forefront of that change. While the transition will be smooth in many areas, I'm sure we will have some bumps along the way. I think it's important to keep the end goal in mind and that Division I is where UNC belongs." Editor's Note: The Univ. of Northern Colorado sponsors a wrestling team, coached by Jack Maughan. The wrestling team currently competes at the Div. II level.