Realignment hits Division II — KWC leaving Great Lakes Valley, will form own conference with Central State (Ohio), others

Owensboro, Kentucky -- It’s not just the big schools shuffling conferences. Kentucky Wesleyan College is leaving the Great Lakes Valley Conference to form its own conference in and around the Ohio River valley, along with Notre Dame College, Ursuline, Cedarville University, Central State University (Ohio) and Urbana University.

KWC officials in recent months had been discussing whether to remain in Division II or consider moving to non-scholarship Division III status over financial concerns, eventually choosing this middle road, of forming a new conference of comparably sized schools and athletic departments.

“We believe that this is the best fit at this moment for Kentucky Wesleyan,” athletic director David Williams said. “Academically, socially, athletically and budgetarily. . . . We are striving for teams that support their programs at similar levels to what we plan to do in the future.”

KWC, a charter member of the GLVC which will remain a GLVC member through next season, is taking a leading role in the conference, planning to have the documents drawn up by Dec. 1 of this year. Unlike in Division I, where schools are looking to step up to bigger arrangements, this was a search aimed at stepping away from escalating athletic budgets.



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VISIT: CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY (OHIO) MARAUDERSPORTS

Central State University Marauders are currently playing football this season as a NCAA Division II Independent member. The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced on October 13, 2010 that the associate membership applications of Central State University and Urbana University in the sport of football had been accepted for competition in 2012.

Central State, located just 18 miles east of Dayton in Wilberforce, Ohio, was established in 1887 and currently has an enrollment of over 2,100 undergraduate students. The athletic department, led by athletics director Kellen Winslow, currently participates as an NCAA Division II independent.

CSU reinstituted their football program in 2005 following a nine-year hiatus. Central State is led by head coach E.J. Junior and plays its home contests in McPherson Stadium which seats 7,000. The Marauders began football in 1947 and have a storied history with three NAIA national championships to their credit in the last 20 years.

The GLVC was established in 1978 and is the largest NCAA Division II conference in the country with 17 member institutions in five Midwestern states. With the addition of football in 2012, the GLVC sponsors championships in 18 sports that also includes men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and volleyball.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Kentucky Wesleyan leaving Great Lakes Valley Conference, plans to form conference with Ohio schools
KWC Staying D2, Leaving GLVC‎

Holloway steps in to spark Stillman to homecoming win over Central State

TUSCALOOSA | Desmond Holloway, who practiced all week as a wide receiver, contributed as a quarterback on Saturday to help the Stillman College football team celebrate a homecoming victory. Holloway threw three touchdown passes in the second half, and the Tigers routed Central State of Ohio, 44-13.

Holloway replaced starting quarterback Chris Mayabb, who was injured in the first half. “I think his neck was messed up or something,” Holloway said. “But he’s going to be all right. He’s coming back. “We were just trying to get a win for Stillman, trying to finish up strong so we can start off good for next year. We just knew we had to fight together and come strong in the second half as a family.”

Photos: Stillman Homecoming




Videographer: ssnac2