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Dominican U. (CA) Moving from NAIA to NCAA Div. II

The Pacific West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II has extended an invitation to Dominican University of California to become the league's ninth member institution. This September, Dominican will join the PacWest for 2008-2009 under exploratory status, competing as an independent before playing a full PacWest Conference schedule in 2009-2010.

Dominican's inaugural NCAA Division II games will be against Notre Dame de Namur University in the fall of 2009. The women's volleyball team will play on September 17, while the men's and women's soccer teams will play on September 19.

"The move to NCAA Division II will bring greater exposure to Dominican athletics outside the San Francisco Bay Area," said Ian Tonks, Dominican's associate vice president of athletics. The University currently is a member of the California Pacific Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II.

"The NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference is the natural next level of athletic competition for Dominican's student-athletes," said Tonks. "NCAA Division II competition requires a higher level of athletic competition than NAIA play and will expose Dominican's student athletes to a wide range of teams from all over the United States through both conference play and, eventually, participation in tournament play."

Each November, for example, NCAA Division II member Chaminade University hosts the Maui Invitational, an early-season college basketball tournament broadcast on ESPN. In the 2007 tournament, Chaminade defeated Princeton University in the final game.

The Pacific West conference consists of four universities in Hawaii - Brigham Young University Hawaii, Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University; and the University of Hawaii at Hilo – as well as Dixie State College in Utah, Grand Canyon University in Arizona, and Notre Dame de Namur University in California. San Francisco's Academy of Art University recently joined the conference under exploratory status.

"The Pacific West Conference is delighted and thrilled to welcome such a prestigious university as Dominican," said Pacific West Conference Commissioner Bob Hogue. "Our conference is growing, and Dominican will be a valuable addition."

"Dominican's proximity to both Notre Dame de Namur and the Academy of Art University in the San Francisco area balances the league in terms of scheduling," Hogue explained. "Travel partners are now more geographically possible with four schools in Hawaii, three schools in the Bay Area, and two schools in the Southwest."

Dominican sponsors six women's athletic teams and four men's teams, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

In recent years, the Penguins have enjoyed success on the field and the court, winning 20 Cal Pac Conference Championships, one NAIA Region II Championship, and one National Small College Championship, making a total of nine NAIA Region II and seven NAIA Division II National Tournament appearances in the process.

Earlier this year, the men's basketball team was the California Pacific Champion for the fifth time in six seasons. In 2007, both the women's soccer and volleyball teams were California Pacific Conference Co-Champions.

"Dominican teams already have a rich wining tradition," Hogue said. "Dominican has an established program in the NAIA, and it will be a smooth transition into the NCAA Division II."

"Judging by the academic success of Dominican's student athletes, the University will be a contender for our Athletic Achievement award," he added. "NCAA Division II puts a great emphasis on academics as well as athletics."

In the past three years, more than 35 Dominican athletes have been named NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

MountaineerLax wrote:CLUB v. NCAA

Westminster 20 - Dominican 3

Ugly.