Fogelsville, Pa. -- An historic chapter in Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College sports has begun, as the college was recently slotted as a provisional member of NCAA Division III. The membership was established through a lottery of 30 institutions that the college entered earlier this year conducted by NCAA Division III membership committee.
As a provisional member, Berks-Lehigh Valley has entered a four-year process that will, when successfully completed, result in full membership in Division III.
The true beginnings of the march to the NCAA are based in academics. "Once we became a bachelor degree college it prompted the need for athletic competition to be with schools on the same level," explains Susan Phillips Speece, dean of Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College.
While Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College has become a four-year institution, its athletic competition continued to be with two-year schools. There was a question of parity for athletics and the answer came through the NCAA Division III. As part of the process, this will be the last year that Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley will face community colleges in competition.
While there will be no NCAA tournament or post-season play for the next four years, a four-peat is still possible for the women's basketball team, as CCAC play will continue.
The next four years will consist of education and compliance, the end result being full membership in NCAA Division III. At that point, the college will need to join or form a conference to compete against. Locally, potential contenders would be Albright and Alvernia College. Within the Penn State system, only the Altoona and Erie campuses compete at the Division III level.