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Defiance College Board of Trustees approve athletic program’s return to NAIA
October 6, 2023

Defiance College Board of Trustees approve athletic program’s return to NAIA

DEFIANCE, Ohio – On the eve of Homecoming at The Defiance College, the institution's Board of Trustees has approved the return to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for its 15 athletic programs' national intercollegiate affiliation, the athletic department announced on Friday.

The Yellow Jackets will officially rejoin the NAIA on July 1, 2024 for competition in the 2024-25 academic year and will also be immediately eligible for postseason participation. The NAIA previously announced on Monday the unanimous approval of five institutions for membership, a decision that included DC to become the fifth NCAA school to join the NAIA since 2020. Being among the five schools approved for NAIA membership in October also gives Defiance a full recruiting cycle prior to the transition. Defiance College's athletic teams participated at the NAIA level for much of the school's athletic history, beginning shortly after World War II, until transitioning to NCAA Division III beginning in the fall of 1991. 

"The overall student-athlete and spectator experience, we believe, will be enhanced by rejoining the NAIA. Students will be able to not only continue their passion for a particular sport from high school into college, but they have the opportunity, now, to receive a scholarship for doing so," says Dr. Richanne C. Mankey, President. "I am grateful for the analysis and study that led to this transition for Defiance College. It was truly a collaborative effort!"

When the change in affiliation from D-III to NAIA is official in July, the Yellow Jackets will become full members of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. The move also elevates the competitive cheer and dance and Esports programs to varsity competition within the WHAC. Defiance College uniquely becomes the fifth school in the WHAC that sponsors football, which will migrate to the Mid-States Football Association, and become the only NAIA football program in the state of Ohio.

"It is an honor to rejoin the NAIA," says Athletic Director Tiffani Selhorst. "Defiance College has a very successful history with the NAIA and we look forward to competing once again. We believe not only is DC a great fit for the NAIA but also for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The WHAC is competitive and gives us room to grow. We are excited to immediately start competing in the 2024-2025 season. The WHAC matches the Defiance College mission and values and we hope the move will raise our competitiveness. Thank you to all that were involved in helping DC reach this point and we look forward to our future together!"

"The WHAC is honored to have Defiance College apply and receive unanimous approval for membership by our conference leadership," says WHAC Commissioner Eric Ward. "They are a great fit geographically, philosophically, and competitively as a WHAC member and our institutions are excited and looking forward to welcoming them to the conference. We will immediately begin the onboarding process to make sure they are comfortable and familiar with NAIA and conference rules, policies, and expectations, and do everything possible to make sure their student-athletes and coaches are ready to compete next fall."

Joining the WHAC makes Defiances the 13th member of the conference. Current existing members include Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI), Cleary University (Howell, MI), Concordia University (Ann Arbor, MI), Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI), Indiana Tech (Fort Wayne, IN), Lawrence Tech (Southfield, MI), Lourdes University (Sylvania, OH), Madonna University (Livonia, MI), Rochester University (Rochester Hills, MI), Siena Heights University (Adrian, MI), University of Michigan Dearborn (Dearborn, MI), and the University of Northwestern Ohio (Lima, OH). The other WHAC schools with football teams are Concordia, Siena Heights, Madonna and Lawrence Tech.

In addition to numerous benefits to college athletes such as reduced travel and less missed class time, Defiance College fits the NAIA profile and its emphasis on supporting small colleges and universities dedicated to character-driven athletics. Over 80 percent of NAIA schools are private institutions like DC with the average enrollment of its members at 1,400 students. Academics remain a top priority to the NAIA that is paired with building a superior student-athlete experience and rewards years of dedication with athletic scholarships, unlike NCAA Division III. Offering athletic scholarships at Defiance allows the college to recruit more competitively and balance the recruitment of both athletes and non-athletes.

Competitive success also remains a key component of sturdy recruitment and retention, and 20 percent of NAIA student-athletes enjoy the experience of postseason play. An increase in athletic success builds excitement and attracts student-athletes, non-student-athletes and community members to share in memories that last long past graduation. Defiance's winning tradition grew substantially as an NAIA member from the 1950s through the 80s and a return to former levels of success renews the opportunity to grow on multiple fronts, including the addition of new sports.

Many Defiance College graduates remember the repeated and triumphant successes of Yellow Jacket teams during the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s competing in the NAIA. DC football captured eight of the program's 12 conference championships as an NAIA member and recorded all three undefeated seasons during that era (1953, 1966, 1969) with 45 All-Americans. Defiance College baseball won six of the program's 10 conference titles during that era and was the first team to participate in a national tournament when the 1961 squad played in the NAIA World Series. Yellow Jacket hoops was a dominant force in those years as well with 15 conference titles, four trips to the national tournament in Kansas City, and 13 20-win seasons led by 19 All-Americans. The women's basketball team also earned eight conference crowns, including seven straight Western Buckeye Collegiate Conference titles from 1983-89, and won 20 games five times with a pair of All-Americans. All together, Defiance College achieved at least 45 of the school's team conference championships while competing in the NAIA with titles in football, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, cross country, track, golf, tennis and baseball.

The NAIA was formed in 1940 as the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball with the initial mission to organize the national basketball tournament, which was first played in 1937. The organization became the NAIA in 1952 when it introduced national championships in golf, tennis and outdoor track and field and introduced championships in female sports beginning in 1981. Currently, there are over 250 NAIA-affiliated schools from 21 conferences vying for 28 national championships with more than 83,000 student-athletes that receive approximately $1.3 billion in scholarships.

Defiance College is a private, liberal arts institution in Defiance, Ohio that was founded in 1850. Defiance College graduates students to lead distinctive lives in their chosen professions through a spirit of service by preparing them to know, to lead, to serve and to understand. For more information about Defiance College or to apply, visit Defiance.edu.

-JACKETS-