My alma mater, Georgetown (KY) is considering such a move for an unusual reason.. From the local newspaper:


Georgetown College is exploring a potential move for its athletics programs from the NAIA to the National Collegiate Athletic Association in its pursuit of Phi Beta Kappa status.

On April 13, the college sent a letter of membership interest to the NCAA Division III. If the college makes the move, it would no longer be able to offer athletics scholarships.

In 1996, a year after the trustees initially decided to pursue Phi Beta Kappa, a consultant advised them that the college, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, needed to pursue another athletic affiliation.

Many of the decisions and projects the college has taken on since the mid-1990s have been shaped by the trustees’ commitment to seeking Phi Beta Kappa status, said President Crouch.

The college has invested in a new library facility and now employs more faculty members who are graduates of Phi Beta Kappa institutions. It has improved its liberal arts curriculum, attracted a more diverse student population, and changed its working relationship with the Kentucky Baptist Convention. 

Crouch said no decisions have been made by trustees to join a new athletic association or stick with the current NAIA membership in the Mid-South Conference.

 Phi Beta Kappa does not require schools to be in any certain athletic associations. But none of the 290 NAIA colleges and universities has a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

Crouch said NCAA Division III is perceived to be a more academically-based athletic program than the NAIA.

NCAA membership would bring many benefits to the college, such as the increased academic commitment, the reimbursement of travel expenses, and the additional marketing the college would receive, Crouch said.

“CNN runs the names and outcomes for football games on Saturday for all NCAA games,” said Crouch. “They do not do NAIA schools. An 18-year-old sitting in their dining room could see Georgetown College, Ky., across the bottom of their screen. They don’t see that now.”

The Tigers’ men’s basketball team made it to the NAIA final four this season, but staying in the association would take a continual financial commitment, said Crouch.

Interesting. 

It would be odd not seeing Georgetown's name in the NAIA results when I scroll thru each fall/winter. 

I wonder why they aren't joining NCAA d2?  Several Ohio NAIA schools are going NCAA d2 (Cedarville, Walsh, and Urbana to name a few). I doubt Gtown will be getting all those d1 transfers if they go d3! I've always felt NAIA Div. 1 was very comparable to NCAA d2 talent-wise.

Morningside College in Sioux City, IA made the jump backwards about ten years ago from NCAA Division 2 to NAIA Division 2. Morningside had been a member of the North Central Conference with teams such as South Dakota, South Dakota St, North Dakota, North Dakota State, St Cloud St, and Northern Colorado. That really has nothing to do with this thread, so I guess that would be off-topic... on this off-topic thread.

There have been other significant 'drops' as well. Centenary College, the smallest D1 school, is leaving the Summit Conference in July and dropping to DIII.  In the 1970's, Robert Parish was their star and, in 1976, they spent 14 weeks in the AP top 20.   However, they had been put on probation for 6 years, during which time it was not only barred from postseason play, but its results and statistics were excluded from weekly statistics and its existence was not acknowledged in the NCAA's annual press guides.^[1]

NAIA powerhouse Oklahoma City, played in seven D1 NCAA tournaments, the most recent 1973.  Hal Sutton was on their golf team.

I am a grad of Transy and i agree Gtown should go to DII. They get many DI transfers and have a great bball tradition.they could be the next Bellamine Univ., the DII National champion for 2011. Happy knews how to bring in the players.