LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bellarmine University, a private Catholic college in Louisville, is moving to NCAA Division I and joining the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The move will elevate most of the university’s athletic programs to Division I status beginning in the summer of 2020.
Bellarmine president Susan Donovan says the move is part of the university’s strategic plan, which includes expanding enrollment and increasing its geographic reach. Donovan says it gives the school’s teams “an opportunity to compete against the best rivals in college sports.”
The Bellarmine Knights won the Division II basketball national championship in 2011.
With the addition of Bellarmine, the ASUN Conference will have 10 members spread across seven mostly southeastern states.
The school will compete for a final season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
