After months of speculation, it's official: Cedarville will make the move to the NCAA.  "Our board approved [the move] a couple of weeks ago" said Dr. Bill Brown, Cedarville University (CU) president.

Because Cedarville has been a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for over 60 years, the move comes as a surprise to many. To others, like Brown, the transition is a natural one as the university continues to grow.

"It's the next logical step as we get larger," said Brown.

That level will be Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). All of Cedarville's intercollegiate sports will be in the division. Although there is speculation that the Jacket's traditional rival schools will make the move alongside Cedarville, there has not been any official confirmation at this point.

Transitioning to the NCAA will take time and a considerable amount of effort by the athletic department. Although Dr. Alan Geist, the athletic director, was unwilling to comment for this story, Brown outlined the steps that Cedarville will need to take to become an official member of the NCAA.

The first step will be going through the NCAA's rigorous compliance process, said Brown. This will be a three year process. The first two years will be spent as part of the NAIA, as Cedarville works on compliance. For the third year, Cedarville will be granted provisional status as a member of the NCAA Division II.

For Cedarville to meet the NCAA's compliance requirements, the university will have to make a number of changes in the athletic department. First, a full-time compliance officer will be hired to monitor the school's progress and track grades and eligibility of student-athletes until CU joins. The NCAA has stricter policies for these standards than does the NAIA.

Brown also stated that the athletic department would need to be restructured in minor ways, and that a new person would be hired to oversee Cedarville's future recruiting, which is also watched closely by the NCAA.

This move will not only affect Cedarville's athletic department, but it will also bring changes to other parts of the university. This move "communicates a message of growth," said Scott VanLoo, director of admissions.

"I think it can help [increase applications]," VanLoo said, adding that the admissions department would have to work closely with the two new members of the athletic department to ensure that Cedarville does not violate any recruiting standards.

Another area of the university potentially affected by this move will be fundraising. With three years to prepare for moving up to a higher level, Brown will prepare for the possibility of building new facilities for the Yellow Jackets.

"We are going to ratchet up fundraising for our athletic department," said Brown. "As you expand, it is important to have good facilities."

Although the move will take considerable time, effort and resources, this is a move that Brown and the board of trustees have approved and will support. As Brown said, "it does take us to another level."