College Weighs Competing Interests in NCAA Bid

Houghton College's Division III Exploration and Transition Team is continuing its efforts to pursue a transition to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and is currently working through several of the logistical details to see that the transition take place.  

The Division III Exploration and Transition Team is the committee directly involved in the NCAA transition process. According to Vice President of Student Life Sharra Hynes, who is a member of the committee, they are currently in the midst of "preparing our application for membership in the NCAA Division III," which is due in May, as well as "continuing our discussion with the Empire 8 Conference."

According to Coach Skip Lord, Athletics Director and member of the Division III Exploration and Transition Team, the application the committee is currently working on is an "application for exploratory membership," which is merely the first step in a several year process. If granted exploratory status, Houghton would be considered for an opportunity to apply for a "provisional membership" status. Only four schools are granted provisional status each year, and while Lord would "love" to see Houghton "to get through in year one" he said that he "would not see it as a failure if we did not get through in year one."

The athletic department is continuing to pursue changes required to apply for membership in the NCAA. According to Lord, the addition of baseball and softball to Houghton's athletic program is continuing to be implemented. Brian Reitnour has already been named as head baseball coach and the search for a softball coach "continues to be in process." Lord added that "recruiting in both" baseball and softball is "going well" and that Houghton has already "signed several athletes in both sports."

A prominent issue that has come to the forefront of the transition process is the fact that the Empire 8 Conference schedules games on Sundays. According to a document put together by the Division III Exploration and Transition Team, the Empire 8 Conference has "limited competition on Sundays" but Houghton's current Sunday Observance Policy "excludes the potential for Sunday play." Furthermore the document notes that while it is up to each individual conference whether to honor requests for exemption from play on Sundays, "Empire 8 has not made it their practice to give full exemptions to Sunday play."

The document furthermore explains that "Houghton will continue its commitment to honoring the Sabbath." Hynes described this issue as "an opportunity for Houghton to enter into discussion…about our commitment to the Sabbath and how this is observed on our campus."

Lord said the Division III Exploration and Transition Team will be discussing this issue with the campus at large. It will be discussed with "all constituencies…on campus" and from those conversations, he said, "we'll reach our conclusion on what to do."  While recognizing that both an alteration of Houghton's Sunday Observance Policy, or conversely a decision to not go forward with membership, are all possibilities that could be reached through these conversations. Lord explained that this is not merely an "either/or" question.

"We are seeking to determine if it is possible to arrive at a community understanding of this opportunity with the Empire 8 that will both appropriately preserve our tradition of honoring the Sabbath and also accommodate the requirements of Sunday play, albeit limited, that the Empire 8 requires."

In a presidential report in senate on Feb. 8, President Zach Adams explained that Houghton's Sunday Observance Policy is not stringent. He also expressed the desire that as the dialogue continues we "make sure our conversations do not slide down into the fiasco that was last semester," in reference to the faith-based discussions.

Adams said that there is a push for these conversations to be "more intentional and more productive" because there was a "negative emotional response that was tangibly felt" last semester. Because of this, Adams said that there is a push to frame this semester with guiding questions, reminding everyone that they are a part of the conversations.

Audrey Gillette, senior, serves as a student representative to the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. She said that her committee is "continually updated on what's going on in the athletic department" and will "follow the same process with the NCAA transition [and] application process."  In regard to the issue of games on Sundays, she expressed that she is "confident that we can approach the issue prayerfully and with respect for all concerned."

Lord expressed excitement over the continuation of the transition process. Although he said he has "no clue what the conclusion is going to be," he said that he looks "forward to how it's going to proceed."  

Gillette, while noting that there has "seemed to be some concern that" the decision to pursue the transition "happened so quickly and with little input from the Houghton community," she said she believes that "moving to NCAA could be great for athletes, students, and Houghton in general."