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Returning to its sports roots, Thomas More officially accepts invitation from NAIA, Mid-South Conference


By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter

In some respects, Thomas More College’s announcement on Tuesday that it has officially accepted an invitation to join the NAIA and become a full member of the Mid-South Conference is a return to its original sports roots.

“In a way, Thomas More is going back home — to the NAIA,” said outgoing Thomas More president David A. Armstrong at Tuesday’s press conference. “I have a great mentor who said, ‘You’ve got to go where they want you.’ The NAIA has shown they wanted Thomas More back as a member, and that’s very important. It’s a great organization, and the NAIA is growing right now.

Dr. Kathleen Jagger, Thomas More College’s acting president, announces the school has accepted an invitation to join the NAIA and the Mid-South Conference. Outgoing president David A. Armstrong is shown at the left. (Photo by Don Owen)

“The Mid-South Conference is taking Thomas More with open arms, and as I leave Thomas More, I wanted to make sure we closed out this one open issue. I appreciate [acting president] Dr. (Kathleen) Jagger for allowing me to be here today and talk about it.”

Jagger announced that Thomas More will make the move to the NAIA on July 1, 2019. Thomas More will compete at the NCAA Division III level during the upcoming academic year as a member of the American Collegiate Athletic Association, and then officially join the NAIA next summer.

“In our conversations with representatives of the NAIA, their dedication to placing student development first was evident,” Jagger said. “Their character focus is consistent with our institutional mission. We are delighted to have this opportunity to join a competitive conference, with common academic standards and geographic proximity that will minimize the travel time for our student-athletes.”

For nearly 43 years, Thomas More competed as an NAIA affiliate and was a member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (now called the River States Conference) from 1955 until leaving the NAIA in 1990 to join the NCAA.

Then going by the nickname of “Rebels” for its athletics teams, Thomas More battled programs in Kentucky such as Georgetown, Pikeville, Campbellsville and Cumberland as conference rivals.

Thomas More athletic director Terry Connor is especially cognizant of those rivalries against the NAIA schools within Kentucky, given that his late father, Jim, was the head coach for both the baseball and men’s basketball programs in those days. Jim Connor also served as Thomas More’s athletic director from 1979-90.

“It was a very strong conference back when Dad coached here and we were in the KIAC, and the NAIA was extremely competitive,” Connor said. “He coached guys like Brian O’Conner, Dave Faust, Jim Nestheide at Thomas More. I remember watching them play against really good KIAC teams when I was a little kid. The competition was really good, and now we’re moving into a conference [Mid-South] that is one of the best, if not the best, in the nation.”

Former Thomas More baseball coach Jim Connor (left) is recognized by NKU head coach Bill Aker (right) prior to a game in Highland Heights. (Photo courtesy of Thomas More)

Prior to the 1990-91 academic year, Thomas More joined the NCAA and competed at the Division III level for the following 27 seasons. A year ago, Armstrong announced that Thomas More would withdraw from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference after the 2017-18 season, saying the school would “seek new partnerships which will enhance our strategic goals.”

While a member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, Thomas More captured 57 league championships in 13 years. In many cases, the Saints dominated the conference, the best example being women’s basketball. Dating back to 2012, the Thomas More women’s basketball team posted 135 consecutive victories against PAC opponents on the court.

Connor was asked about the competition level of the NAIA, compared to that of NCAA Division III and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

“This is a pretty serious step up in competition in the NAIA, especially playing in the Mid-South Conference,” Connor said. “It will be exciting to see how the coaches and student-athletes react, and how they step up their games.

“Plus, the geographical rivalries can’t be underestimated and what a positive impact it will have for our program. Georgetown is about 45 minutes down the road. Several of the other Kentucky schools are two hours away, and that will enhance our crowds, home and away.”

The Mid-South Conference features five schools from Kentucky — Georgetown, Campbellsville, University of the Cumberlands, Pikeville and Lindsey Wilson — along with Life (Ga.), Cumberland (Tenn.) and Shawnee State as full members. Unlike Thomas More’s former rivals in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, programs in the Mid-South strive to be nationally competitive in every sport.

“Take a look at the national rankings in the NAIA in just about every sport, and you’re going to see three, four, five teams from the Mid-South,” Connor said. “It’s a great conference and an outstanding fit for our program.”

The NAIA schools award athletic scholarships, while Division III programs do not. Connor said Thomas More will give out scholarships once it is in the NAIA.

Thomas More will become an official member of the Mid-South Conference after the upcoming season. The Saints will also enjoy the benefit of a full conference schedule for all sports beginning next year.

“We will be immediately eligible for all championships, and we’re all excited about those opportunities,” Connor said. “It’s going to be great competition in the Mid-South. We’re looking forward to this challenge.”

Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport


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