In case you missed it last week, Bellarmine University announced it would begin transitioning to NCAA Division I athletics in 2020-21. The Atlantic Sun Conference extended an invitation, and Bellarmine — which currently competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in Division II — will become that league’s 10th member.
Sound familiar? It should. Northern Kentucky University traveled the same path to Division I. NKU spent 27 years in the GLVC before joining the Atlantic Sun Conference during the 2012-13 season as part of its Division I reclassification.
Of course, NKU is now a member of the Horizon League. Whether that’s a step up from the Atlantic Sun Conference is certainly debatable, but that’s fodder for another column.
What isn’t debatable is the fact small-college sports just don’t help brand a college or university in an effective way. Not in the 21st century. NKU realized it many years ago. You can win GLVC championships galore, and the student body barely notices. You can capture numerous Division II regional and national titles, but most local sports fans don’t care. Neither does the media.
NKU began the transition to NCAA Division I status in 2012-13 and competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Pictured is the Norse men’s basketball team from that inaugural season in Division I. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
What is not to like about beating Wingate, Alaska-Anchorage and South Dakota en route to a national championship? That’s what the NKU women did in 2008 at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. But the Norse’s improbable journey to the NCAA crown seemed mysteriously underappreciated.
NKU built a powerful athletics program in Division II, dominated the GLVC in multiple sports for more than a decade and still suffered from the perception attached to small-college sports. Winning a national title wasn’t enough in the 21st century. It brought back memories of what a respected consultant had once told NKU President James Votruba: “You are who you play.”
As disturbing as those five words can sound, they’re also alarmingly accurate when it comes to modern college athletics.
NKU’s Josh Tabb (right) dunks over Bellarmine’s Nick Holmes during the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament at Knights Hall in Louisville. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
None of those great deeds from Division II were relevant to those with big-time visions. Division II is a Ford Pinto, and many NKU boosters desired a Lamborghini. The “When are you guys going Division I?” questions from boosters, staff, media and even politicians never ceased. I served as NKU’s sports information director from 1993 until 2014 and heard it all.
To those passionately insisting on NKU moving its athletics program to Division I status, it was indeed a case of “You are who you play.”
After conducting feasibility and marketing studies, not to mention making significant upgrades to its facilities, NKU announced in 2011 that it would reclassify its athletics program to Division I. By that time, the GLVC had become unrecognizable due to westward expansion. The thrill of winning at that level had become somewhat stale for many NKU fans, especially since the Norse were beating up on the likes of William Jewell, Maryville and Illinois-Springfield as part of the new-look GLVC. And that was before the GLVC added schools such as McKendree and Lindenwood.
It was time for NKU to move on from Division II.
Bellarmine, meanwhile, has fielded an outstanding men’s basketball program for many years. Several of the other sports at Bellarmine have enjoyed varying degrees of success as well, but not like men’s hoops. The Knights are a powerhouse in that sport in Division II and a perennial contender for the national championship. That will change drastically once they make the move to Division I in 2020-21.
Instead of looking at preseason national rankings in Division II, Bellarmine basketball fans will be examining the history of big-time non-conference opponents they will face — all on the road, by the way — during the first couple of years as a Division I member. The always-realistic goal of a 25-win season in Division II will suddenly turn into dread over a potential 20-loss campaign in Division I.
Just ask NKU, which endured a pair of 20-loss seasons while making the four-year transition to Division I. That occurred after the Norse won at least 20 games five times in their final six years of Division II competition.
NKU’s Ernest “Stretch” Watson throws down a dunk against Bellarmine in Knights Hall during the 2011-12 season. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
Fortunately, the Atlantic Sun gave NKU a full conference schedule of home-and-home games that inaugural campaign. But the Norse’s first home contest wasn’t until the first week of January.
If you’re a Bellarmine fan, you already know Louisville and Kentucky aren’t coming to Knights Hall. Neither are Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Morehead State, Western Kentucky or NKU. It will be interesting to see if Bellarmine is able to convince a Division I opponent to visit Knights Hall in 2020-21.
Yes, there will be numerous challenges facing Bellarmine as it navigates the transition to Division I. But don’t overlook the positives, as there are plenty.
Bellarmine will have the opportunity to play many of the nation’s top programs in regular-season games. It’s much more appealing to announce you’re playing both Ohio State and Texas Tech than releasing a schedule filled with small-college opponents. The perception is big-time, even if the reality is a 25-point loss. It’s called a guarantee game, which Bellarmine will soon discover during its initiation into Division I.
Given the choice, would you rather face a schedule loaded with UCLA, Duke and Kentucky, or coast against a slate littered with McKendree, Martin Methodist and Lindenwood?
Like that consultant once said: “You are who you play.”
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
