56³Ô¹ÏÍø is officially the eleventh member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Lakers join the GLIAC after 14 seasons as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, almost all of which came as part of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). 56³Ô¹ÏÍø competes in 14 sports sponsored by the conference: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field and women's volleyball. Men's volleyball will also join the NCAA and a future conference home will be announced at a later date.
"This is a great day for 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics as joining the GLIAC, a conference widely considered to be best in all of NCAA Division II, is another milestone in the continued growth of our department," Vice President for Athletics and Student-Athlete Success Michael Cassidy said. "While this move will be a step up in competition for our athletic programs, it is also an opportunity to collaborate and connect with fellow conference coaches and administrators to ensure we are optimizing the experience of our student-athletes. I am grateful for the support provided already by GLIAC leadership, and specifically thank Commissioner Kris Dunbar and Associate Commissioner Michael Pierce for their guidance the last year-plus as we pursued the marker reached today.
"In my initial interactions with current GLIAC members, I could not have felt more welcomed. I look forward to starting our competitions as proud GLIAC members this fall."
56³Ô¹ÏÍø will be immediately eligible to compete for GLIAC championships, including participation in any conference tournament for which it qualifies. However, the Lakers will be ineligible for NCAA championships until the school has completed all three years of the provisional membership process.
"This is an exciting day for the GLIAC, as we welcome 56³Ô¹ÏÍø to the conference. RU's outstanding academic profile and athletic program are a valuable addition to our league," GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dubar said. "Thank you to President Malekzadeh and Vice President for Athletics and Student-Athlete Success Michael Cassidy for their strong leadership and continued diligence in facilitating a smooth transition. We are thrilled to expand the GLIAC's footprint to the Chicagoland area and we look forward to the rivalries that are sure to be developed with 56³Ô¹ÏÍø in the years to come."
