Point Park University approved for full NCAA Division II membership

Point Park University in Pittsburgh has been approved for full NCAA Division II membership, effective Sept. 1.

The university reports that it completed its three-year provisional membership process in just two years after a waiver was approved by the NCAA.

The waiver was granted after Point Park met all NCAA compliance, academic and operational benchmarks a year early, transitioning from NAIA, officials say.

“Point Park is proud to be a member of both the Mountain East Conference and NCAA Division II,” Point Park University President Chris W. Brussalis said. “We are honored that the NCAA recognized our athletic performance and commitment enough to waive a third provisional year and grant us full membership. We could not have done this without the unwavering support of the MEC and look forward to competing in the conference for many years to come.”

“Today’s news is historic for Point Park University and our entire downtown community,” Athletics Vice President Scott Swain said. “Over the past two years, our student-athletes, staff, donors and community have strived for excellence with NCAA membership being the goal, today that hard work and commitment has paid off. NCAA membership will help our university grow – including enrollment, sponsorship, and achievements - both athletically and academically."

Point Park was invited for membership to the Mountain East Conference on Jan. 16, 2024. The university was then approved for the NCAA Division II provisional membership process on July 11, 2024.

Pioneer athletics completed the initial year of the process during the 2024-25 academic year, before meeting the full membership criteria in the 2025-26 academic year.

Point Park won its first MEC Championship in baseball in the spring of 2025. During the 2025-26 academic year, the Pioneers qualified for MEC postseason competition in 13 sports and finished as MEC runner-up in five sports: women’s cross country, men’s track & field (indoor and outdoor) and women’s track & field (indoor and outdoor). The institution also made its first-ever MEC postseason appearances in men’s and women’s soccer in the fall of 2025.

In year one of the provisional process, 10 Point Park athletics programs qualified for MEC postseason competition.

Besides the baseball championship, women’s indoor track & field and men’s outdoor track & field both finished as league runners-up in the 2024-25 academic year.

Academically, Point Park student-athletes recorded a 3.42 grade-point average in the fall and a 3.35 GPA for the spring semester during the 2025-26 academic year, the university reports. This year, 258 student-athletes were placed on the All-MEC Academic Team and Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

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