Point Park University Earns Full NCAA Division II Membership Friday, July 10, 2026
“Point Park is proud to be a member of both the Mountain East Conference and NCAA Division II. 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.”
Point Park University leadership was greeted with historic news on Friday morning, as the university earned full NCAA Division II membership effective September 1, 2026.
A waiver to complete Point Park’s three-year NCAA provisional membership process in just two years has been approved after the university successfully completed the multi-year transition process from NAIA by meeting all NCAA compliance, academic and operational benchmarks a year early.
“Point Park is proud to be a member of both the Mountain East Conference and NCAA Division II,” said President Chris W. Brussalis. “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.”
As full members of the Mountain East Conference and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (in men’s lacrosse), the Pioneers will be fully integrated in NCAA Division II this fall — a major milestone for recruiting, visibility and competition. The announcement also gives Point Park NCAA postseason eligibility, as well as significantly more access to NCAA national and regional polls and postseason awards, both regional and national.
“Today’s news is historic for Point Park University and our entire downtown community,” said Vice President of Athletics Scott Swain. “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 have paid off. NCAA membership will help our university grow— including enrollment, sponsorship and achievements — both athletically and academically."
“We’d like to thank many individuals and departments on campus for their part in the NCAA membership process, including the President’s Office, Athletics Department, Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Admissions, Student Affairs and the Business Office,” Swain continued.
Point Park was invited for membership to the Mountain East Conference on January 16, 2024, before being approved for the NCAA Division II provisional membership process on July 11 later that year. Pioneer athletics successfully completed the initial year of the process during the 2024-25 academic year, before completing the membership criteria in 2025-26.
After winning its first MEC Championship in the spring of 2025 in baseball, Point Park qualified for MEC postseason competition in 13 sports during the 2025-26 academic year. The Pioneers finished MEC runner-up in five sports over the past year, including 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 back in the fall.
In year one, 10 Point Park athletics programs qualified for MEC postseason competition. In addition to baseball winning the school’s first MEC Championship, women’s indoor track & field and men’s outdoor track & field both finished as league runner-up in 2024-25.
Point Park also celebrated success in the classroom during the 2025-26 academic year, with student-athletes recording a 3.42 grade-point average during the fall and a 3.35 GPA during the spring semester. Point Park placed 258 student-athletes on the All-MEC Academic Team and Commissioner’s Honor Roll this year.