July 11, 2024 – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today that Sul Ross State University in Alpine has met the criteria to advance their provisional status in its quest to transition into Division II athletic competition.
In early 2023, Athletic Director Amanda Workman said the university would apply for DII status, which was approved last July. However, the NCAA requires a three-year provisional timeline during which certain conditions must be met before full acceptance.
On July 1, the Lone Star Conference officially welcomed Sul Ross State to its membership, and the Lobos will compete against LSC schools starting this fall, though the university will not gain full NCAA DII status until Fall 2026.
“We have been hard at work, ensuring compliance not just within the athletic department, but academics, financial aid and facilities,” said Workman. “This is a challenging process for all involved but it’s absolutely worth our time and effort to ensure success for our student-athletes, coaches and the institution. We are doing all we can to ensure a smooth transition through this three-year process and we’re excited with the progress made so far. We are eagerly awaiting Division II competition this fall and welcoming Lone Star Conference institutions to Alpine.”
The NCAA visited the Alpine campus in February 2024 to assess SRSU’s readiness in areas such as institutional control, sports programs, student wellbeing, staffing, compliance monitoring, recruiting, eligibility, rules education, financial aid, self-reporting and procedures.
The site visit resulted in some “areas to monitor,” according to the NCAA’s report, but nothing out of the ordinary. SRSU has already developed a plan to address issues such as updating job descriptions, handbooks and policies and procedures to reflect DII standards, and establishing communication across departments to ensure student-athlete success.
The NCAA noted several strengths in the report, as well, such as facilities that compare favorably with other DII institutions and the creation of a comprehensive compliance manual with input from faculty and staff.
“Sul Ross State University is committed to a successful transition to Division II,” said President Carlos Hernandez. “This is not only about athletics, though their success is our success. We believe whole-heartedly that the move will benefit every aspect of enrollment and retention, and that it will play a major role in our many growth initiatives.”
SRSU has an equal number of men’s and women’s sports, including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, cross country and tennis.
Home competition opens Thursday, Aug. 29, when the Lobos take on West Texas A&M at Jackson Field at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate and online at srlobos.com.
For more information, email amanda.workman@sulross.edu.