Texas Wesleyan University announced Feb. 24 that the Board of Trustees has authorized a formal application to transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II athletics. [File photo]

Texas Wesleyan’s decision to apply to become part of the NCAA Division II athletics was officially announced Feb. 24, eliciting mixed emotions from students. 

Despite some buzz circulating campus prior to the university’s announcement, many students were surprised by the news. Emanuel Rose, a sophomore football player and business marketing major, was amongst the students who were caught off guard. 

“I heard rumors that we should transition to another division, but I never thought it would really happen,” Rose said. “It was kind of shocking I’m not going to lie to you.” 

Daylan Anderson-Harris, junior business management and religion major and Student Government Association president, was present during key decision-making meetings. Harris said he first learned about the plan during a Board of Trustees meeting before the announcement was made public. According to Harris, the university plans to submit its official application to the NCAA by Oct. 1. If approved, Texas Wesleyan could begin playing some DII competition as early as 2028, with full participation in the Lone Star conference anticipated by 2029. 

Student disbelief was also accompanied by a sense of excitement for the future of athletics at Texas Wesleyan. Discovery of the upcoming development was especially meaningful to athletes such as Ti’yanna Johnson, a sophomore flag-football player majoring in business marketing. 

“I feel like it’s a great opportunity for us,” she said. “It’s going to bring more attention to the school; more girls are going to be interested in Texas Wesleyan flag football since we will be DII.” 

The DII title brings recognition, but also opportunity for new competition. Students recognized the growth this change will bring to the quality of team performances. 

“I think it’ll only benefit us at the end of the day,” Rose said. “Seeing that we have more competition and moving on to higher divisions and bigger rankings and facing other opponents that we haven’t faced before, it’s just overall benefit.” 

Freshman basketball player and education major, Lamar Napoleon agreed, “We’ll play more comp, but I think our program will rise to the occasion.”  

Opportunity for growth is not all this change will bring. Harris highlighted potential for financial and residential benefits for student athletes. 

“Scholarships are going to be better for players,” Harris said. “It will also encourage the school to look for more funding for facilities and housing so the campus can reach that Division II level.” 

For some student athletes, the news came as a bittersweet surprise as they expressed concerns about the university’s readiness for the transition. Natalie Miksovska, a senior political science major and member of the women’s golf team, said she believes university facilities must undergo improvements before it is ready to compete at the DII level.

“As of right now we are not equipped to be a DII school based on the facilities that we currently have,” Miksovska said. “The football stadium isn’t even finished yet, and DII school usually have much bigger facilities.” 

Miksovska, an international student from the Czech Republic, said the change could make the university more appealing to international student athletes. 

“College sports are not really a thing back home in Europe, and that’s why you see a lot of international athletes in the United States,” Miksovska said. “I feel like yes, it will attract more [international] athletes but again we do not really have the facilities for that right now.” 

The university has emphasized it’s ability to meet NCAA DII standards.

“The university has demonstrated the capacity to meet NCAA Division II requirements,” the university said in a press release. “Due to the university’s strong academic profile, sound financial position and modern athletic facilities, TXWES is well positioned to elevate to NCAA Division II.”

As Texas Wesleyan takes on the multi-year transition, students shared hope for overcoming of obstacles and eagerness for new opportunities. 

“I’m excited to see how our school will transition,” Harris said.