1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

NCAA cancels DIII winter championships; Pioneers to continue in conference play

The Transylvania University women's basketball team.

The NCAA announced Wednesday evening the cancellation of Division III winter sports championships. This decision by the NCAA was reached because there are not currently enough DIII institutions competing to meet the threshold for championship competitions. The cancellation means Transylvania’s basketball, swimming and diving and indoor track and field teams will not be eligible to compete in NCAA DIII championships in 2021.  

“This certainly is not the news we wanted to hear, but we will continue to provide a safe environment for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level of excellence,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for athletics. 

The announcement does not affect eligibility for Transylvania student-athletes participating in varsity competition for the 2020-21 season. Earlier this year, the NCAA determined that as long as a student-athlete was eligible and remained enrolled full time through this academic year — regardless of the number of games played — they would retain this year’s eligibility.

Additionally, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference is scheduled to proceed with its conference championships for each of the affected winter sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s and women’s swimming and diving. 

While individual matches are subject to change, Pioneer teams competing in winter sports will continue with the entirety of their season schedules and conference tournaments pending any changes resulting from COVID-19 protocols. Follow TransySports.com for any schedule changes.

The Transylvania Athletic Department is committed to collaborating with current student-athletes to assist them in identifying options for how to best use their additional year of eligibility. Student-athletes will meet with athletics staff individually to determine their eligibility and continued education at Transylvania.