Last week, Azusa Pacific University announced after a unanimous it will transition from Division II to Division III. The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC)’s member institution presidents unanimously voted in favor of the university joining the conference. Azusa Pacific will begin playing in the conference during the 2026-27 season and will become a full member by the 2028-29 season.
As part of this move, the university announced it will bring back its football program, which was discontinued in 2020. The team will take the field in the fall of 2026, coinciding with Whittier College—another SCIAC program—reinstating its program.
This move came the week before Saint Francis University announced it was reclassifying from Division I to Division III. Part of the reason for that move was the evolving nature of college athletics with universities preparing for the final approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement on April 7. The terms of an approved settlement focus on Division I but the effects will be felt throughout the NCAA, regardless of division.
Azusa Pacific University characterized this decision as a “strategic move [that] aligns with the university’s commitment to prioritizing the academic and athletic balance of its student-athletes, while fostering a competitive and enriching athletic environment.”
There are major differences between Division II and Division III athletics, namely that Division II offers partial athletic scholarships. DIII athletes do not receive any scholarship money based on athletic ability. Azusa Pacific’s reclassification announcement does not include details about how or if the university plans to honor any athletic scholarships held by current student-athletes. Another major difference between the divisions is that Division I and II amust meet the eligibility requirements the NCAA sets, while Division III schools each set their own rules.
There are further differences specifically for swimmers. The NCAA DII Championships are longer than the DIII Championships, offer the 1000 freestyle, and allow swimmers to race four individual events. There is no platform diving at either division’s NCAA Championships.
Azusa Pacific finished 15th in the women’s standings at the NCAA Division II Championships. Senior Montana White scored all of the team’s 60 points by placing second in the 200 freestyle (1:46.06), third in the 500 freestyle (4:48.78), fifth in the 1000 freestyle (9:56.64), and sixth in the 100 freestyle (49.74).
Azusa Pacific does not sponsor any men’s aquatic programs but does have a women’s swim team and a women’s water polo team.
The women’s side of the SCIAC Swimming and Diving Championships currently features nine teams. The Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens defeated rivals Claremont-Mudd-Scrips for the 2025 title, scoring 1051.5 points. The Sagehens were the top SCIAC women’s program at the 2025 NCAA DIII Championships, earning 8th place with 201.5 points. CMS was the conference’s next-best-placed team at 16th (56 points).
When do they become eligible for NCAAs? They’ve got some other athletes (qt least on this year’s roster) who would be in qualifying range for D3 NCAAs