FGCU board votes to move to Division I
By Dana Caldwell

FORT MYERS -- Bolstered by the recommendations of school President Bill Merwin and athletic director Carl McAloose, the Florida Gulf Coast University board of trustees voted unanimously today for its athletics programs to make the jump to Division I.

The move from Division II will take five years to complete. During the first, the Eagles will continue to compete in Division II. In the final four, they can compete on a Division I level for conference championships, but not national ones, and they must do so within D-I parameters.

"We think we're in a growth area here. We've got outstanding support from everybody involved in the program," McAloose said. "Our students have been supportive.

"We think we can do extremely well with this."

The 10-member Atlantic Sun Conference has shown great interest in FGCU as it looks to move to 12 teams by next fall. FGCU officials seemed confident an invitation would be forthcoming from the A-Sun, likely by June or July.

FGCU will add three sports -- men's and women's soccer and women's swimming/diving -- to reach the NCAA-mandated total of 14 (seven men's, seven women's).

The main reason for the move was the lack of conference affiliation, which has caused traveling and scheduling problems -- difficulties McAloose said he believes will worsen.

The Eagles have tried for years to become affiliated with Florida's D-II Sunshine State Conference, but the feeling has not been mutual.

Fund-raising would have to be increased to finance the move. McAloose figures ticket sales must increase by 30 percent to help offset the projected doubling of the athletics budget to $5.8 million by 2009-2010.

Find additional coverage in Wednesday's edition of the Daily News.

So who else is coming in?

Thanks Moloch!

That 12th team is a mystery. I wouldn't think a school in an existing D-1 conference (like Radford or BirminghamSouthern) would be able to join by this fall without paying penalties for not serving a notice.

Could it be Longwood or another new upgrade from D-2?

If it's another dII and we have 12 teams then the 8 teams in the conference tourny are already set. if its only FGCU and its 11 then its the same deal.