With the school long considered a hidden gem, Point Loma Nazarene University’s athletic programs might not be hidden much longer. On Nov. 19, the school’s board of trustees decided to move forward in applying for membership in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II. “It gives us a good opportunity and I believe we’ve done our due diligence in researching this issue, and spent some good time on campus to make this institutional decision,” said Ethan Hamilton, Point Loma Nazarene University’s (PLNU) athletic director. The application is due June 1 and the NCAA expects to provide an answer in mid-July. If the Sea Lions are accepted, their 14 intercollegiate athletic teams would begin play as a member of Division II during the 2014-15 academic year, a move from their current affiliation with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). “The NCAA offers some visibility and brand recognition,” Hamilton said. “It is more well-known by athletes, and parents and fans and the media.” The extensive application involves PLNU presenting its reasoning and justification for a Division II membership. It also includes institutional changes to align the school with NCAA regulations, which are stricter than those of the NAIA. “The NAIA left a lot of those interpretations up to each institution and so there’s some steps there,” Hamilton said. “It’s not going to be a big change from what we’re doing, but we just need to make sure we’re inline with all those pieces.” Hamilton doesn’t see falling inline with the NCAA’s stronger rules and higher academic expectations as an issue. In addition, most student athletes come straight out of high school, as opposed to other NAIA schools that may rely heavily on transfers or international students, meaning there wouldn’t be as many complications with eligibility under different NCAA guidelines. “We’re already on board with a lot of the things the NCAA has already asked, and will ask from us, and we’ve been fairly successful,” Hamilton said. When he took the post two years ago, Hamilton had national athletics affiliation on his mind. An alum and also the school’s basketball coach, Hamilton said he has seen the NAIA trend toward smaller schools during his tenure. “Part of the reason is a change in leadership and just looking at the overall fit for athletics within our own university,” Hamilton said. Another reason for the application is that three of the schools in PLNU’s 11-member Golden State Athletic Conference have pursued, or are currently pursuing, Division II membership. California Baptist University is already a D-II member, and Azusa Pacific University and Fresno Pacific University will apply for membership like PLNU. “The depth of competition will be greater across the board, but the difference between us and the elite teams of Division II is not too much to overcome,” Hamilton said. Hamilton said a move to Division II would not only bolster the school’s athletic department, but would also help the school overall. NCAA membership would bring greater exposure for the university tucked along the coast. “We run into situations often where people don’t know about this university. We’ve heard the comment that it’s kind of a hidden gem,” Hamilton said. “We don’t necessarily want it to be hidden. We have a great product, great students and tremendous faculty.” Point Loma Nazarene University athletics are online at www.plnusea-lions.com.