The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is going to be adding its tenth full time member with the addition of Azusa Pacific University, according to the SCIAC website. APU is expected to become a full time member of the SCIAC by the 2028-2029 academic year, but will be integrated into scheduling by the 2026-2027 academic year.

Azusa Pacific is currently an NCAA Division II institution, but will be transitioning to Division III. 

The change was unanimously agreed upon by the Presidents Council, according to Jennifer Dubow, the commissioner of the SCIAC. 

Dubow expressed her excitement for the addition in the same announcement.

“Azusa Pacific will make a fantastic addition to the SCIAC and further position us as a leading conference in Division III,” Dubow said, per the official SCIAC announcement. “Their rising academic profile, competitive excellence and commitment to the true student-athlete experience all fit well within our regularly assessed membership criteria and we were thrilled to be able to welcome them to DIII.” 

California Lutheran University Director of Athletics Howard Davis said he believes that the addition of APU to the SCIAC is a positive move that will strengthen the competitiveness of the conference. 

 “Azusa Pacific has a well-established athletic reputation, and their presence in the SCIAC will only strengthen our competition,” Davis said. “I think this is a positive step forward for our conference and for the student-athletes who will get to compete at a high level.”

According to Dubow, the change has been in the works for over a year and was brought up in a membership review. Dubow said one of the main points discussed was the desire to expand while staying local.

“We really worked with our faculty athletic reps, our presidents, and then the athletic department as a whole, and created what would be considered a membership rubric, like what’s important to us. One of the things that really rose to the top is geography. We really don’t want to expand our footprint,” Dubow said.

Dubow said the reason for staying as local as possible is to alleviate the costs and stressors that come with traveling far distances for athletes and teams.

According to the SCIAC announcement, APU has a strong athletic history, having finished in the Top 20 of the Division II Learfield Directors’ Cup standings in seven of the past eight years.

A notable aspect of APU’s integration into the SCIAC is the reintroduction of its football program, which was discontinued in 2020. This return, in conjunction with the reinstatement of Whittier College’s football program, will bring the SCIAC football lineup to eight teams. 

Davis said that currently, Cal Lutheran’s football team plays two teams twice per season, which is abnormal for college athletics. He also said that the addition of APU’s football program will affect the scheduling process for all schools in the SCIAC. 

Davis said integrating a brand-new team into a developed conference can be a challenge in the beginning.

“It’s very difficult when you start a new program, so I would expect them to struggle a little bit for the first couple years, but after that, I would expect them to be able to field a strong football program,” Davis said.

Per the SCIAC announcement, Gary Pine, director of athletics at APU, said APU’s transition into the SCIAC will serve as a benefit to the success of student-athletes on and off the field.

“The move to the SCIAC will extend APU Athletics’ culture of excellence, where student-athletes are empowered to reach their given potential academically, athletically, and spiritually,” Pine said, per the SCIAC announcement.

Dubow said the process is not instantaneous, as there is a two-year reclassifying period in which not all the same rules apply to them. APU will not be eligible for postseason until after this two-year period.