For now, the number is 14. But all indications are that MIAA presidents are likely to vote to add another two universities, possibly as early as later this month.
The MIAA announced Thursday that it had accepted the University of Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State (Okla.) University into the conference.
The conference is in the process of considering an application from Lindenwood University, an NAIA school that recently received NCAA Div. II candidacy.
The University of Nebraska-Kearney is the final school the conference is eyeing. UNK has yet to submit an application to join the MIAA, but Northwest’s Director of Athletics Bob Boerigter said UNK’s Board of Regents are meeting later this month to discuss the possibility of joining the MIAA. When all is said and done, Boerigter expects both Lindenwood and UNK will be added to the league.
“It’s like the stars are all aligning for the 16,” Boerigter said.
“We thought we would vote on four schools at one time, but the Oklahoma schools had an Aug. 1 deadline that they needed to inform the Lone Star Conference if they were not going to return. Otherwise they’d have some significant financial penalties. As a result, the presidents agreed to take a vote on them (Thursday).”
Adding a university to the MIAA requires a two-thirds vote from existing conference presidents. Boerigter declined to say what the vote count was for UCO and NSU, saying only that “it was approved” and that Northwest voted in favor of adding both schools.
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