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| Azusa Pacific athletics photo by Holly Magnuson |
The SCIAC will add Azusa Pacific University as a 10th full-time member, the conference announced through President Strom Thacker of Pitzer College, Athletic Administrators chair Erica Perkins Jasper of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Commissioner Jenn Dubow.
The Presidents Council unanimously supported the addition of APU, currently an NCAA Division II member, to the SCIAC following the conference’s established vetting procedures. With the Division III reclassification process now able to be completed within as few as two years, APU is expected to become a full-fledged member for the 2028-29 academic year but will be integrated into conference scheduling as soon as 2026-27.
“We were pleased to invite Azusa Pacific University to become a member of the SCIAC,” Thacker said. “President Morris and the leadership at APU are eager to become partners in our shared vision for the Division III student-athlete experience. We look forward to continuing to provide unparalleled opportunities for our students to succeed academically and athletically in a respectful environment.”
As part of the move, APU also has announced the return of its football program discontinued in 2020. They plan to field a team in the fall of 2026 when Whittier also reinstates its football program, bringing the conference back to eight teams. This heavily bolsters a conference which had gotten so small in football that it elected to have conference members play each other twice.
“Azusa Pacific will make a fantastic addition to the SCIAC and further position us as a leading conference in Division III,” Dubow said. “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 D-III.”
APU, whose mascot is the Cougar, has finished in the Top 20 of the D-II Learfield Directors Cup standings in seven of the past eight years after winning a record eight consecutive trophies as an NAIA member until 2012. Founded in 1899, Azusa Pacific University, a top Christian higher education institution, is located 20-plus miles northeast of Los Angeles and offers 18 varsity sports with a traditional undergraduate enrollment of 2,266 students. With the addition of football, APU will expand to 19 varsity sports beginning in fall 2026 and will consider other additions that fit the SCIAC sport sponsorship portfolio, currently at 21 sports.
“As a proud member of SCIAC, APU is thrilled to join other top Southern California universities that share our commitment to providing a well-rounded educational experience, where students can excel in the classroom and in athletics,” president Adam J. Morris, PhD, said. “We are confident that our transition to Division III will allow us to maintain this balance while continuing our athletic excellence in all sports."
"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,” said Gary Pine, APU athletic director. “In the days we all competed in the NAIA, some of the most memorable games in Cougar sports history were played against longtime SCIAC foes and we are excited to be a part of those renewed rivalries again.”
The addition of APU will mark the third expansion of the SCIAC in the past 35 years. The conference most recently expanded from eight to nine members with the addition of former DIII independent Chapman in 2011. The Panthers had reclassified from D-II in 1994 and committed to add four sports with their move to the SCIAC. Cal Lutheran joined the conference in 1991, reclassifying directly from D-II.
“We are excited to welcome APU into the SCIAC as our 10th member,” Erica Perkins Jasper, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Director of Athletics and current chair of the SCIAC Athletic Administrators, said. “They are committed to the holistic student-athlete model and will further elevate the conference competitively. It also allows us to keep our tight footprint which is a significant drawing point for recruits as they do not have to spend a single night away from campus for conference competition.”
The university now begins its search for a head football coach and assembling a coaching staff with extensive experience in Division III athletics. APU will look for candidates who possess a proven track record of success, a commitment to academic excellence, and a passion for developing student athletes both on and off the field.
"We are committed to building a football program that embodies the enduring values and principles of APU athletics and D-III philosophy," Pine said. "Our goal is to create a culture of excellence, where student athletes are empowered to reach their God-given potential academically, athletically, and spiritually. We are excited to welcome talented and dedicated individuals who share this vision."