TAHLEQUAH, Okla. --- Northeastern State University ha s accepted an invitation to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Dr. Don Betz, President, and Jeffrey Konya, director of athletics, made the official announcement Thursday afternoon.
Central Oklahoma also formalized its move to the MIAA. Northeastern St ate and UCO will notify the Lone Star Conference of their withdrawals prior to the Aug. 1 deadline as required in the LSC Constitution.
“We are pleased to receive and accept an invitation to join the MIAA and its institutional members,” Betz said. “The MIAA enjoys an excepti onal reputation nationally for the quality of both its athletics and academ ic programs. We have much in common with its member universities including institutional missions, regional proximity, and our common link through our regional accrediting association, the Higher Learning Commission.
“We are also delighted that we will be entering the MIAA together wi th our friends at the University of Central Oklahoma. They are one of our g reatest rivals in athletics, but one of our appreciated partners as we coll aborate in academics, operations and regional service. We couldn’t be mor e pleased that we will continue our close association and rivalry in athlet ics .
“We appreciate our fellow member institutions of the Lone Star Co nference and we value our 15-year relationship. However, this is a great fi t for NSU. We eagerly await the start of athletic competition and the op portunity to explore new relationships with the association’s schools,” Betz said.
Earlier this summer, MIAA presidents approved legislation to explore e xpansion for the conference, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., fr om 12 institutions to 16. The geographic footprint of the MIAA has been exp anded by the addition of Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma, which hav e a major presence in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metropolitan areas.
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