The Mountain East Conference looked one state to the west to find its 12th member.
Shawnee State is joining the MEC effective July 2026, pending its acceptance into NCAA Division II, the MEC said in a news release on Friday.
Located in Portsmouth, Ohio, the Bears currently participate in the NAIA. Shawnee State fields teams in 19 of the MECƵs 23 sports and will add football beginning in 2028.
ƵWe engaged our membership committee in comprehensive and thoughtful discussions about a return to 12 full-time members, and SSU emerged as an institution that strongly aligned with our current membership,Ƶ MEC commissioner Reid Amos said in the release.
University of Charleston president Martin Roth, who is president of the MEC board, said the league was thrilled to welcome Shawnee to its membership.
ƵShawnee StateƵs inclusion will strengthen the caliber of and bring fresh energy to our conference,Ƶ Roth said in the release.
Shawnee State will file its application to move from the NAIA, where it is a member of the River States Conference, to NCAA Division II by Oct. 1, the MEC said.
Meeting that deadline would allow the Bears to begin competing in the MEC by the 2026-2027 season.
Shawnee State is the second school added by the MEC from the RSC, joining Point Park, which made the same move last summer.
Shawnee State president Eric Braun said the move to NCAA Division II and the MEC marked a new chapter for the school.
ƵƵ an MEC member, Shawnee State will have exciting opportunities to elevate our programs, expand our reach and deepen our commitment to academic and athletic excellence,Ƶ Braun said in a release.
New West Virginia State University athletic director David Hicks said in a statement that Shawnee StateƵs location in southern Ohio Ƶ expanding the MECƵs footprint to four states Ƶ makes the Bears a good fit.
Shawnee State joins West Virginia schools Charleston, ƵSU, Concord, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Wheeling, West Liberty and West Virginia Wesleyan, plus Point Park in Pennsylvania and Frostburg State in Maryland, to comprise the MEC membership as of 2026.
With an enrollment of about 3,300 students, Shawnee State potentially strengthens MEC basketball. The Bears won the NAIA menƵs national championship in 2021, while Shawnee StateƵs women are coming off a 28-5 season in which the Bears were runner-up in the RSC and advanced to the second round of the NAIA tournament.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
