Cal State San Marcos announced that Tuesday was the school’s final day as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as it embarks on its three-year transition into NCAA Division II.
The school is expected to be full NCAA Division II members by the 2017-18 season, after applying for candidacy back in July 2014.
The Cougars will begin playing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in the fall of 2015, and will find out if they move on to their second year of transition in mid-July.
In the Cougars’ first year of transition (2014-15) they combined for seven conference championships, 34 NAIA All-American awards and three NAIA national championships.
CSUSM has been with the NAIA since 1998, when the athletics department was created.