MACON, Ga.- In a defining moment for Middle Georgia State University (MGA), the NCAA has officially accepted the institution for provisional Division II membership. The transition process begins this fall, marking a major step forward for Knights athletics.

University leaders made the formal announcement during a July 10 news conference held at the Peyton T. Anderson Enrollment Center on the Macon Campus. PBC Commissioner Diana Kling and former Commissioner Dave Brunk joined MGA President Dr. Christopher Blake, Athletics Director Michael Brown, and several Knights coaches, student-athletes and university representatives in attendance.

“This is a historic and transformational time for Middle Georgia State University,” Blake said. “Joining NCAA Division II will align our athletics program with our broader mission as a state university committed to academic excellence, student success, and regional engagement. This move strengthens our institutional identity, enriches student experiences, and builds pride in the success of Knights athletics.”

MGA will begin athletic competition this September as provisional members of NCAA Division II and full members of the Peach Belt Conference.

“The Peach Belt Conference is thrilled to welcome Middle Georgia State University into the NCAA Division II membership process,” said Kling. “This transition has been a long time coming, and we are thrilled to celebrate this accomplishment with their administration, coaches, staff, and student-athletes.  With their campuses centrally located within the conference’s footprint, I expect some friendly rivalries to develop quickly. I am confident that they are ready for this next step in their athletic evolution and look forward to continuing to support their journey through the membership process”.

As a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since 2014, MGA has fielded teams in 10 sports that competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference: baseball, men and women’s basketball, men and women’s soccer, men and women’s tennis, softball, women’s volleyball, and women’s cross country. Besides transitioning those teams to NCAA Division II and the Peach Belt Conference, MGA will add women’s track (distance events only) in January 2026.

“One of the most exciting results of this move will be our ability to build strong rivalries with nearby schools,” Brown said. “Half a dozen members of the Peach Belt Conference are University System of Georgia institutions, and others are relatively short distances away in South Carolina and Florida. I’m grateful to the NCAA and the conference for their confidence and I look forward to the opportunities this bring us, not just for athletics but for our entire University community and the region.”

The transition to NCAA Division II will be a multi-year process:
· 2025–26: Provisional Year 1 – Compete in Peach Belt Conference and NCAA Division II with eligibility for conference postseason, but not yet NCAA postseason.
· 2026–27: Provisional Year 2 – Continued competition with same eligibility status.
· 2027–28: Provisional Year 3 – Continued competition with same eligibility status.
· 2028–29: Full membership in NCAA Division II and the Peach Belt Conference, including full postseason eligibility.

MGA, which has campuses in Macon, Cochran, Dublin, Eastman, and Warner Robins, began exploring a potential move to NCAA Division II in 2022, commissioning Athletics Staffing and Consultants to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study. The study included interviews with campus leaders and athletic staff, reviews of existing facilities, and analysis of data from national sources. In February 2023, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents approved the institution’s request to pursue the change.

For more information about the historic transition of MGA athletics, visit https://www.mga.edu/Athletics-transition