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JAMESTOWN 鈥� The NCAA announced that the University of Jamestown's athletic department remained on track in its expedited process in its move to the NCAA Division II level.

The move means if the Jimmies pass the requirements set forth by the NCAA through the 2025-26 school year, they will be fully NCAA Division II members in the 2026-27 school year.

When the university first entered the process of moving up to the NCAA Division II level, it had to either go through a three-year process before it was a full member or a two-year process, and was approved at that time for the two-year process.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e going through either process, whether it鈥檚 the three-year or the two-year, after every year they give you an update of 鈥榊up, you鈥檙e doing the things you鈥檙e supposed to do. We鈥檒l move you to the next year,鈥欌�� UJ athletic director Austin Hieb said. "Or, 'Hey you had some shortcomings here, we think you need to redo the previous provisional year.鈥� It鈥檚 always good."

Hieb said he spoke to the NCAA on Thursday morning, July 10, when they told him the school was moved into the second year of the process. He said after they go through the NCAA鈥檚 checklists this past school year, they will receive a call from the NCAA in July 2026 letting them know they are fully approved.

鈥淪ome different NCAA visits (are expected) where they come in and they check different things,鈥� Hieb said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had some of them, some different reports that we have to do, just to make sure our processes are right and align with what the NCAA expects out of their Division II institutions.鈥�

The Jimmies were accepted into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference on Nov. 21, 2023, and became an on July 1. UJ is the 16th full-time member of the league, which also includes Minnesota State Moorhead. Jamestown was accepted into the NCAA on July 11, 2024.

鈥淚t鈥檚 huge,鈥� Hieb said. 鈥淲e felt really good about the work that we鈥檝e been doing so we felt really good going into this call. But you never know, right? 鈥� It鈥檚 really important, it鈥檚 important that we get this thing done the right way so far and setting our teams up for success as soon as we can.鈥�

The approval also means that if they do receive full approval from the NCAA after this upcoming school year, they will be postseason eligible in the 2026-27 season. The Jimmies athletic department is made up of 23 varsity sports.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really helpful. I think anytime you can show a prospective student-athlete that not only are we one step closer to being fully fledged Division II members, but I think it also shows as a department we do things the right way and we do what we say we鈥檙e gonna do,鈥� Hieb said.

One of the programs that will be impacted by the changes is the Jimmies football team and its head coach Brian Mistro, a former Concordia Cobbers assistant coach.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long process, but understanding that we were doing the right things and heading in the right direction anyway, I felt as though we鈥檝e been prepared for this to be official going forward,鈥� Mistro said. 鈥淪o we鈥檝e been acting as Division II since we initially announced it and I think it has dramatically helped and increased our brand awareness and maybe attracted some different types of players to Jamestown.鈥�

Despite the move up, Hieb said he expects this athletic year to be very similar to previous seasons for all of the teams.

鈥淭here鈥檒l be ups and downs,鈥� Hieb said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like any season, there鈥檒l be moments where it鈥檚 really exciting and we鈥檙e all riding highs, and I think there鈥檒l be other times where hey, we鈥檒l have some challenges, we鈥檙e gonna have some struggles. In some instances, we don鈥檛 know what we don鈥檛 know and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to prepare for.鈥�

Hieb said he will be finishing up his plans for when students return to campus and getting ready for when the fall sports teams return in August. He said the UJ football team will be reporting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, while the women鈥檚 volleyball team and the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer teams will report on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Mistro said he thinks most of the changes to the athletic department will come externally rather than internally.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an opportunity for growth for everybody on our staff, and all of our athletes, all of our students that are partaking in this, it鈥檚 a huge deal for them,鈥� Mistro said. 鈥淚 think we have a good group of people at the University of Jamestown and so guys and girls that are continuing to strive to get better in everything that they do so I don鈥檛 foresee a huge ton of changes as far as how we operate as much as I see changes in maybe how we鈥檙e perceived.鈥�