FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The #NSU50 "Top Moments in NSU Athletics History" continues with the 14th moment on the list: NSU is granted membership into NCAA Division II and provisional membership in the Sunshine State Conference. 
By 2002, the Knights had developed into a premier athletic program within the NAIA's Florida Sun Conference. NSU earned a total of 28 FSC Championships across nine sports. Seven of those conference championships would come in the Knight's final two seasons of NAIA competition.
 
As a school, NSU had outgrown its place in NAIA as well. At the time, NSU was the largest independent institution of higher education in the southeastern United States and was the 12th largest nationally. Because of NSU's growth in the community and on the playing field, the institution joined the NCAA and Don Landry, commissioner of the SSC, and Gregg Kaye, the assistant commissioner, formally extended an invitation for NSU to join the SSC.
 
"This is an exciting step for Nova Southeastern University. The Sunshine State Conference is well-known and well-respected," said President Ray Ferrero to the Sun Sentinel at the time of the invitation.
 
NSU made the leap to the NCAA in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. However, NSU has risen to the top of the league in many sports, winning a total of 22 conference titles since the fall of 2004, when NSU became eligible to compete in championships. NSU has also won six NCAA National Championships and seven individual national titles since joining the NCAA. At the end of the 2012-13 season, the Sharks placed ninth in the Learfield Cup, marking NSU as one of the 10 most successful programs in DII.
 
"Our move from the NAIA to the NCAA had a tremendous impact on the athletic department naturally and more so to the campus as well," said women's soccer head coach Mike Goodrich, who served as both head coach and Director of Operations at the time of the transition. "The transformation, although a long and arduous process with many contributors, certainly impacted potential student interest in NSU nationally and internationally. Our mission and that of the NCAA are more aligned with one another, thus it was and is the proper decision for the advancement of NSU!"

Check back with NSUSharks.com next Tuesday for the next #NSU50 "Top Moments in NSU Athletics History."

Moment No. 1: NSU Athletics is Born
Moment No. 2: Knights Chosen as School Mascot
Moment No. 3: Hansley Hired as Director of Athletics
Moment No. 4: Nova Adds Four Sports
Moment No. 5: Nova Joins NAIA
Moment No. 6: Nova Adds Three More Teams
Moment No. 7: Nova Helps Form FIAC
Moment No. 8: Nova Wins First Conference Championship
Moment No. 9: Baseball and Volleyball Win First Conference Titles
Moment No. 10: NSU Adds Softball
Moment No. 11: NSU Adds Women's Soccer and Wins FSC Tournament Championship
Moment No. 12: NSU Names Ray Ferrero Jr. as School's Fifth President
Moment No. 13: NSU Adds Women's Basketball and Wins Conference Title in First Season

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