SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced Wednesday that the University of the Incarnate Word has completed its transition to NCAA Division I status and is immediately eligible for both NCAA and Southland Conference postseason competition.
 
"I am excited to deliver the highest level of intercollegiate experience to the student-athletes at UIW," Director of Athletics Brian Wickstrom said. "Competing at the Division I level provides an opportunity to recruit top students who want to compete with the greatest athletes in college athletics."
 
Wednesday's announcement marks the end of a four-year transition process as the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Administrative Committee approved the recommendation from the NCAA Division I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to elect UIW to Division I active membership.
 
"I would like to sincerely thank Dr. David Jurenovich and Mark Papich for all of their work to make this transition possible." Wickstrom said.
 
The Cardinals began their transition to NCAA Division I during the 2013-14 season and immediately challenged some of the nation's top programs.
 
In November and December of 2014, the UIW men's basketball program picked up wins over former NCAA tournament participants Princeton and Nebraska. The victories sparked national media coverage from ESPN, Fox Sports 1, Fox College Sports, Fox Sports Southwest, Spectrum Sports, Time Warner Cable, the American Sports Network, the Pac 12 Network, the Mountain West Network and the Big Sky Network, as well as USA Today, the San Antonio Express News and a number of additional national publications.
 
In 2015, the Cardinals hosted their first-ever Division I postseason contest, taking on Louisiana-Lafayette in the collegeinsider.com Invitational Tournament (CIT).
 
The following season UIW captured national attention again after defeating St. John's.
 
Eight former Cardinals have played professional basketball, including Denzel Livingston, who signed with the Houston Rockets after graduation and was recently named MVP of the Israeli League.
 
In UIW's brief eight-year history of football, the Cardinals have had three players reach the NFL. Cole Wick was signed by the Detroit Lions in 2016, along with teammate Myke Tavarres, who was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. Alex Jenkins was signed by the New Orleans Saints in 2017.
 
UIW track and field has had four Southland Conference champions, including Jasmine Waring in the high jump (2014), Jerica Love in the 100m hurdles (2017) and Dominique Allen, who repeated as 800-meter champion in 2016 and 2017. UIW is scheduled to host its first Southland Conference Championship in May, 2018, with the Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
UIW swimming and diving won the men's Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Championships in 2014. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz and Kyrylo Shvets were each named CSCAA Scholar All-American, while the men's and women's teams also earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors. Cruz is set to represent Mexico at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan.
 
The Cardinals also made waves in synchronized swimming, winning three consecutive South Regional Championships. Natalia Vega recently competed with Team USA as the team prepared for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Vega was one of four UIW synchronized swimmers to be named Athletic All-American.
 
The Cardinals' newest sport, men's and women's fencing, hosted the 2013 NCAA Division I Fencing Championships. In just two years of competition, UIW has had three athletes reach the championships.
 
In the 2016-17 season alone, the athletic department produced 13 all-conference players, 12 all-academic honorees, nine athletes of the week, one NSCAA all-region honoree, one Southland Conference newcomer of the year, one Southland Conference freshman of the year and one all-defensive player.
 
In addition to athletic excellence, the Cardinals have also excelled in the classroom. Over the last four years UIW has had 12 CoSIDA academic all-district honorees, including five who became academic all-Americans. The program has produced 61 academic all-conference honorees and an incredible 375 Southland Conference academic honor roll recipients. Additionally, the Cardinals completed more than 4,100 combined community service hours.
 
UIW Athletics has teamed up with a number of the San Antonio area's most recognized businesses and some of the nation's premier brands. Companies like Adidas, Ancira Enterprises, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Drury Hotels, XGrafx, Brand My Stuff and Follett Campus Stores are proud sponsors of Cardinal Athletics. Additionally, funds raised through the Cardinal Club, the official fundraising organization of UIW Athletics, have helped provide a first-class experience for hundreds of student-athletes.
 
The Cardinals' 2017-18 season is already underway! The women's soccer team faced Texas, North Texas and Louisiana Tech over the first two weeks of competition, while the men competed against both San Jacinto and Trinity. Volleyball opens its season Aug. 25-26 as they welcome Tulane, Louisiana-Lafayette and UTEP to the McDermott Convocation Center for the I10 Cardinal Classic. Football plays its first three games on the road at Fresno State (Sept. 2), Sacramento State (Sept. 9) and Stephen F. Austin (Sept. 16), before hosting archrival Abilene Christian on Sept. 30 for Fan Appreciation Day.
 
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.