The Colleges : Drop to Division III Might Be in Chapman’s Future

The Chapman College board of trustees might consider moving the school’s athletic program from Division II to Division III when it meets next month, Athletic Director Walt Bowman said Thursday.

During its Jan. 16 meeting, the board is expected to hear arguments for and against the proposal to switch divisions, Bowman said. The school could begin playing at the Division III level as early as the 1990-91 season. Chapman competes in 15 sports sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Chapman’s student government council voted 9-0 last week to drop to Division III. However, Bowman said the council’s vote represents only one of the opinions that will be considered.

“Right now, data is being collected by acting president Jim Doti,” Bowman said. “The faculty has been heard from. And the students, at least a small portion of them, have been heard from. Who hasn’t been heard from is the Athletic Foundation and the student athletes.”

Sophomore and freshman athletes would be the ones most affected if Chapman drops to Division III. Schools at that level are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships. However, Bowman said Chapman would honor those scholarships no matter what the decision.

Any player choosing to remain on scholarship would be barred from competing for the school’s athletic teams.

“The college realizes it has a moral obligation to those kids,” Bowman said. “They came here for the school’s academic programs as well as the athletic programs. We cannot abandon them.”

The college began reviewing its athletic situation after basketball Coach Kevin Wilson was fired Nov. 23. Because the school had to advertise for a new coach, the question came up about Chapman’s athletic future.

“We have always advertised as a school that was committed to the Division II level,” Bowman said. “We starting talking about what direction the college should be going in.”

If Chapman drops to Division III, the Panthers likely would play in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Assn. The conference’s schools are more comparable in size to Chapman, which has about 2,200 students.

Chapman is currently in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. The conference includes Cal State Northridge, which has 29,600 students. Several schools in the conference have at least three times Chapman’s enrollment.

But Chapman would have to begin a football program to join the SCIAA, which requires its members to compete in football.

However, Bowman said all discussion is premature. “There has not been any decision made,” he said.