NAIA
The Right Fit. The Right Conference. The Right Time
CBU has applied for membership in the NAIA’s Mid-South Conference, with the NAIA expected to finalize the move during its fall meeting September 27-29, 2026. Competition begins with the 2027–28 season.
Status: Applied — NAIA action expected during its fall meeting in late September 2026
Why This Move
Christian Brothers University evaluated student-athlete experience, travel demands, cost, and institutional mission — and the answer was clear. NAIA membership, and specifically the Mid-South Conference, is the right fit for the experience we want every CBU student-athlete to have.
More Opportunity
- More roster opportunities across every sport
- Greater access to conference and national championships
- More chances to earn meaningful playing time, earlier in a career
A Better College Experience
- Regional travel means more nights on campus and less missed class
- More time for internships, leadership, and campus involvement
- Stronger relationships with professors, mentors and fellow students
Right Mission, Right Fit
A conference of like-sized, like-minded, faith-based institutions
Shared commitment to Lasallian values and Champions of Character
- Athletics in service of developing the whole student
Still Elite Competition
The NAIA crowns national champions across 29 sports and has a long track record of producing All-Americans and athletes who go on to professional and Olympic competition. CBU competed in the NAIA for nearly four decades — with 31 individual NAIA honors and more than 20 CBU Hall of Fame Inductees.
A Legacy We’re Returning To
This isn’t new ground for CBU. We built a rich athletics history in the NAIA once before, and we carry our tradition with us, coming home to where it all began.
By the Numbers
The average total student enrollment for the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference (GSC) is approximately 3,500 to 4,000 students, whereas the NAIA Mid-South Conference features a much smaller average campus size of 1,500 to 2,000 students. In comparable schools that have transitioned from NCAA Division II to NAIA, student-athlete rosters have grown from 312 to 367 to 404, and from 143 to 196 to 268, over the first two NAIA seasons. The Mid-South Conference’s average student-athlete GPA (3.28) is essentially identical to the NAIA’s overall average (3.27) — proof this is a serious academic environment as well as a competitive one.
What’s Not Changing
- Current student-athlete scholarships and financial aid
- Rosters, coaches, and the 2026-2027 season Gulf Coast Conference (D2) competition
- CBU’s academic programs, credits, and degree requirements
More Info
Click these links to learn more about NAIA and the Mid-South Conference.
