WISE - - The wait is over at UVa-Wise. Chancellor Donna Henry and Director of Athletics Danny Sterling were informed in a telephone call that the school has been moved to active status as an NCAA Division II member.

"As full members of NCAA Division II Athletics, we will continue to advance the mission of UVa-Wise," stated Chancellor Henry. "Our student-athletes are successful in the classroom and in their sports. They are leaders at the College and in our commitment to support the region. I thank the UVa-Wise athletics staff and college community for their focus on attaining NCAA Division II member status."

With the news, the College has now completed a three-year transition process to become full NCAA Division II members. Full membership means that all 13 sports at UVa-Wise will be eligible for postseason play beginning this fall.

"We are pleased that the NCAA has recognized the hard work of so many people in the athletic department and the entire college community", stated Sterling. "This is the final step in the NCAA Division II transition, but this is the first step in making UVa-Wise a competitive program that regularly competes for championships."

Friday's announcement marks the end of a transition process that began in July 2012. At that time, the College was a member of the Mid-South Conference and competing in the National Association Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Since beginning the process, UVa-Wise has become a founding member of the Mountain East Conference and added women's lacrosse as its 13th varsity sport.

"Our acceptance as a full NCAA Division II member exemplifies the work of many people not only in athletics but our entire campus community," stated head football coach Dewey Lusk. "Athletically, we are one of three NCAA Division II schools in the state of Virginia. In addition to our membership in the MEC, this will allow us to attract high quality student-athletes not only in the state of Virginia but throughout the United States."

The process required changes inside the athletic department, mainly hiring of the school's first Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Kendall Rainey and its first full-time Director of Compliance, Thomas Nyman.

A former student-athlete and volleyball coach at UVa-Wise, Rainey serves as the College's SWA. In addition to her SWA responsibilities, Rainey oversees the academic success of over 200 student-athletes. Rainey also coordinates community engagement for the department and advises the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Nyman, who came to the College with previous NCAA Division II experience, has guided staff members through the NCAA rulebook while holding regular rules seminars to increase staff awareness of NCAA rules and policies. For the last two seasons, all head coaches and assistants have passed the NCAA compliance rules exam prior to beginning recruitment of student-athletes each year.

During the transition, the College has acted as a NCAA Division II member, following all NCAA guidelines and competing in a NCAA Division II conference. The NCAA made a site visit to campus to investigate how UVa-Wise was functioning as an institution and athletic department in year two of the process.

"The Mountain East Conference is very pleased to see The University of Virginia's College at Wise move into active membership," Reid Amos, MEC commissioner, said. "We offer our congratulations to Chancellor Henry, AD Danny Sterling and the entire Wise community having achieved full NCAA Division II membership. Their efforts throughout the NCAA provisional process have been exemplary."

While becoming a full member means UVa-Wise can now compete in NCAA postseason play including regional tournaments and beyond, the school has already been eligible for MEC championships. In 2014, the softball team won the inaugural conference tournament championship and finished one win shy of a school record with 37 victories. Meanwhile, the women's basketball team has won its opening-round conference tournament game in each of the last two seasons and women's lacrosse qualified for the MEC tournament in its first year of competition in 2015.

"We sincerely appreciate the help and dedication of our alumni, all current and former student-athletes, coaches, staff and the generous donors who have supported our efforts to get here," mentioned Sterling. "This is a proud day for every member of the UVa-Wise family."

The school's first competition as a full NCAA Division II member will occur on Sept. 4 when the volleyball team competes in a season opening invitational against Slippery Rock and Johnson C. Smith in Misenheimer, North Carolina.