Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) will join the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as an associate member in men's and women's swimming and diving for the 2016-17 season.
Oklahoma Baptist will join Colorado Mesa, Colorado Mines and fellow associate member California Baptist in men's swimming and diving competition this season.
The Bison women's team will compete with Adams State, Colorado Mesa, Colorado Mines, CSU-Pueblo, Western State, California Baptist and Nebraska-Kearney in RMAC meets.
OBU is beginning its third year of transition in to the NCAA Division II from the NAIA. Before leaving the NAIA, the Bison collected 20 NAIA National Championships, including four men's and three women's swimming and diving national titles.
The Bison, led by head coach Dr. Sam Freas, collected their first NAIA national title on the men's side in their first year of competition in 2012, while the women's team was national runner-up. This was the beginning of four straight national titles for the men and three straight women's national titles after their inaugural season, totaling seven national championships in four years.
Although OBU is still transitioning into the NCAA Division II, it will compete in the 2016-17 RMAC Championships.
The Bison will look to takeover California Baptist's reign on RMAC Swimming and Diving, as the Lancers took home both men's and women's titles last campaign.
OBU will begin the 2016-17 campaign September 17 at the Collegiate Open Water Championships at Lone Star Lake in Lawrence, Kansas.
