Mountain East Conference Extends Invitation to Shawnee State University

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Mountain East Conference Board of Directors is pleased to announce its approval of the addition of Shawnee State University to become the league’s 12th full-time member.

Shawnee State, a regional public university located in Portsmouth, Ohio, will officially become a member of the MEC in July of 2026, pending its acceptance into the NCAA Division II membership process. SSU will initially participate in 19 of the MEC’s 23 sports and will begin competition in football no later than the 2028 season.

“The Mountain East Conference is very pleased to extend an invitation of membership to Shawnee State University,” said Reid Amos, MEC Commissioner. “We engaged our membership committee in comprehensive and thoughtful discussions about a return to 12 full-time members, and SSU emerged as an institution that strongly aligned with our current membership.

“Through the course of our process, it became clear that Shawnee State President Dr. Eric Braun, Director of Athletics Gerald Cadogan, and SSU’s leadership align well with the strategic vision and mission of the Mountain East. We are confident Shawnee State will successfully transition to NCAA Division II and become a valued member of the MEC.”

Shawnee State offers career-focused education with nationally ranked programs in game design, health professions, and engineering technologies. SSU has an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and has been ranked among the Top 40 Public Universities in the MIdwest by US News & World Report. The institution places a high value on athletics, with sports serving as a community pillar, and the Bears have showcased strong success at the NAIA level.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shawnee State to the Mountain East Conference as we continue making our league one of the most competitive in the country,” said Dr. Martin Roth, President of the University of Charleston and the President of the MEC Board of Directors. “Shawnee State is a well-respected institution with strong leadership and a clear vision for institutional and athletic program growth. They embrace the MEC’s goals, including elevating the collective experience for our student-athletes. Shawnee State’s inclusion will strengthen the caliber of and bring fresh energy to our conference.”

Shawnee State will follow the same NAIA-to-Division II membership path as Point Park University, which joined the MEC last summer. Like PPU at the time it joined the MEC, SSU currently competes in the River States Conference, a league the school joined in 2023 after 13 seasons as a member of the Mid-South Conference. Shawnee State will maintain all current sports offerings that are MEC Championship sports, in addition to sport sponsorship expansion that will include football:

Men: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, and Indoor & Outdoor Track. Women: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Swimming, Indoor & Outdoor Track, and Volleyball.

SSU won an NAIA National Championship in 2021 in men’s basketball, defeating Lewis-Clark State College. The Bears’ women’s basketball program also won an NAIA National Championship in 1999.

“This move marks an exciting new chapter for Shawnee State University,” said Dr. Eric Braun, President of Shawnee State University. “The Mountain East Conference shares our values of community, collaboration, and innovative growth. We are impressed by the leadership of the MEC and its member schools. As an MEC member, Shawnee State will have exciting opportunities to elevate our programs, expand our reach, and deepen our commitment to academic and athletic excellence.”

Shawnee State will file its NCAA Division II membership application by Oct. 1, 2025, the deadline as part of its transition to the MEC and to be considered for acceptance into the Expedited NCAA Division II Membership Process. This will allow SSU to begin competing in the Mountain East Conference for the 2026-27 athletics calendar.

About the MEC:

The Mountain East Conference features 11 NCAA Division II member colleges and universities located in three states. The league sponsors 23 NCAA championship sports. MEC teams have won seven NCAA team national championships, have played in 14 NCAA Championship games, and won 55 regional championships. MEC student-athletes also excel in the classroom, with 2,824 earning academic recognition in 2024-25. The league has also produced 11 Elite 90 award winners, recognizing the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who has reached the site of the finals for each of the NCAA's 90 men's and women's championships across its three divisions. The Mountain East Conference is headquartered in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Visit mountaineast.org to learn more.

About Shawnee State University

Shawnee State University is the regional public university for South-Central Ohio and serves students throughout the Ohio-Kentucky-West Virginia Tri-State. Shawnee State offers career-focused education with nationally ranked programs in game design, health professions, and engineering technologies. Shawnee State is known for its affordable access to small classes, dedicated teaching faculty, and flexible learning options. SSU serves many first-generation students and is committed to making college possible for all students.

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Ron Wilson