INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division II National Championships Committee has named the University of West Florida in Pensacola as the site for the 2006 Fall National Championships Festival, November 15-20, 2006.

The fall festival will conduct Division II national championships in men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.

"It is a priority of Division II to enhance the student-athlete college experience, including national championships, and this festival does that by allowing outstanding student-athletes to interact and celebrate their successes together,” NCAA Division II Vice President Mike Racy said.  “The choice of Pensacola is particularly special because it allows a community that was so devastated by Hurricane Ivan to celebrate its recovery with an exciting, first-class event.”

Dr. John Cavanaugh, University of West Florida President, adds: “The University is delighted to be hosting this prestigious intercollegiate athletic event.  The selection of UWF by the NCAA is a tribute to the hard work and solid reputation of our intercollegiate athletics staff and students.  For them to pull this off while dealing with the displacement and destruction of Hurricane Ivan to their facilities is quite remarkable.  We look forward to a great festival.”

The Division II Championships Committee conducted the first ever National Championships Festival last spring in Orlando, Florida, where men and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, softball and men and women’s tennis crowned their champions.  This will be the first time a fall festival will be conducted.

The goal of sports festivals is to enhance the student-athlete collegiate experience and to create more exposure for NCAA Division II sports.  The NCAA Division II Championships Committee plans to conduct fall and spring championships festivals once every four years to give each class of student-athletes the opportunity to participate.

The festivals feature an opening ceremony, social opportunities for student-athletes, community events and a salute dinner for participating teams.  Student-athletes will be housed in beachfront hotels and will have an athlete-village type atmosphere.

Putting on the festival is a major undertaking and requires a strong partnership between the NCAA, the University of West Florida and the Pensacola Sports Association.

"This is a great opportunity for all of us in the local tourism industry to show off our finest assets.  It’s great news for the local sports community as well as our tourism partners,” said Ray Palmer, Executive Director of the Pensacola Sports Association.  “This is an opportunity for our entire community to welcome and embrace outstanding young student-athletes, their institutions, their families and fans.”