INDIANAPOLIS---Continuing the successful sports festival format, the NCAA announced today it will host the 2010 Division II National Championships Festival, an Olympic-style event, on November 30 through December 4 in Louisville, Ky.

The Division II Fall Sports Festival will feature 70 teams and more than 800 student-athletes vying for championship titles in men’s and women’s cross country; women’s field hockey; men’s and women’s soccer; and women’s volleyball.

“The Division II National Championships Festival is a wonderful opportunity for student-athletes to compete for an NCAA title, support peers in other sports, and enjoy a national championship atmosphere at the highest level,” said Janet Montgomery, chair of the Division II Championships Committee and associate athletics director at University of West Alabama. “The Championships Committee is very excited to have Division II member Bellarmine University serve as the host institution, as well as the wonderful community of Louisville.”

This is the fifth national championship festival hosted by Division II, which is the only NCAA division to host a multiple championship festival.

As the host institution for the fall festival, Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall and Owsley B. Frazier Stadium will service as the practice and competition venues for volleyball and soccer respectively. In addition, University of Louisville’s Trager Stadium will serve as the field hockey venue and E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park will serve as the cross country venue.

“We are happy to welcome the NCAA’s fall festival of national championships to our campus and hometown,” said Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, president of Bellarmine University. “We appreciate the opportunity to showcase Bellarmine and our improved athletic facilities on a national level.”

Division II held its first festival in spring 2004 in Orlando, Fla., and conducted a fall festival in November 2006 in Pensacola, Fla. The spring 2008 and winter 2009 festivals were both held in Houston.

“We are excited about hosting the festival," said Karl Schmitt, Louisville Sports Commission interim executive director. "The partnership we've forged between the NCAA and Bellarmine, University of Louisville, Sawyer Park, State Fair Board and the Convention & Visitor's Bureau – coupled with championship caliber facilities and Louisville's knack for embracing elite sporting events – will translate into a quality experience for the NCAA Division II student-athletes."

The goals of the Division II National Championships Festival are to enhance the student-athlete college experience; create more awareness and exposure for Division II sports; and increase attendance by hosting multiple championships in one location. The festival will feature opening and closing ceremonies, social opportunities for student-athletes, and community outreach events. Student-athletes will be housed in centrally located hotels, allowing for an athlete-village type atmosphere.

NCAA Division II is one of three membership divisions at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a volunteer organization comprising more than 1,200 institutions, conferences and affiliated organizations. Division II is a group of institutions, conferences and affiliated organizations that serve more than 75,000 student-athletes nationwide, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The emphasis for the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and the development of societal attitudes in service to the community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning provide Division II student-athletes with a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead. For additional information on Division II efforts, visit www.ncaa.org.

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