UC Merced will commence NCAA Division II sports competition during the 2025-26 academic year and will be eligible for the postseason in 2026-27, university officials announced Thursday.

Nine of the Bobcats’ 12 intercollegiate varsity programs will compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The men’s and women’s water polo teams will join the Western Water Polo Association. Men’s volleyball is applying for membership in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Excitement for the New Chapter

“We are excited to be joining the NCAA Division II and the CCAA,” said David Dunham, the university’s executive director of recreation and athletics, in a news release. “This has been a goal for our program since its inception. We look forward to the new rivalries to be formed within the CCAA and competing in one of the top Division II conferences in the nation.”

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Transition Period

During the transition, UC Merced will remain in the California Pacific Conference for 2024-25 and be eligible for all conference and NAIA national championship events until the end of the 2025 spring season.

For the second year of the candidacy period (2025-26), the Bobcats will compete in the CCAA but won’t be eligible for CCAA or NCAA championships. They will gain NCAA status in the fall of 2026.

The Bobcats have won 13 Cal Pac championships and eight Cal Pac tournament championships in various sports since the university’s inception.