NJCAA Introduces Four Members to the Association

Charlotte, NC – As the association welcomes programs back for a new year, the NJCAA has announced four schools to join the association, including Gaston College (NC), Southwestern Michigan College, Amarillo College (TX), and Northeastern Technical College (SC). The latest NJCAA members are fielding teams and coaching staff, with some beginning competing as soon as the 2021-22 academic year. 

Returning member Gaston College, nestled in Dallas, North Carolina, will compete in NJCAA Region 10. Some fifty years ago, Gaston College was part of the NJCAA and largely successful. Leonard Hamilton, the 2021 NJCAA Foundation Awards keynote speaker and current Florida State University Men's Basketball Head Coach, was a standout basketball player at Gaston College from 1966-1968 when athletics were still offered. With 19 years at the helm, Hamilton is the most successful coach in Florida State history, the Seminoles' all-time winningest coach, and the fifth all-time winningest coach in ACC history. Gaston College first announced the return of sports to campus in 2020. 

After a 25-year hiatus, Southwestern Michigan College has returned to the college athletics realm and will compete in NJCAA Region 12. From its start in the 1970's until it's disbanding in 1996, Southwestern Michigan College and the Roadrunners were competitive and widely successful within the association, clinching various national championship titles, hall of famers, and NJCAA All-Americans. 

There is a new pair joining the association for the first time. Amarillo College will compete in NJCAA Region 5 with 28 other members. The college has not participated in intercollegiate athletics since the mid-1980s. Also joining the association is Northeastern Technical College out of Cheraw, South Carolina. The Trailblazers will compete in NJCAA Region 10 with Gaston College and more information about each school's specific sports offerings will be released in the future. 

"The NJCAA looks forward to growing the association and continuing to expand opportunities for two-year colleges around the country," stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO. "We cannot wait to see what all these schools and our student-athletes accomplish in the coming years."

ABOUT THE NJCAA
Since 1938, the NJCAA has served as the nation's premier governing body for two-year collegiate athletics, providing student-athletes opportunities to PREPARE, COMPETE, SUCCEED and ACHIEVE in their academic and athletic disciplines. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 44 states. Each year over 3,400 teams compete in 28 different sports across multiple divisions in the NJCAA and the organization sponsors 52 national championship events and five football bowl games.