(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 26)—McKendree University director of athletics Chuck Brueggemann announced on Thursday that the men's and women's water polo teams, which debuted as club programs this year, will be advancing to NCAA varsity status for the 2017-18 academic year. The move will enable each program to compete for NCAA national championships beginning next year.
 
In addition to the elevation of the current water polo programs to varsity status, McKendree will also sponsor a men's water polo team at the club level. In all, there will be three water polo programs competing for the University in 2017-18.
 
"We are excited about the fact that our water polo teams will be moving into NCAA varsity competition next year, and for years to come," said Brueggemann. "Head coach Gregg Emde, his staff and his student-athletes have done a wonderful job in building a strong foundation for our men's and women's programs in just a short period of time. This move will allow our teams to continue to grow and will enable them to compete at the highest level, and we look forward to the impact this will have on McKendree University."
 
The McKendree University men's water polo varsity program will be aligned with the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) varsity division. The Bearcats have applied for membership in the CWPA Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Association Conference with the goal of competing in the Western Region. Future opponents for McKendree would include NCAA members Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Washington and Jefferson College, Salem International University, LaSalle University, Penn State University-Behrend, Monmouth College (Ill.) and Connecticut College.
 
This past fall, the McKendree men's water polo squad made its debut as a CWPA club program. The Bearcats won 12 matches in their inaugural season and earned a berth in the CWPA National Collegiate Championship, where they finished eighth in the nation.
 
The second men's program that will participate in the fall will continue as a member of the CWPA club division. That squad will compete as part of the Missouri Valley Division of the CWPA.
 
In women's water polo, McKendree has made application to the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). If accepted into the conference membership, the Bearcats would become the eighth member of the WWPA, joining schools from each coast. Current WWPA members include current league members Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State University and the University of California-San Diego. Earlier in January, Fresno Pacific University was introduced as the seventh WWPA member to begin competition in the conference in 2017-18.
 
The McKendree women's water polo team is set to open its inaugural season on Friday, Feb. 3 at the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown University in Providence, R.I. Like the Bearcat men's program, the McKendree women's squad will compete as members of the CWPA club division in 2017.
 
"This is great news for our both of our programs," said Emde, who was hired in 2015 to build the McKendree water polo programs. "We are so pleased that the administration and athletic department has the confidence in the type of programs we are building. Our men's team had a great debut season, and I know our women's squad will have a great first season as well. This is an exciting next step for McKendree water polo, and we cannot wait for what the future holds for us."
 
All three McKendree water polo teams will host their home matches at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex, a multi-purpose facility that opened earlier this month in O'Fallon, Ill. The McKendree Metro Rec Plex includes an NCAA-sanctioned aquatic center, two NHL-sized sheets of ice, fitness equipment and other amenities.