Wesleyan College announces athletic scholarships as part of NAIA transition
Wesleyan College joins the NAIA and will now offer athletic scholarships, with new sports and more student-athletes expected next year.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Wesleyan College has announced a major change in its approach to student athletics.
The school is now now offering athletic scholarships. This change comes as the college transitions into the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).
Athletic Director Seth Berkebile explained the significance of the new development.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that good quality private education, college education is affordable, and so that’s going to, you know, the scholarships will help with that with our student athletes,” he said.
Wesleyan College was unable to offer athletic scholarships, but with its NAIA membership becoming active on July 1, that’s all changing. The college currently has teams in soccer, softball, basketball, beach volleyball and volleyball. Starting next year, they’ll be expanding their athletic offerings to include flag football, wrestling and cheerleading, which are all eligible for scholarships.
The college currently has 70 student athletes but anticipates that number will nearly double to about 135 next year.
Berkebile spoke about the benefits for families.
“That return on that investment is achieving athletic scholarship at the college level, and so those two things combined make it more affordable, and then also knowing that you can accomplish having an athletic scholarship is going to be very attractive for prospective students,” he said.
Student athletes are already feeling the positive effects. Members of the soccer team shared their enthusiasm, saying the change will “expand our teams and our competitiveness as a whole.” They described the opportunity to play and attend college as “truly a privilege.”
Current student athletes may also be eligible for the new scholarships, though eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Scholarships are now being offered for the class of 2026.
