Azusa Pacific is bringing back football, with a slight twist

A little over four years ago we shared the news that Azusa Pacific, the last of California's Division II programs left standing, had made the decision to shut down their football program after more than six decades.

Victor Santa Cruz had led the program for over a decade, from 2006-2019, when he left to become the defensive coordinator at Hawaii, and alumnus Rudy Carlton was tabbed to take over the program, but his tenure ended without ever coaching a game as COVID shut down fall football nationwide at the Division II level.

This morning, word began to circulate that the school was bringing football back, with a bit of a twist.

Azusa Pacific, the alma mater of former NFL running back Christian Okoye, is indeed bringing football back, aiming to play in 2026. Except instead of a Division II program, they're planning to transition all athletics to the Division III level.

“The return of football is momentous for APU,” said President Adam J. Morris shared in the school's release. 

“This decision reflects our dedication to providing a well-rounded educational experience, where students can excel in the classroom and on the field. We are confident that our membership in SCIAC and transition to Division III will allow us to maintain this balance while continuing our athletic excellence and building a successful and competitive football program."

With much of the Division III population scattered from the midwest to the east coast, there is a small but mighty presence of Division III programs on the west coast that make up two leagues - the Northwest Conference and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The SCIAC has announced that APU has been approved as the league's 10th full-time member. They're expected to be a full-fledged member for the 2028-29 academic year, but will be able to be an integrated conference member starting next fall.

Schools in that league consist of football teams from Pamona-Pitzer, Redlands, La Verne, Chapman, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Cal Lutheran. Whittier has also recently announced they're reinstating their football program and will be joining the league.

The school's release states that they're now beginning their search for a head coach and are focused on "assembling a coaching staff with extensive experience in Division III athletics," while targeting candidates with a proven track record of success.

See their video announcement below.