Today we're on campus at one of the newest NCAA Division II institutions, Claflin University. Formerly a NAIA school, Claflin is one of 13 schools around the country to be granted full NCAA membership for 2008-09. We just finished talking with Claflin's president, Dr. Henry Tisdale, and he shared insight for this important and well-strategized move.

Claflin was founded in 1869 and was the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in South Carolina. It also was the first racially integrated and co-ed university in the state. According to Dr. Tisdale, the school "opened its doors to all citizens" from the start, and he stressed the importance of "access" throughout the school's history.

As you can imagine, access is still an important part of Claflin's culture, especially in the classroom. The school is committed to providing its students with the best possible academic opportunities, and it has been successful in its efforts. This past August, it was recognized by Forbes as the highest ranked academic HBCU in the country.

After spending some time with Dr. Tisdale, it is easy to see that this national recognition is not by accident. And now, this same focus has been applied to the athletics arena. As Dr. Tisdale told us, the move to Division II was a "transition that would be consistent with our academic commitment."

But don't think Claflin didn't run a serious athletics program in the NAIA long before it became an NCAA member (if you saw its overflowing trophy case in the school's gymnasium, you would understand what I'm talking about). In the 2004-05 academic season (Claflin's last school year in NAIA), the school won seven Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. And, by the way, it only had seven total varsity sports at the time.

The goal of the move to Division II is to "move the athletic department to a new level," said Dr. Tisdale. Honestly, this is a hefty goal considering the school's past athletics success.

But don't think these lofty objectives aren't unattainable. After talking with many key figures on Claflin's campus, including several coaches and student-athletes, the infrastructure and commitment are in place from the top down. Not to mention, it is obvious the community of Orangeburg fully embraces both South Carolina State and Claflin, which makes Claflin's Division II transition that much easier.

If you're a Division II fan, get used to the name, Claflin University. You're going to be hearing a lot about the school's success in the classroom, athletics forum and community for a long time.