Miami University Regionals sports teams join U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association

When student athletes at Miami University Regionals hit the competition field this fall it will be with a new national affiliation.

The Hamilton Harriers and Middletown ThunderHawks were recently approved to join the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Established in 2001 and headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the USCAA provides opportunities for smaller colleges to compete on a national level, holding 15 national championships annually.

“We are happy to welcome Miami University Regional Campuses to the USCAA,” says USCAA CEO Matt Simms. “Miami University Hamilton and Middletown will be strong fits for the USCAA competitively and we hope that this will be the spark for the addition of a new conference in the Great Lakes region of the country.”

Miami Hamilton and Miami Middletown will both sponsor women’s volleyball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball, along with men’s and women’s tennis in 2021-22.

“Miami University Hamilton is thrilled to finally be a part of the USCAA after years of hoping to join such a top-notch organization,” said Director of MUH Athletics Chris Settle. “Not only will this raise the bar for our student athletes athletically, but it will do so academically as well. Our teams are biting at the bit to be the first in school history to bring home a national championship.”

"The ThunderHawks from Miami University Middletown are excited to become a member of the USCAA,” said Director of MUM Athletics Cheryl Miller. “We look forward to a very competitive year in all of our sports. We also are pleased to highlight our scholastic athletes as well as our athletically talented students on a national stage. Everyone cannot wait until our fall seasons begin."

Teams at Miami University Regionals previously competed in the Ohio Regional Campus Conference. The Harriers picked up 15 straight conference titles in baseball and in volleyball in each of its past two seasons, winning the overall All-Sports award in four of the past six years. 

The ThunderHawks won nine straight men’s basketball titles and seven state championships in nine of the past thirteen seasons. The women’s basketball team won its crown in three of the last five years and state titles in two of the last three years, while the men’s tennis team won the conference and state titles in each of the past seven seasons.