USC Upstate Now Full-Time D-1

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — The NCAA has approved USC Upstate’s full certification into the Division I ranks. The school announced the move on Friday. USC Upstate began competing in Division I as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007. Only two of the school’s 17 sports, softball and men’s soccer, were allowed to compete for postseason play. The others had to wait until certification was complete. Besides being eligible for the postseason in all sports, USC Upstate can now participate in the NCAA’s revenue sharing program for funds generated from its men’s basketball tournament. The school also has access to other grants and scholarships not afforded provisional members. USC Upstate chancellor Thomas Moore said NCAA approval was the latest step in the school’s goal of becoming the Southeast’s leading metropolitan university.