Prescott, Arizona — Yavapai College announced that it’s joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which in turn means that the college is now also the newest member of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC). Yavapai College joins both the association and conference for the 2027-28 academic year.

“Being accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a proud, historic milestone for Yavapai College, and a natural next chapter for an athletics program that has been winning on the national stage for five decades,” Yavapai College Acting President Dr. Doug Berry said. 

“Our Roughriders have brought home 16 NJCAA national championships, highlighted by seven Men’s Soccer titles, four Baseball titles, and two women’s Softball titles. Competing in the NAIA's Great Southwest Athletic Conference, our student-athletes will continue that legacy on an even larger stage. They'll challenge themselves, grow as leaders, and represent Yavapai College with the same grit and excellence that have defined the Roughriders for generations. We're proud of what this transition means for our students and look forward to the energy and new opportunities this will bring to our entire community."

Yavapai College currently competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and brings five decades of athletic success to the GSAC. The Roughriders have built championship traditions across multiple sports, including seven NJCAA national championships in men’s soccer, four in baseball, two in softball and two in cross country. Yavapai College’s baseball national championships span more than four decades, including titles in 1993 and 2016.

Yavapai sponsors seven intercollegiate sports: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball. All seven programs will join the GSAC beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.

"For more than 50 years, our Roughriders have given our community something to rally around, and they've shown what our students can do when talent meets hard work,” said Steve Bracety, Yavapai College Governing Board Chairperson. “Joining the NAIA and the Great Southwest Athletic Conference honors that legacy and opens the door to even greater opportunities for our students. The Governing Board is proud to support this next step. We can't wait to see our Roughriders take the field and the court in this new chapter and carry the Yavapai College name forward with pride.”

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. 

Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships.

Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, six baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu