The NCAA adds new members through the provisional status. Currently 4-6 teams per year begin the process, which allows the prospective members to learn how the NCAA works.

The most prominent provisional Division III baseball program this year is Texas-Tyler. They are in the fourth and final year of their provisional status. The Patriots entered Division III in August 2003 and have seen their athletic teams achieve a modicum of success. The men's cross country team won the ASC championship in fall 2005 and 2006. The men's soccer team won the ASC-East in 2003 and the ASC in 2006. The women's basketball team won the ASC-East in 2004-05 and 2005-06. However, the baseball team has attracted the most attention.

The Patriots can clinch the ASC East Division championship by defeating LeTourneau twice this weekend. Texas-Tyler made the commitment to upgrade and add sports to their program when the formerly upper-level university was admitted to the American Southwest Conference in 2003. They have previously participated in the NAIA and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

Keystone College, in its last year as a provisional school, has averaged over 30 wins in each of its first three seasons at the Division III level including back to back NEAC championships and a ECAC Championship. This year Keystone is once again off to a good start with a 17-4 record including a thrilling extra-inning victory over No. 4 Cortland State this past Wednesday at Cortland.

Tri-State is in its final year of provisional status. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association member has made it through the provisional process in three years. Tri-State committed early to the D-III model while they were still in the NAIA and it has paid off. Tri-State sponsors football which keeps the automatic qualifier for the MIAA when Wisconsin Lutheran's four-year affiliation with the MIAA ends after the 2007 season.

The biggest cluster of provisional schools in D-III can be found in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. This conference is comprised of members coming from the NAIA, the NCCAA and NCAA Division II. We asked Minnesota-Morris baseball coach Mark Fohl about the benefits for his school to move up from Division II to Division III.

"I think it helps to have all members of the conference in the same organization, following the same rules. For UMM, the move from Div. II has helped our teams be more competitive," said Fohl.

UM-Morris is scheduled to become a full member in 2008-09 and the conference should get its automatic bid in 2010 or 2011.