Pair of Merging D-II Schools Sue Conference That Kicked One Out

Gannon University and Ursuline College filed a lawsuit against the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Wednesday, seeking to overturn the conference’s decision of terminating Ursuline’s membership after the 2026–27 school year. 

The Division II schools are merging, but want to keep their athletic departments separate while Gannon operates as the controlling academic institution. Gannon competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), while Ursuline competes in the G-MAC. The NCAA approved their request in May, stating that Ursuline would “remain an active member of Division II following the merger.”

Despite the NCAA’s ruling, the G-MAC is seeking to remove Ursuline from the conference, which led to Wednesday’s suit, which alleges that the conference is breaking its own bylaws and constitution by throwing out Ursuline.

Additionally, given Ursuline is a predominately female institution, the filing claims the G-MAC violates Title IX through “disproportionately restricting athletic participation opportunities for women student-athletes.”

Gannon started conversations with Ursuline regarding a merger two years ago, and Gannon took control of the Ursuline campus in June 2025. On Tuesday, Gannon president Walter Iwanenko Jr. became president of Ursuline and a consolidated board was formed. 

The final step in the process is approval from the U.S. Department of Education, which is expected to happen around July 15, and the school will go by “Ursuline College: Campus of Gannon University.”

Similar mergers have happend in D-II. In 2022, California, Clarion, and Edinboro, consolidated into Pennsylvania Western University academically while maintaining separate athletic programs in the PSAC. But in October of last year, the G-MAC told Ursuline that the merger would mean the college would no longer satisfy the conference’s requirements for membership in October 2025. Ursuline filed a waiver for the decision to be reconsidered and was told by the G-MAC it would be voted on at a June meeting. That vote never occurred, with the G-MAC’s presidents’ council telling the school it needed more time to provide a response. 

G-MAC commissioner Tom Daeger declined comment, citing the pending litigation. 

Given the uncertainty, Ursuline has pursued other alternatives. Athletic director Cindy McKnight tells Front Office Sports she has been unable to find a conference that would take all of Ursuline’s athletic programs due to the school only having three men’s programs to 12 women’s teams. Conferences have told her they would only be willing to take select teams, such as track, cross country, women’s bowling, and men’s and women’s golf. The school has also explored associate membership for certain teams in the G-MAC, with the conference’s joint council recommending Ursuline softball and volleyball for such status.

McKnight, who helped found the G-MAC in 2011, said she believes conference scheduling is underway for the 2027–28 season, meaning time is of the essence for the athletic department to avoid being seriously impacted.  

“I won’t have a conference schedule if this is not resolved by around September,” McKnight said. “I don’t know what we do. We just have to wait. But if you wait and then we end up being independent, now what? Who are we going to find to play? I need an answer.”

McKnight says coaches have struggled to recruit and that two soccer players have already transferred. About half of the Ursuline’s students are athletes, meaning getting them on campus is crucial to the college’s success. 

“This could have a financial impact of millions of dollars,” Iwanenko Jr. tells FOS. “Ursuline College is looking at a record freshman enrollment class in fall ’26. This decision could really unravel this incredible momentum we have moving forward with the loss of incoming athletes.” 

In the lawsuit, Ursuline asks for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, which would allow the school to keep its membership through the duration of the case. 

“I just don’t understand how you could do this to our athletes,” McKnight said. “Our athletes and coaching staffs have done nothing wrong. We are totally separate athletic programs from Gannon’s. I am beyond frustrated.”