The accompanying change from junior-college to four-year college athletic competition was intended "to show we are four-year, not two-year anymore," said Gregory Carroll, director of athletics for the school.

When Morrisville considered becoming a part of the NCAA, there were at least 20 schools waiting in line to go through the process of changing over. Each year, six schools are picked to be observed.

This year, Morrisville began their second year of observation. The first year of the observation by the NCAA went very well, Carroll said; Morrisville met all requirements needed to progress. There were still a few "housekeeping" things that needed to change, he said, but nothing major that would put Morrisville back a year.

At the end of each year, schools under observation like Morrisville hand files on top of files showing the NCAA that they are meeting the requirement--from sports sponsorships to financial aid reports.

In late September, the NCAA sent a review team to the campus to look over what Morrisville has to offer. The team consisted of NCAA staffers and faculty of other schools that are already NCAA members. Carroll said the NCAA campus tour went very well overall.

"We showed them all around Morrisville--to Nelson Farms, the Copper Turret and to the windmills," Carroll said. "It was an eye-opening experience for Susan Hoffman (Associate Athletics Director & Senior Women's Administrator of Brockport) being from Brockport, because she has never been here."

Carroll said the review team was very surprised that Morrisville was doing so well. The visit went so well that Morrisville State has considered requesting a waiver, granting Morrisville the option of combining years three and four of the provisional process.

If Morrisville is granted a waiver, the college will become an active member of the NCAA one full year earlier, in the 2009-2010 season.