UCR428

SoCalHoops College Recruiting News

UC Riverside News: Highlanders Going
Division I; Sign Two Players--(April 28,1998)

Last week, the University of California, Riverside students voted to have the UCR Highlanders make the move from NCAA Division II to Division I status. The referendum, which needed a simple majority to pass, required students to approve assessing themselves an additional $105 annually in "student fees", which would be diverted to scholarship monies. In order to qualify as a D-I school, UCR had to meet the Division I requirement of $750, 000 in scholarship money, and additionally had to add three new sports (men's and women's soccer and men's golf ) in order to reach the NCAA-required 14 team sports. It is expected that UCR will join Division I no sooner than the fall quarter of 1999, but it all depends upon whether UCR is accepted into an NCAA Division I conference. UCR officials will be seeking a bid into the Big West Conference.

And just in time, WestCoastHoops is reporting that UCR has signed two new recruits for next year: Rion Nolan (6'-4" So. SG/SF) from West Valley JC, and Tapalar Muvogo (6'-6" Jr PF) who is transferring from Portland State. According to WestCoastHoops, Muvogo will be "eligible immediately," perhaps because he is considered as transferring from D-I to D-II as of the effective date of the transfer.