ARNOLD, Md. – The National Junior College Athletic Association has approved Anne Arundel Community College's bid to elevate its six NJCAA Division III varsity sports to the NJCAA Division II level beginning immediately for the 2023-24 academic year. 

The Riverhawks will elevate the men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and golf programs to Division II, joining current Division II programs of baseball and softball. AACC's men's and women's lacrosse teams remain non-division scholarship sports as governed by the NJCAA, while the eSports programs compete in the NJCAAe.

"With our recent successes at the Division III level, I'm excited to use these new resources to provide additional options to the talented student-athletes in Anne Arundel County," said Athletic Director Duane Herr '07. "This move also allows us to better equip our dedicated coaching staff with additional resources as they expand their recruiting efforts across the community."

The move to Division II provides new and additional scholarship opportunities for AACC student-athletes, including those that cover tuition, books, fees, and up to $250 in supplies. The transition also fosters closer competition with peer institutions in NJCAA Region 20, and will reduce travel costs associated with both in-season and postseason competition.

"At AACC we pride ourselves on meeting students wherever they are in their educational journeys and personal and professional goals," said Dr. Dawn Lindsay, president of AACC. "The move to DII equips the college with even more tools to support our students financially, athletically and academically whether they are on the court, on the field or in the classroom."

The Riverhawks are immediately eligible for postseason play in NJCAA Division II and Region 20. They begin this new chapter on August 22 when the men's and women's soccer teams host Howard Community College at Siegert Field.