The 2024 athletic season will be another trailblazing season for Utah Tech University as they move to Division I.
Along with the opportunity to compete at the highest level of collegiate athletics comes greater attention and notoriety. This allows the university to recruit athletes and coaches who otherwise might not have considered Utah Tech an option.
“I can get my foot in the door with a higher level of recruits than I ever have been able to in the past,” Justin Decker, Utah Tech cross country coach, said.
While athletics has faced growing pains during the move to Division I, there have also been some bright moments. The women’s basketball team beat the University of Oregon in December last year.
The move from Division II to Division I has had impacts on the university as a whole, with an especially large impact on the athletics department. A move to Division I allows athletes to compete at the highest level and receive further recognition for their accomplishments. The stiffer competition has forced athletes to raise their game to compete with the higher level of competition.
“The biggest point for me is that our program is getting better every year with the development and the transition stage, as I feel like last year compared to this year, we’re already significantly faster because we have that deep opportunity and attention,” women’s cross country runner Averie Perriton, a sophomore pre-engineering major, from Cheyenne, Wyoming, said.
As athletics has worked to adapt to the changes that come with becoming a Division I program, so has the institution as a whole. Athletics plays a major role in helping the general public become more aware of a university and its academics.
“Statistically, 80% of everything that’s written, spoken [and] talked about an institution in the media and social media comes through athletics,” Ken Beazer, executive director of intercollegiate athletics, said.
While becoming a Division I program has helped the university become more recognized, there have also been some drawbacks. The move to Division I puts the university in the same conversation with more well-known universities, which also have larger budgets.
“It’s a tough shift, with a different approach and outlook with transitioning coaches, student athletes and administration to that level is a challenge and an ongoing process,” Beazer said. “In addition to that, the budget; everything is more expensive, and everything is on a grander scale.”
In the short time that Utah Tech has gone from Division II to Division I, the athletics department has been learning to adapt to new levels of competition both on and off the field. As the move becomes official this year, it will allow student athletes to continue to grow on the field while the university works in the classroom.
