Monday, February 10, 2020
PORTLAND, Ore. – After six years as a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and over a century educating students in Portland, Concordia University has announced that it will cease operations at the end of the spring 2020 academic semester.
The university’s Board of Regents voted Friday, Feb. 7 to close the school and informed students, faculty and staff of the decision on Monday, Feb. 10. Concordia was admitted to the GNAC in July 2014, began conference play for the 2015-16 season and became a full member of NCAA Division II for the 2017-18 season.
“We are very saddened to hear of the upcoming closure of Concordia University-Portland,” said GNAC commissioner Dave Haglund. “It has been an exemplary and valued member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II since 2014. All of us in the GNAC have forged tremendous relationships with Concordia staff members past and present and our thoughts are with them and the current student-athletes as they play out their final seasons as conference members.”
Since joining the GNAC, Concordia has won team championships in men’s indoor track and field (2018), women’s golf (2018), softball (2019), women’s soccer (2018) and men’s outdoor track and field (2018). In indoor and outdoor track and field, Concordia student-athletes have combined to win 40 individual conference championships.
Since becoming full members of NCAA Division II, Concordia has advanced to national postseason competition in women’s soccer in 2017 and 2018 and in softball in 2019.
In addition, Concordia’s Hilken Community Stadium has served as the host site for a number of GNAC Championships over the last five seasons. The school hosted the 2017 and 2018 GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships, the 2018 and 2019 GNAC Softball Championships and the 2017 and 2019 GNAC Baseball Championships.
While doing what it can to support Concordia and its student-athletes in the final seasons, the conference is already looking ahead to the logistics of not having Concordia as a member. “Over the coming days, we will work with our member institutions on the impact that Concordia’s closure will have within the GNAC, including adjustments to our 2020-21 schedules,” Haglund said.