ST. GEORGE — The NCAA Division I Board of Directors confirmed that Utah Tech University is officially an active Division I institution.
The university is now eligible to compete for NCAA postseason championships in 15 intercollegiate sports.
The decision was announced on June 28 and covered in a press release by Utah Tech Athletics Media Relations.
“This has been a complete team effort led by Executive Director of Athletics Ken Beazer,” Utah Tech interim president Courtney White said in the release, also praising associate athletic directors Mo Eckroth and Mike Olson.
“Moving to Division I status will allow Utah Tech student athletes to compete at the highest level,” White added, “something we have been working towards for a number of years and our campus and community could not be more excited.”
Now after a four-year reclassification process, Utah Tech is the seventh official Division I institution in the state of Utah.
Football practice underway
First year head football coach Lance Anderson started practice on the Utah Tech campus on Wednesday, in preparation for the season-opening home game against Montana State on Aug. 31.
As previously reported in St. George News, the Trailblazers were predicted to finish eighth out of nine teams at the United Athletic Conference media day last week.
Utah Tech compiled a 2-9 overall record last season and was 1-5 in UAC games.
According to a press release, Utah Tech will see 42 Trailblazers who got playing time last year return this year.
Two starters on offense (lineman Bayo Kannike and receiver Daniel Thomason) return for Utah Tech while six returning starters will bolster the defense: Sam Kanongata’a, Jared Fotu, Fasito’Otai Sagapolu, Jagger Williams, Jayden Sheridan and Scooter Jackson.
The quarterback room is crowded with six potential signal callers for the Trailblazers, led by transfer portal acquisitions Luke MacPhail (Syracuse) and Deacon Hill (Iowa).
Former Dixie standout Reggie Graff is also in the QB mix, along with fellow former Dixie Flyer Bronson Barben. Hawaii prep standout Ty McCutcheon rounds out the QB group.
Utah Tech’s opening game against the Bobcats is at 8 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium on Aug. 31.
Stellar Trailblazers recognized
According to a press release, six student athletes from Utah Tech were recognized as the inaugural winners of the Strive to B Awards presented by the Black Desert Resort.
“Black Desert is honored to be partnered with Utah Tech in so many ways, but none really exemplifies this partnership more than honoring student-athletes who are well rounded, who care about their community and show up,” Patrick Manning, managing partner of Black Desert Resort, said in the release.
“This inaugural class of six student-athletes exemplifies all of those things,” Manning added.
Six student athletes were chosen for the Strive to B Award based on their commitments to these core principles: be outstanding, be a leader, be accountable, be kind and be compassionate.
The six Utah Tech athletes chosen as the award winners were basketball players Breaunna Gillen and Emily Isaacson, baseball player Hank Dodson, football player Max Christensen III, and soccer players McKinley Barney and Traedon Chamberlain.
Barney was a graduate student while the other five student athletes were all seniors last year.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.