In June 2012, UC was one of nine members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) that announced their plans to leave to form a new Division II conference. Two months later, the new conference was unveiled as the MEC, with UC as one of 12 charter members.[1] The school's newest sport is men's volleyball, which played its first season as a varsity program in spring 2015. Since men's volleyball has a combined national championship for Division I and Division II schools, UC competes as an effective Division I member in that sport; it spent its first season as an independent before joining the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association for the 2016 season and beyond.[3]
In 2005, UC entered into a partnership with the local school board to refurbish the school board–owned Laidley Field, which was renamed University of Charleston Stadium. The campus also boasts new or renovated softball, football, baseball, and soccer fields, and competes in 18 Division II sports.
