Rust heads to NAIA

The conundrum that Rust College created in the recent past is now moot as the institution was granted membership in the NAIA.

I’d spewed a decent number of words over the years regarding Rust’s eligibility for Division III championships. Rust, a former Division III independent located in Mississippi, was never close to qualifying for the volleyball championship, but its eligibility affected the access ratio used to determine Pool B bids. That posed a problem because, according to my math, the access ratio was nearing thresholds that would tip the scales in terms of the number of Pool B berths to the championship.

Adding fuel to my rather mild fire was the fact that most people I talked to about the situation had no idea what or who I was talking about and/or did not seem to care why Rust’s eligibility potentially mattered.

Good luck in the NAIA, Rust Bearcats!

-Ricky Nelson