NAMPA, Idaho — College of Western Idaho has submitted an application to join the National Junior College Athletic Association, a step toward launching its first intercollegiate sports teams.
Athletic Director Mahmood Sheikh says an NJCAA visiting team will review the college’s budget, staffing, and plans for student safety before a membership decision, expected in spring 2027.
“It's one thing to say you wanna be a member, but what does your athletic department look like from administrators to coaches to staff?” Sheikh said.
CWI has not announced which sport it will offer first. Launching that first team requires a $5 million endowment.
WATCH | What CWI’s athletics application means for local athletes—
Once teams are established, Sheikh wants to recruit athletes from Glenns Ferry to McCall, creating another opportunity for southwest Idaho students to compete close to home.
Columbia High School senior Max Barnes already has a local opportunity, having verbally committed to play football at Boise State. Barnes says he is among just two Idaho recruits in his class.
For athletes who do not receive that opportunity, junior college programs can offer another path to continue playing. CWI has not announced whether football will be among its sports.
Athletes in whichever sports CWI launches could also have opportunities to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness, known as NIL.
Sheikh says those opportunities exist at the junior college level, though compensation may include gift cards, food or apparel rather than large cash payments.
If CWI receives approval, Sheikh says the college would spend its first year building the program, begin competing in year two, and become eligible for regional and national tournaments and championships in year three.
Preparations would include hiring coaches, recruiting athletes, and scheduling practices and competitions.
“That's when the real work starts taking place and kind of the heavy lifting,” Sheikh said.
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