It’s known best as disappointment.

     Compare it to a youngster anticipating a new bicycle for Christmas. But on Christmas morning, all the lad can find under the tree is an 8×10-inch picture of his dream machine. Obviously, Santa Claus goofed.

     Mississippi College had applied for membership in the NCAA Division II ranks last year after residing in Division III since 1997. However, MC’s request was denied in an email from the NCAA committee. Call it shock and awe on an athletic field of battle; disappointment, too.

     Certainly, the future looked promising. MC athletic director Mike Jones spoke confidently about the future. There were plans to apply for admission in the Gulf South Conference and renew that ancient rivalry with Delta State.

     Prospective athletes would be provided with D-II athletic scholarships. In D-III, only academic scholarships are allowed.

     It’s six months away, but the Grinch stole Christmas early from the Southern Baptist institution of higher learning located in Clinton. Shucks.

     For sure, MC plans to appeal the NCAA’s decision. Because MC is a private institution, there is no regulation requiring the school to reveal the NCAA’s letter or reasons for the negative proclamation.

     Politics and higher education often are linked together by unusual circumstances. The NCAA made a puzzling decision. “We were caught off guard,” explained an MC employee who requested anonymity.

     MC has hired a business firm to represent the school in its dealings with the NCAA. Yes, there are professionals who follow legal and other channels when dealing with that mammoth organization, which oversees college athletics.

     In the latest review, five colleges/universities applied for membership in Division II. Remarkably, two were accepted: Spring Hill College of Mobile, Ala. and upstate rival Auburn-Montgomery. Even more remarkable is the fact that both schools are/were NAIA members. They will be on a 3-year trial basis before “officially” being embraced as a D-II member.

     Surprisingly, neither Spring Hill nor Auburn-Montgomery has a football program. Football is the most expensive sport to finance and the most popular, drawing the largest attendance.

     Hmmmm.

     For the unknowing reader, MC has a wide-ranging athletic program for men and women. The Choctaws make a strong showing in almost every sport they compete in. Their athletic facilities are impressive, rivaling the best in D-II. Their academic excellence is recognized around the world.

     So, how come the Choctaws received the snub job?

     In these modern secular times, where the liberal rather than the conservative Christian philosophy are hugely popular, MC vigorously clings to its Baptist roots.

     Could religion be a problem?

     Perhaps there are some Roman Catholics or Mormons on the NCAA selection committee. They don’t agree with Protestants. How about atheists?

     In the past, the NCAA has howled long and loud about the state flag of Mississippi flying at athletic events. “It promotes the Confederacy, the South and the Civil War,” proclaims one professorial peacenick, while smoking legal marijuana in either California or Colorado.

     Then there is the Warpath Syndrome.

     The NCAA is paranoid when it comes to nicknames regarding the American Indian. University professors and philosophers with doctorate degrees sincerely believe any reference to Native Americans is demeaning and an insult, if used in any form with an athletic team, be it name or mascot.

     By contrast, the Choctaw Nation of Mississippi always has supported MC’s Choctaw nickname. A former Choctaw president once said, “As long as you are winning and playing hard, we don’t have a problem.”

     My family has a German heritage. I don’t have a problem with the “Fighting Krauts” being used as a nickname. Oh well, whatever.

     If you remember 1989, MC won a Division I National Football Championship, beating Jacksonville State (Ala.) 3-0 in the snow. Head coach John Williams was idolized for his accomplishments and his great teams.

     However, an academic scandal arose within the athletic department two years later and heads began to roll. Even MC’s president was axed because of his misdeeds.

     For sure, the NCAA was looking hard at those violations. There was a period of embarrassing turmoil on the Clinton campus and the decision was made to focus more on academics rather than athletics. Division III became a way of life in MC’s athletic department. There was plenty of enthusiasm but those talented D-II athletes went elsewhere, looking for more financial aid and scholarship funding.

     Apparently, many athletes will continue searching for more personal benefits until MC is allowed to enter D-II.

    Contact sports editor Tom Goetz by Email: tom.goetz@gmail.com