In a dying sport, Springfield College men's gymnastics is the only non-Division I men's gymnastics team in the country. Despite Springfield College being a Division III institution, the men's gymnastics team is forced to compete against teams such as West Point Academy, Naval Academy, Temple University, Penn State University, etc. due to the fact that these are the only teams remaining. These 15 other Division I programs are allowed to give athletic scholarships to recruits, train year-round in their facilities, train unlimited hours per week, as well as having many other benefits of being a Division I program. Due to the fact that Springfield College is a Division III school, the men's gymnastics team is not allowed to give athletic scholarships to recruits, can only practice a limited amount of weeks per year (less than 20), and can only practice for a specific amount of hours per week. Changing the Springfield College men's gymnastics team to a Division I status would help the team to have a fair chance at obtaining the nations top recruits, as well as have the opportunity to successfully compete against our Division I competitors, and all the other benefits this status entails. This team has sent several individual team members to meets at the national and international level, and with this Division status change, the team will be given this opportunity as a whole. The Springfield College men's gymnastics team was awarded the 5th highest team GPA for men's gymnastics team in the nation, as well as continuing to be involved in community outreach programs. The team also obtains high amounts of revenue and recognition from the community and the alumni through the 105 year tradition of the Gymnastics Exhibition Show. Please take all of these factors into your decision making process of changing the men's gymnastics team to Division I to help us represent our team and our school at a higher status. With the continual loss of collegiate men's gymnastics programs, its vital for men's gymnastics as a whole to come together and support every team and gymnast remaining. I would like to thank everyone who signs this petition for their support, and would like to thank the Springfield College Athletic Department and the NCAA for their consideration.