Looking to boost enrollment while adding diversity to campus life, three NAIA colleges in the Appalachian Mountain region of Kentucky have added or will soon add mountain biking to their list of varsity sports. Union College recently elevated the school's men's and women's club squads to varsity status, something that Lindsey Wilson College did five years ago and Cumberland College plans to accomplish sometime this year. All three schools offer or plan to offer partial scholarships to participants.

"Having a recognized mountain biking team has exposed Union to a different group of people who may not have been attracted to the school," says Darin Wilson, Athletic Director at Union College. "We have 15 or 20 students who would not have considered attending our school if not for the mountain biking program."

"Having scholarships allows me to recruit all over the country," says Greg Dunn, Head Coach of the Lindsey Wilson cycling squad, which has two full scholarships to distribute among its male and female athletes. Besides the scholarships, Dunn's team is budgeted $22,141 for in-season and recruiting expenses, as well as $9,000 for postseason competition. The money goes toward travel, lodging, meals, and entry fees for 20 team riders per event.

Over 200 schools currently field mountain biking teams, but most are categorized as club sports. Competition is sponsored by the National Collegiate Cycling Association (NCCA) at two levels, based on school enrollment and team size. The NCCA, which operates under the auspices of USA Cycling, does permit professional-level riders who earn sponsorship money to compete for the institution they attend.

For more information, go to: www.race-ncca.org or www.usacycling.org.