National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

Cumberland is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (N.A.I.A.). Originally founded in 1940 as the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB), the organization serves as the governing body of the longest continuous national collegiate tournament in any sport. This organization that now includes over 360 colleges and universities and conducts two dozen national championship events. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character-building aspects of sport. Through the “Champion of Character” initiative the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official, and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five tenets; respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.