IUPUI's appearance at the USA Rugby Collegiate 7s Championships will be the last outing for the program as a D2 rugby team.

Next fall, IUPUI will move up to D1AA and will join the Mid America Conference (MAC).

"It's a big deal for us," said head coach Joe Richards. "We had a plan to move up, we always had that plan, and we wanted to get there in five years. We've done it basically in two."

IUPUI has been able to do that because it has recruited very effectively, serving to raise the profile both of the team and Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (the full name of IUPUI) as a whole.

"There is such a deep talent pool in Indiana and Ohio that we are getting good students who are also experienced rugby players who have four, maybe eight years of experience playing the game," said Richards. "We expect to compete."

While Bowling Green, closely chased by Western Michigan, has been the class of the MAC, the conference as a whole is very competitive, with Louisville, Ohio, Dayton. Miami (OH), and Cincinnati all competitive teams.

"It's what we want," said Richards. "We've played several of those teams and done well against them."