DURHAM -- These are big days for N.C. Central athletics, and the university as a whole. 

Barring an unforeseen roadblock, the Eagles are going to be members of NCAA Division I. 

Last week, NCCU submitted its intention to make the jump from NCAA Division II, along with a "Strategic Action Plan" about how the program will be strengthened over the next five years. 

Facilities are going to be improved, additional coaches and staff hired, scholarship numbers increased and schedules toughened -- some gradually, some dramatically. 

Tough challenges lie ahead, particularly for the men's basketball team. But the program gets an opportunity to play road games against the best teams in the country -- and bring in significant paychecks for the university. 

The foundation for the move to Division I appears strong. 

NCCU's 2006-07 year in sports, the so-called "exploratory" year, produced the best programwide results in school history. 

Like every other school that has made the journey, NCCU is going to take some lumps. But athletics director Bill Hayes hopes to have every team at full throttle by the time the Eagles are eligible for NCAA championship competition in the 2011-12 academic year. 

"I was extremely pleased with our season," said Hayes, the CIAA's administrator of the year for 2006-07. "Our main focus now is to keep our athletics program on pace with the university's goals." 

The women's program continued its overall excellence, claiming three conference titles to become repeat winners of the CIAA's women's all-sports trophy. NCCU won that honor in five of its last eight years in the conference. 

"Certainly we would like to keep winning in every sport," said NCCU's associate athletics director and senior women's administrator Ingrid Wicker-McCree. "But one of our goals during this transition period is to make sure our coaches and athletes are happy." 

The Eagles' final Division II competition was May 26, when the men's team finished seventh in the NCAA Outdoor Track Field Championship meet in Charlotte. 

Senior Hakeem Mohammed won the individual national title in the 400. The women's team finished 31st, all on the strength of Jessica Mills' second-place finish in the triple jump. 

It was a banner year overall for Mike Lawson's track field and cross-country programs, which form six of the 16 teams the Eagles will deploy next season. 

The women's cross-country team won the CIAA and NCAA South Atlantic Regional titles, scoring a stunningly low 17 points (15 is perfect) in the conference meet and then becoming the first team from a historically black college to qualify for the national meet. 

"There shouldn't be any reason we can't continue to be successful in Division I," said CIAA individual champion and rising sophomore Ashley Cooke. "We definitely have the talent as long as we just keep running together." 

The men's cross-country team was a solid fourth in the conference meet. 

During the indoor track season, the men's squad -- paced by Christopher Davis' national title in the 60 -- came in third for the best Division II finish in school history. Mills also was second in the indoor triple-jump. 

In football under head coach Rod Broadway -- who has since departed for Grambling -- NCCU had its best football season in history at 11-1. 

The Eagles had their first perfect regular season, beat Elizabeth City State on a long field goal in the closing seconds to win their second straight CIAA title, and picked up perhaps their most impressive win in school history -- a 27-20 victory at Southern -- along the way. 

Last season's offensive coordinator Mose Rison is the new head coach. 

"I think Coach Rison has the program in good shape and the program is going to continue to be extremely competitive," said Hayes, himself the winningest college football coach in the state's history from his tenure at Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A T. 

Women's basketball is in great shape, he said, especially with a new, three-year contract for Coach Joli Robinson. 

The Eagles finished 26-6, left the CIAA with their first conference title in 23 years and kept alive Robinson's streak of never having lost a first-round NCAA game. 

"We had a great team and we have almost everybody back," said rising sophomore center-forward Jori Nwachukwu, the CIAA rookie of the year. "We're hearing that a lot of Division I teams don't want to play us. I think that's a good thing" 

Georgette Crawford-Crooks replaced Wicker-McCree as volleyball coach before the season started, and with an outstanding recruiting class both repeated as CIAA champions and beat most of the Division I teams on a loaded schedule. 

"We already beat a lot of Division I teams last year," said rising senior outside hitter Shari Matthews, who was named NCAA Division II player of the year. "I think together we will know how to rise to the level of the competition." 

The Eagles' softball team, which went 31-13, had a fast start but a disappointing ending. NCCU, under Coach Larry Keen who has since retired from his full-time job at the university, went 20-0 in the conference during the regular season but lost to the conference's two other top teams in the CIAA Tournament, then ran into a pair of Pennsylvania Conference buzzsaws after receiving an NCAA at-large bid. 

"We did win some games against Division I teams," said rising junior all-conference softball third baseman Sophia Blue. "And we're a young team that's going to get better. If we end up playing teams from the ACC or other big schools, I think it will motivate us to be at our best." 

The men's basketball team went 13-15 in Henry Dickerson's third season, which did have some major highlights. 

Bryan Ayala's buzzer-beating 3-pointer beat eventual NCAA Division II champion Barton in NCCU's second game of the season, while another buzzer shot from Chris Mayshack beat the best team in Virginia State's school history. The Eagles also left the conference with one streak intact -- they were the only men's team to win at least one game in each of their last nine CIAA tournaments. 

The move to Division I necessitated the addition of one men's sport, and Henry White's brand-new baseball team -- playing its home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park -- responded with a 21-24 mark and finished first in the CIAA's regular-season race. White was named the conference's coach of the year. 

"I think we've got a team that can be successful at that level," said rising sophomore shortstop Justin Goodson, who was named CIAA rookie of the year. "We just need more depth on the pitching staff, and I know Coach White is a good recruiter." 

This season NCCU's men's tennis team finished 10-12 and fourth in the conference under Curtis Lawson. The women's team was 9-10 overall and fifth in the conference under David Nass. 

The bowling team, under Karen Sanford, finished second in the CIAA's Western Division. The golf team, under Paul Perry, finished fourth in the CIAA standings. 

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NCCU's top dozen wins in 2006-07 

Aug, 26, football 

NCCU 20, Albany State 0 

Freshman QB Stadford Brown's debut is a romp over the visiting three-time defending SIAC champions. 

Sept. 23, football 

NCCU 27, Southern 20 

The Eagles get a big lead on the road and hold on for their first football victory over a SWAC team. 

Oct. 19, women's cross country 

Ashley Cooke, Aisha Brown and Yolanda Barber go 1-2-3 as the Eagles score a stunning 17 points and win their second straight CIAA title in Cary. 

Nov. 4, women's cross country 

The Eagles win by 53 points in the Southeast Regional at Wingate to become the first historically black college to qualify for an NCAA national meet. 

Nov. 4, volleyball 

NCCU 3, Virginia Union 0 

Led by Division II player of the year Shari Matthews, the Eagles beat Virginia Union 30-14, 30-26, 30-19 in Fayetteville for their third straight CIAA title. 

Nov. 11, football 

NCCU 17, Elizabeth City State 14 

Brandon Gilbert kicks a career-long 51-yard field goal as time expires to give the host Eagles their second straight CIAA crown. 

Nov. 18, men's basketball

NCCU 67, Barton 65 

Bryan Ayala's 3-pointer at the buzzer hangs on the rim and drops, giving the host Eagles a victory over eventual NCAA Division II champion Barton. 

Feb. 10, baseball 

NCCU 7, Benedict 4 

Oliver Jenkins triples and doubles as the Eagles, playing their first season since 1975, get their first win of the season by beating visiting Benedict. 

March 3, women's basketball 

NCCU 89, Elizabeth City State 72 

Cassie King has 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Eagles crush a good Viking team in Charlotte for their first CIAA title in 23 years. 

March 10, men's track 

Christopher Davis runs 6.72 in the 60 to win his event as the Eagles finish third in the NCAA Indoors in Boston. 

March 31, softball 

NCCU 4-4, Virginia State 0-2 

The Eagles sweep the host Trojans, virtually assuring NCCU of a 20-0 regular-season finish in CIAA play. 

May 26, men's track 

Hakeem Mohammed runs a 45.37 to win the 400, leading the Eagles to a seventh-place finish in the NCAA Outdoors in Charlotte.