Maharishi International University expands new athletics department

FAIRFIELD – Maharishi International University is making impressive strides to expand its athletics department, and hopes it can one day join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The university’s athletics director is Rubén Sánchez Yepes, who is also the head men’s soccer coach, and a former professional soccer player in his native Spain. He and Owen Blake, associate athletics director, have worked to bring meditation to the sports industry, and they both felt that there was something special about MIU’s campus in Fairfield.

Though more and more students are enrolling online, they sought another way to attract students, and that was by creating an athletics department. Like the rest of the university, the athletics department is consciousness-based, and this allows MIU to stand out from its peers to offer what Sanchez calls a “fully stress-free experience.”

The athletics department began in the 2024-25 school year with men’s soccer and co-ed tennis. This year, it has added esports and women’s flag football. The goal is to eventually have three men’s and three women’s teams by next year, which will allow it to join the NAIA. The next sports on the list to add include track, cross-country, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, and volleyball.

MIU has played matches against other small schools in the state and region such as Graceland, Grandview, William Penn, Central Methodist and others. The Pioneers have their sights set on joining the Heart of America Conference once they complete the requirements.

Sanchez said the creation of the athletics department has brought students to campus who might not have considered coming to MIU. For instance, students enrolled at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa have visited, hoping to continue their education by playing on one of the sports teams in the years of college they have left.

For those interested to see the MIU Pioneers in action, the next match of the men’s soccer team will be at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Unified Field near the domes against St. Ambrose. There is no cost to attend, and fans can purchase concessions and merchandise while they’re there. Fans are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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