GRAND FORKS (AP) - The Great West football conference is expanding to other sports, and the University of North Dakota is one of the new members.

Six schools nationwide are joining the expanded Great West Conference beginning this fall, officials announced at a news conference Thursday.

The other members are South Dakota, Utah Valley State, Texas-Pan American, Houston Baptist and New Jersey Institute of Technology.

UND is making the transition to NCAA Division I competition in all sports, starting in the fall. Fifteen of its sports programs will compete in the Great West, including football and basketball.

The UND men's and women's hockey teams will continue to compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Fighting Sioux hockey is already a Division I sport.

UND is still seeking conference affiliation for women's soccer, and men's and women's swimming and diving.

UND President Robert Kelley said the timing of the conference is right for UND athletes and fans. Athletic Director Brian Faison said it allows athletes to compete for conference honors much earlier during the transition.

UND announced in August 2007 that its football team would join the Great West Football Conference and compete for a conference football championship beginning this year. The other Great West Football Conference members are South Dakota, UC Davis, Cal Poly and Southern Utah.

A statement from the conference, based in Elmhurst, Ill., said the Great West wants to open opportunities for students. The expansion is a concept similar to the conference beginnings in football in 2004, Great West Commissioner Ed Grom said.

"There were several NCAA Division I-AA independent schools that were looking for a conference home, and this was an opportunity every school embraced," he said.

More schools may join the league in the next few months, the conference statement said.

"I'm excited for our players and our team to be able to play in a conference so soon," UND women's basketball coach Gene Roebuck said. "It will really shore up our schedule. We'll also have conference stat leaders and will be able to play for a conference championship. The fans will have something to sink their teeth into as far as meaningful games, and we'll be able to continue our conference rivalry with the University of South Dakota."

UND men's basketball coach Brian Jones said the conference affiliation will allow the school to recruit athletes that can help the Sioux compete at the Division I level.

"I think the Great West is going to be a big thing for independent programs, especially baseball, because we will be able to get a schedule and we won't have to play on the road as much," said UND head baseball coach Jeff Dodson.