Contact: Mitch Bakken- Sports Information Director (218) 281-8414
Burnsville, Minn. - Acting Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Winona State University President Dr. Judith Ramaley has announced the outcome from the NSIC Board of Directors meeting dealing with possible expansion of the league. The Board of Directors, consisting of the 14 NSIC Presidents & Chancellors, voted to expand the NSIC to 16 institutions with the addition of the University of Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Minot State University (Minot, N.D.). These two institutions will begin participating within the NSIC in the 2012-13 academic season.
"The NSIC is pleased to welcome these two institutions into our league. We feel both of these programs are a good fit with strong academic traditions. The competitiveness of these athletic teams will enhance all 17 sports that we currently offer," commented Ramaley.
"I am excited to add both schools to the NSIC. The balance both schools show between academics and athletics fits the basic foundation of our conference", said NSIC Commissioner Butch Raymond.
The NSIC will now consist of 16 teams over a five state area with nine institutions hailing from Minnesota, three in South Dakota, two in North Dakota and one in Iowa and Nebraska. The NSIC will form two divisions, in the sports where appropriate, when the league expands to 16 teams.
The NSIC South Division will consist of Augustana College, Concordia University-St. Paul, Minnesota State University Mankato, University of Sioux Falls, Southwest Minnesota State University, Upper Iowa University, Wayne State College and Winona State University.
The NSIC North Division will consist of Bemidji State University, University of Mary, University of Minnesota Crookston, University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Minot State University, Northern State University and St. Cloud State University.
The Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) began in 1932 as the Northern Teacher's Athletic Conference. Charter members included Bemidji State, Mankato State, Moorhead State, St. Cloud State and Winona State. In 1942 the conference name was changed to the State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota. The conference switched its name to the Northern Intercollegiate Conference in 1962. In the spring of 1992 the NSIC was formed out of the merger of the NIC, the men's conference, and the women's Northern Sun Conference (NSC). The NSC had existed since 1979. In the 1999-00 academic year, the NSIC became an expanded 10-team league from a previous seven-member conference by adding Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.) Concordia University-St. Paul (St. Paul, Minn.) and the University of Minnesota, Crookston (Crookston, Minn.). The conference featured eight members from 2004-05 until 2005-06 with the departure of Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota-Morris, but expanded back to 10 teams in 2006-07 as the University of Mary (Bismarck, N.D.) and Upper Iowa University (Fayette, Iowa) joined the league. The NSIC exploded into a 14-team league in the 2008-09 year with the additions of Augustana College, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University Mankato and St. Cloud State University.
The NSIC has won nine team NCAA Division II National Championships since the 2005-2006 season. Winona State Men's Basketball won the 2005-06 & 2007-08 Championships; Concordia-St. Paul won the 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 Volleyball Championships; Minnesota Duluth won the 2008 & 2010 Football Championships and Minnesota State Women's Basketball won the 2008-09 Championship. The NSIC has also crowned 24 individual National Champions since joining the NCAA in 1993.
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