July 1 - Moving Day 2024

[SW_Mustang]

Lately D3 schools have also come from the USCAA and NCCAA ranks as well. There's no USCAA schools in the area, but there is one NCCAA school: Oak Hills Christian in Bemidji. They have an enrollment in the low hundreds, and you may recall them from when they made headlines last year when they got walloped in an exhibition basketball game against North Dakota State, 108-14. I don't think they'd be a very good fit.

Maybe Crookston finally makes the move?

Minnesota actually has four NCCAA schools - Oak Hills, Crown, North Central, and Northwestern. Oak Hills probably doesn't want to leave the ACCA to join the NCAA - but like you said, they're not a good fit for the UMAC.

I've been on campus at Oak Hills and it feels more like a summer camp than something resembling a college. I'm not dogging the school, it's actually a very pretty area and it was kept up well - but it's tiny. Also, not to dog ACCA athletes, but it's more akin to lower level club sports with travel - definitely not on-par to join the NCAA without massive overhauls.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

East Texas A&M is trying to speed up D1 status to this fall.

https://lionathletics.com/news/2025/...n-process.aspx

I would be taking their time. Almost every one of their sports is god awful and only 1 sport is around .500

[laker]

Crookston may not go to the UMAC, but not because it isn't the right thing to do. Renewing the rivalry with Morris, bringing back football, moving hockey to NCAA, a smaller travel budget, saving on scholarships, being more competitive ... I could go in. Moving to DIII - and the UMAC specifically - makes so much sense, only a place like UMC would pass it up.

I agree, it would be a much better fit. My first cousin went there and the local quarterback from Buffalo Lake years ago did too. Good school, just hasn't faced reality like Morris, who at one time was the power of the NIC, did.

[CheapSkate]

I could find four local guys to play with and beat Oak Hills- and I'm retired. NDSU should have been embarrassed to schedule that game.

I don't think Crookston would go D3, but their sister school Morris used to be D2 and is now in the UMAC. It would be a better move for them. Macalester won't leave the MIAC but they would be better off in the UMAC. Valley City and Mayville, both NAIA, decided to join the Frontier Conference when the North Star went belly up.

Crookston may not go to the UMAC, but not because it isn't the right thing to do. Renewing the rivalry with Morris, bringing back football, moving hockey to NCAA, a smaller travel budget, saving on scholarships, being more competitive ... I could go in. Moving to DIII - and the UMAC specifically - makes so much sense, only a place like UMC would pass it up.

[Bballfan]

As bad as it looks like some of their sports teams perform, whats the hurry?

[laker]

East Texas A&M is trying to speed up D1 status to this fall.

https://lionathletics.com/news/2025/...n-process.aspx

[laker]

Lately D3 schools have also come from the USCAA and NCCAA ranks as well. There's no USCAA schools in the area, but there is one NCCAA school: Oak Hills Christian in Bemidji. They have an enrollment in the low hundreds, and you may recall them from when they made headlines last year when they got walloped in an exhibition basketball game against North Dakota State, 108-14. I don't think they'd be a very good fit.

Maybe Crookston finally makes the move?

I could find four local guys to play with and beat Oak Hills- and I'm retired. NDSU should have been embarrassed to schedule that game.

I don't think Crookston would go D3, but their sister school Morris used to be D2 and is now in the UMAC. It would be a better move for them. Macalester won't leave the MIAC but they would be better off in the UMAC. Valley City and Mayville, both NAIA, decided to join the Frontier Conference when the North Star went belly up.

[Finchwidget]

With Northland closing, the UMAC is down to seven teams. I'm trying to think of candidates to replace them, but none come to mind. You would either need an NAIA team to come in (Minnesota has none of them) or a D2 school to move down.

Lately D3 schools have also come from the USCAA and NCCAA ranks as well. There's no USCAA schools in the area, but there is one NCCAA school: Oak Hills Christian in Bemidji. They have an enrollment in the low hundreds, and you may recall them from when they made headlines last year when they got walloped in an exhibition basketball game against North Dakota State, 108-14. I don't think they'd be a very good fit.

Maybe Crookston finally makes the move?

[laker]

With Northland closing, the UMAC is down to seven teams. I'm trying to think of candidates to replace them, but none come to mind. You would either need an NAIA team to come in (Minnesota has none of them) or a D2 school to move down.

[Bballfan]

D3 Northland College (Ashland, WI) announces closure.

https://www.northland.edu/closure/

I always like to look at the athletics to see how bad they are when a school closes. I am not even sure how it is possible for men's and women's basketball to go a combined 0 - 44 this year. That's wild!

It's sad for the students when any school closes, but for the athletes, pretty much looks like they are being put out of their misery.

[Tech Boys]

I've been hoping for Christopher Newport to Carolinas and Mary Washington along with Salisbury and Shenandoah to Mountain East.

[Finchwidget]

Virginia is ripe with D3 schools that could pull the trigger and make the jump. I think Emory & Henry opened the door and it wouldn't surprise me to see more schools follow over the next few years. There have to be a few ODAC and USA South members who will be keeping an eye on Emory & Henry and Ferrum to see how the move up is playing out for these two.

Still waiting on Christopher Newport and Mary Washington to pull the trigger...

[LegalRam]

Ferrum's official announcement.....

Ferrum College Accepted as Official NCAA Division II Institution Under Expedited Provisional Year One Process - Ferrum College

I don't know much about this school. In a beautiful part of Virginia. Another Conference Carolinas addition.

Virginia is ripe with D3 schools that could pull the trigger and make the jump. I think Emory & Henry opened the door and it wouldn't surprise me to see more schools follow over the next few years. There have to be a few ODAC and USA South members who will be keeping an eye on Emory & Henry and Ferrum to see how the move up is playing out for these two.

[SW_Mustang]

Northland had a major fundraising effort last year to keep itself open. Kind of a bummer.

Tis the season- we should start to see more in the next several months.

[Northeast01]

D3 Northland College (Ashland, WI) announces closure.

https://www.northland.edu/closure/