Conference Expansion?

[MrMustang]

I agree on the Bellevue being a good fit at D2. Big $ support and enrollment. Great athletic footprint and location as well. But i may be a bit biased being a BellevueU grad lol

They would be a great fit if they add football - which I doubt they will as it is expensive. However, if they did they would be a good addition to the NSIC

[MrMustang]

It would be cool if we could convince Superior to restart football and move up, though not sure what they'd do with hockey. The mothership might not like that either.

Seems like we've gone round-n-round in multiple threads about possible replacements and we seem to keep coming back to Jamestown and DSU. Appears to me that there isn't exactly a great fit, unless we choose to rapidly expand out geographic footprint, which is quite large to begin with.

Superior is in the UMAC. That's a huge jump up to the NSIC. They are years away from even being remotely ready in athletes and facilities. Their women just lost to North Central...

[MrMustang]

I have a tough time believing the third largest school in the state had to get rid of FB to begin with. I know there was all kinds of Title IX stuff, budgets, etc - but I just can't wrap my head around it. It's gotta boil down to sheer incompetence.

They were required by Title IX to add a men's fall sport, so they chose men's soccer - which the travel cost alone is probably insane.

their AD and president didn't like football

[MrMustang]

It wasn't meant to be thought of that deeply - I wish UW-Superior still had football, but realistically it's unlikely to happen regardless of division. "We" was a tongue-and-cheek reference to us board members. I know there's no chance of it happening, but hypothetically - it would be kinda neat.

gotcha

[SW_Mustang]

their AD and president didn't like football

Yup. I believe Weems jumped to the NCHC, so I was hoping the new guy would bring it back, but alas... nuthin.

[NSU4LIFE]

Superior is in the UMAC. That's a huge jump up to the NSIC. They are years away from even being remotely ready in athletes and facilities. Their women just lost to North Central...

Scholastica was the closest thing to an athletic department in the UMAC and they jumped to the MIAC. I'd encourage some to check out that decisions results and then speak of any UMAC team going anywhere.

Idk if it's gotten better at all but it couldn't possibly have gotten any worse.

[MoSo2001]

Let Wayne, Northern, Mary, Minot sweet talk Chadron, Black Hills State, maybe Kearney and SD Mines to join up. Then add Dakota State and/or Jamestown if they like. Travel raises sure but there would be more parity I would think. More of a chance to succeed.

I’m struggling to understand why there are so many references in this thread to Dakota State when Dickinson State has won eight consecutive NSAA football championships. Y’all sure you’re discussing the right DSU?

[zimmy21]

I’m struggling to understand why there are so many references in this thread to Dakota State when Dickinson State has won eight consecutive NSAA football championships. Y’all sure you’re discussing the right DSU?

I'm sure for most it's the travel, but in my new conference scenario they'd be in the footprint, so more power to Dickinson State.They could easily be added to the new conference

[AU guy]

I’m struggling to understand why there are so many references in this thread to Dakota State when Dickinson State has won eight consecutive NSAA football championships. Y’all sure you’re discussing the right DSU?

Has Dickinson ever said they wanted to move up? I thought Dakota State was making the improvements to their facilities so they could move up? Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think winning the NSAA football championship is that impressive. That's great making the NAIA playoffs eight straight years but in all but one year they lost in the first round by an average of 23 points. None of these three teams are the answer right now.

[SW_Mustang]

Has Dickinson ever said they wanted to move up? I thought Dakota State was making the improvements to their facilities so they could move up? Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think winning the NSAA football championship is that impressive. That's great making the NAIA playoffs eight straight years but in all but one year they lost in the first round by an average of 23 points. None of these three teams are the answer right now.

I think DSU is just improving their facilities, I haven't heard/seen anything concrete about them wanting to move up. New facilities is a great step in that direction, but a bigger step would be improving the quality of play... which they have a long way to go.

[Stanger86]

I’m struggling to understand why there are so many references in this thread to Dakota State when Dickinson State has won eight consecutive NSAA football championships. Y’all sure you’re discussing the right DSU?

Geography. Dickinson to Winona is only 50 miles shorter than Minot to Fayette.

[Thunder]

With news of the MIAA entering the same situation as the NSIC one has to wonder if the MIAA will try to poach Wayne (or possibly another team on the southern front of the NSIC). I'd be curious to know how Wayne St fans feel in regards to Kearney, is there any sort of rivalry there or is it similar to NSU vs BHSU & SD Mines. No real games means no rivalry despite sharing state borders. I'd prefer to see Kearney join the NSIC rather than Wayne joining the MIAA but I can't help but think the numbers will end up working out somehow between the two conferences. I also have to believe the GLVC would like to add one more school to get back to 16.

[AU guy]

With news of the MIAA entering the same situation as the NSIC one has to wonder if the MIAA will try to poach Wayne (or possibly another team on the southern front of the NSIC). I'd be curious to know how Wayne St fans feel in regards to Kearney, is there any sort of rivalry there or is it similar to NSU vs BHSU & SD Mines. No real games means no rivalry despite sharing state borders. I'd prefer to see Kearney join the NSIC rather than Wayne joining the MIAA but I can't help but think the numbers will end up working out somehow between the two conferences. I also have to believe the GLVC would like to add one more school to get back to 16.

If Wayne joined the MIAA I wonder how that would affect their travel budget? I don't think driving to Edmund OK is any further than driving to Duluth. But you could eliminate driving to Bismarck and Minot. That would save some miles. Not that I want Wayne to leave but I think that would be a good option for them.

[Stanger86]

If Wayne joined the MIAA I wonder how that would affect their travel budget? I don't think driving to Edmund OK is any further than driving to Duluth. But you could eliminate driving to Bismarck and Minot. That would save some miles. Not that I want Wayne to leave but I think that would be a good option for them.

It feels like Wayne should be closer to MIAA country, but it's not.

Wayne would be replacing trips to Minot (615 miles), Bismarck (479 miles), Duluth (473), Bemidji (469) and Crookston (434) with trips to Tahlequah (543), Claremore (509), Edmond (501 miles), Jefferson City (449) and Joplin (441).

On the shorter end, Sioux Falls (116), Sioux Falls (116), Marshall (205), and Mankato (240) would be replaced with Kearney (178), Maryville (221), St. Joseph (240), Topeka (268).

[Brandon]

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