Should Jamestown be accepted into the NSIC?

[WSUWarriorFan]

Yes - though the U of M schools are branch campuses of the flagship, where as the state schools are (technically) separate institutions governed by the system office.

Minnesota makes it as hard as they can to understand what's going on lol

Wisconsin kept it simple for us all. University if Wisconsin-School Name. My freshman year it was beaten into us on how to write it properly.

[SW_Mustang]

Wisconsin kept it simple for us all. University if Wisconsin-School Name. My freshman year it was beaten into us on how to write it properly.

Yes. They did it right. No state system is a bit weird, but maybe simplicity is better.

A med student at UMD is actually a UMTC student, a business student at UMR is actually a UMD student - UMTC has two campuses across the river from one another - and the diplomas don't say which one anyone went too! Gotta love it haha.

[CollegeFBGuy]

Just like there is the "University of Minnesota" (Twin Cities) but also Duluth, Rochester, Morris and Crookston.

To me, that’s not the same comparison. The University of Minnesota is the flagship school with Duluth, Morris, and Crookston being affiliated spokes, but not the same as the U downtown.

Mankato and Moorhead are peers in the same system.

either way, it’s definitely more accepted to refer to Mankato as Minnesota State and the hockey explanation makes sense

[CollegeFBGuy]

Moorhead doesn't have a team, unfortunately - the only school in the NSIC without baseball.

MSU, AU, and SCSU are "the Big 3" and routinely place at the top (or near) the NSIC standings. The last team besides them to win the conference was Minot in 2018 - though Augustana won the National Championship that year. MSU came close in 2013 finishing second, and I can't find any easily digestible postseason data for SCSU - but they were ranked #1 nationally in 2016 for a bit.

The rest of the teams seem to be a merry-go-round of relevancy, not a ton of consistency there. Usually one or two will rise to the top and challenge the "Big Three" a bit - last year it was Wayne, 2023 it was Crookston, etc.

Concordia - St. Paul is notable for producing the Varland Brothers, Gus and Louis. MSU has had four MLBers, and I count nine for SCSU, one for Wayne, one for Bemidji. Handful of schools had guys that would transfer and then play in the majors as well.

Of note - University of Sioux Falls does not have any former major leaguers, but one of their former baseball players did spend 24 games with the Canton Crocodiles of the Frontier League in 1998 - hitting one home run. Last I heard he was coaching college football down south somewhere...

Also - current Chicago Cubs pitcher Caleb Thielbar is an assistant coach at Augustana.

That's about all I can tell you lol

This is a fantastic rundown, thanks for taking the time to lay it out like this.

[CollegeFBGuy]

Yes. They did it right. No state system is a bit weird, but maybe simplicity is better.

A med student at UMD is actually a UMTC student, a business student at UMR is actually a UMD student - UMTC has two campuses across the river from one another - and the diplomas don't say which one anyone went too! Gotta love it haha.

And I believe I’ve said it before, but there are people paying a ton of money to be stuck in school at Morris and Crookston. At least Duluth feels like a bigger deal with D1 hockey, super good other sports, a nice size student body, and a cool place to be for 4 years.

[SW_Mustang]

This is a fantastic rundown, thanks for taking the time to lay it out like this.

I'd follow it more - but it's tough to get to games and I prefer sports I can watch in person (weather). They're fun when I do make it out though - think I saw five last year which is a new season high - though two of those were a double header and one was against a D1 team.

Mankato had all-time college great Fritz Polka too. I believe he was a second round draft pick of the Mets.

[SW_Mustang]

And I believe I’ve said it before, but there are people paying a ton of money to be stuck in school at Morris and Crookston. At least Duluth feels like a bigger deal with D1 hockey, super good other sports, a nice size student body, and a cool place to be for 4 years.

Yeah. Morris at least has the benefit of being a "top rated public LAC" - which is a bit of a strange category, but they do have good academics regardless. The town doesn't pass my Walmart test though.

Crookston is just a strange one. Weird location, weird academic profile, probably should have stayed a 2 year and the extra funds be reinvested into Rochester or something.

[SW_Mustang]

Should also be noted that Ron Gardenhire is an honorary SMSU Mustang - at least in my book. Always love reading the stories of people running into him in Marshall - though I never did.

[CollegeFBGuy]

Yeah. Morris at least has the benefit of being a "top rated public LAC" - which is a bit of a strange category, but they do have good academics regardless. The town doesn't pass my Walmart test though.

Crookston is just a strange one. Weird location, weird academic profile, probably should have stayed a 2 year and the extra funds be reinvested into Rochester or something.

Morris is lucky to have a strong company base, with one corporation that has 2 companies, Superior Industries and Westmor Industries. This same group needed a decent hotel and a nice place to entertain, so they built both! Grand Stay Hotel and Prime Steakhouse are neighbors. Prime is supposed to be fantastic, but I haven’t been there yet.

[SW_Mustang]

Morris is lucky to have a strong company base, with one corporation that has 2 companies, Superior Industries and Westmor Industries. This same group needed a decent hotel and a nice place to entertain, so they built both! Grand Stay Hotel and Prime Steakhouse are neighbors. Prime is supposed to be fantastic, but I haven’t been there yet.

I've been there once - it was while I was at SMSU and I attended a speaking event, except it was last minute and on a dark and rainy evening, so I didn't get much of a chance to see the campus. I'd like to go back there some day.

It's history as a residential school is of interest to me personally - I've been to Minnesota West in Pipestone for the same reason. Pretty interesting stuff.

[laker]

Yeah. Morris at least has the benefit of being a "top rated public LAC" - which is a bit of a strange category, but they do have good academics regardless. The town doesn't pass my Walmart test though.

Crookston is just a strange one. Weird location, weird academic profile, probably should have stayed a 2 year and the extra funds be reinvested into Rochester or something.

UMC should have stayed a two year school, but they are lucky that they didn't get turned into a prison like UMW. There was no need for a JC in Waseca being between Mankato and Rochester.

[CollegeFBGuy]

I've been there once - it was while I was at SMSU and I attended a speaking event, except it was last minute and on a dark and rainy evening, so I didn't get much of a chance to see the campus. I'd like to go back there some day.

Its history as a residential school is of interest to me personally - I've been to Minnesota West in Pipestone for the same reason. Pretty interesting stuff.

Their FB stadium looks decent. The gym area is filled with lots of trophies, pictures, and other memorabilia. Sk
e of it is recent, but a lot is pretty old. It’s interesting to look at and picture it as a pretty big deal, in certain sports, back in the day

[SW_Mustang]

UMC should have stayed a two year school, but they are lucky that they didn't get turned into a prison like UMW. There was no need for a JC in Waseca being between Mankato and Rochester.

Yeah - UMW was weird. The U still operates in Waseca and they also house the UMW alumni association, but the U should have left Waseca as a research outpost instead of trying to make it into a school.

[SW_Mustang]

Their FB stadium looks decent. The gym area is filled with lots of trophies, pictures, and other memorabilia. Sk
e of it is recent, but a lot is pretty old. It’s interesting to look at and picture it as a pretty big deal, in certain sports, back in the day

I always thought the football stadium was nice for what it was - obviously tiny, but for what Morris can reasonably draw I think it's kinda cool. They won a couple of NIC titles back in the 1980s, but not too sure about their other accomplishments.

[MrMustang]

Come on now, everyone knows Boss' Pizza and Chicken is the best in the NSIC!

When we were out in NYC/New Jersey a couple of weeks ago, now that was some good pizza, even at the airport. The wife said we were getting some Pizza Hut take out tonight, and while I like it, everything pales in comparison, now.... Unless I can get up to Bemidji and have some Dave's Pizza.

Dave's is awesome