Should Jamestown be accepted into the NSIC?

[zimmy21]

A larger percentage of the AD's are about ease of scheduling..and they have the stroke here, you realize..as finding non-con this last time around likely left them with a bad taste in their mouth because they were having to schedule non-con in weeks during when other conferences are playing in-conference foes already..which made the process more of a pain. The coaches really enjoy non-con as they get a chance to see new places/opponents and measure up against other conferences and so forth. Fans prefer seeing new teams on the slate also..but I get every impression that falls to the side when it comes down to decisions being made for scheduling overall. For me personally, this would be the biggest downfall of adding another team..just so we could try and go back to same old silo thinking = going in reverse.

The model that I mentioned earlier would allow 9 or 10 games within the conference for a squad..and allow for 1 or 2 non-con. I think that's kinda the best of both worlds..it's not leaving 3 or 4 dates to fill for non-con like some conferences, but would allow for 1 date (minimum) and if it's Week 1..then it's not hard....lots of dance partners to choose from.

While you and I are of the same opinion that a non silo schedule can be done. It doesn't mean the conference won't go back to silo.
We had 14 teams for 2 years before UIU left, and we were in Silo. Simply because it's easier for the AD's to schedule.
The NSIC just didn't want to change the schedule so close to the season. Otherwise you bet we would have had a rework and a silo schedule made.

[zimmy21]

I guess Bemidji can pickup Jamestown for that open week next year!!

They'll opt out

[NSU4LIFE]

Far too many people calling North and South Dakota "Dakota"...like nails on a chalkboard.

[wscsuperfan]

Fargo-Moorhead Forum columnist Mike McFeely wrote a piece appearing to favor the addition of Jamestown:
The university fits the NSIC's geographic footprint, as they say, and already has better facilities than some in the league. The league is already a mix of public and private schools, so Jamestown's private status isn't an issue. Yes, the Jimmies football program struggles in NAIA, but the school has the donor base to make a serious effort at improving.

Adding the Jimmies would grow the NSIC to 16 teams again, after Upper Iowa left for another league. Even numbers are good in college conferences. Divisions, travel partners, etc.

There's no compelling reason to keep out the Jimmies.

Jamestown needs two-thirds of the NSIC schools to agree. That's 10 of 15.

The entirety of the article:

NSIC will visit University of Jamestown this week, with invite hopefully to follow
by Mike McFeely

MOORHEAD - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference will visit the University of Jamestown this week, with the school hoping to impress enough to get an invitation.

If all goes well, the North Dakota school could know by Thanksgiving whether it'll be on its way to NCAA Division II.

It's a big week.

"It's going to be everything you think it could be," Jamestown athletic director Austin Hieb said Tuesday. "They'll meet with coaches, administrators, student-athletes, weight-training staff. They'll look at the campus and facilities, of course. They'll be checking out everything."

An NSIC contingent including presidents, chancellors, athletic directors, conference staff, senior women's administrators and faculty athletics representatives will be on-site Wednesday and Thursday.

Jamestown in August applied to the NSIC, a 15-team Division II league spread across four states, hoping to move up from the lower National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The private school has about 1,300 students.

The Jimmies are currently members of the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference, the only North Dakota school in the league. The GPAC's other members are in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.

The conference, in an apparent pique of poltroonery, booted Jamestown from its hallowed ranks earlier this month. The league's presidents voted to banish the Jimmies after this school year, thn issued a statement that said nothing of substance.

"The University of Jamestown has been a good member of the GPAC since they joined the league in 2018, blah, blah, blah," the statement read, starting with a smile before sticking the dagger.

Jamestown's crime was pursuing NSIC membership. The Jimmies bosses looked around and saw Minnesota State University Moorhead, Minot State, Mary and Northern State and said, "These would be better bus trips than Morningside, Dordt and Doane."

The earliest Jamestown can begin competition in the NSIC is the fall of 2025, so the Jimmies still need a home and opponents for 2024-25. The GPAC, which recently added Waldorf College in Iowa, said take a hike.

Weak.

That will be worked out in time, perhaps with help from the NSIC if the league decides the Jimmies are worthy.

And while the league's decision is still up in the air -- Hieb won't even venture a guess on how NSIC presidents and athletic directors feel about Jamestown -- here's hoping the Jimmies are extended an invitation.

The university fits the NSIC's geographic footprint, as they say, and already has better facilities than some in the league. The league is already a mix of public and private schools, so Jamestown's private status isn't an issue. Yes, the Jimmies football program struggles in the NAIA, but the school has the donor base to make a serious effort at improving.

Adding the Jimmies would grow the NSIC to 16 teams again, after Upper Iowa left for another league. Even numbers are good in college conferences. Divisions, travel partners, etc.

There's no compelling reason to keep out the Jimmies.

Jamestown needs two-thirds of the NSIC schools to agree. That's 10 of 15.

The sales pitch hits the high note this week.

[wscsuperfan]

Another piece

https://www.newsdakota.com/2023/10/2...mestown-today/

Division II NSIC Conference Visiting University of Jamestown Today
by Jayden Taylor, NewsDakota.com

The University of Jamestown has a date today. It is with loads of important people at the NSIC, and UJ will look to impress them by showing them everything they have to offer. The NSIC leaders will meet with different coaches and athletes, and get a tour of the athletic facilities and campus as well.

UJ's Athletic Director Austin Hieb said about the NSIC visiting today, "We are really excited about this visit. We love getting a chance to show off the community and it is another good opportunity to show off the University as well. We are hoping great things come from it." Today not much is going on besides a dinner this evening between the two sides but tomorrow is the day the NSIC will get the tour.

If all goes just to plan, the University of Jamestown could be joining the NCAA Division II conference by as early as Thanksgiving. For the University of Jamestown, they will need two-thirds of the votes from the schools within the conference to be accepted. I am not a math wizard but that is 10 votes out of the 15 possible they need.

That would be splendid to see for Jimmies fans, not only to move up from NAIA but also because at the moment the University of Jamestown doesn't have a conference it belongs to next season. The GPAC decided to divorce UJ after this 2023-24 season back on October 11th, about 51 days from the original announcement that the Jimmies would be applying to join the NSIC. The earliest UJ could join the NSIC is in the fall of 2025. That is something that will have to be addressed but the Jimmies will look to cross that bridge at some point, maybe even getting some help from the NSIC if accepted.

If the Jimmies were to be accepted they would not be left as the only North Dakota school in the conference like they were in the GPAC.The University of Mary in Bismarck and Minot State are both part of the NSIC and that speaks to one of the motivators for applying to the NSIC and that's less travel time overall for road games. UJ would also be helping the NSIC even out the conference as they have an odd number of teams right now at 15.

We will have to wait and see how the cookie crumbles, but right now things are still tasting sweet for the University of Jamestown.

[IceBoxDragon]

Far too many people calling North and South Dakota "Dakota"...like nails on a chalkboard.

If you're not a fan of a "Dakota" division we could go with what the Big Ten did, Leaders and Legends. /s

[NSU4LIFE]

If you're not a fan of a "Dakota" division we could go with what the Big Ten did, Leaders and Legends. /s

It's just a personal thing of "Dakota" as if it's still a territory. My in-laws did it for awhile when I first met them and it made me question being involved with such a family. Haha

[Matt Witwicki]

The entirety of the article:

NSIC will visit University of Jamestown this week, with invite hopefully to follow
by Mike McFeely

MOORHEAD - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference will visit the University of Jamestown this week, with the school hoping to impress enough to get an invitation.

If all goes well, the North Dakota school could know by Thanksgiving whether it'll be on its way to NCAA Division II.

It's a big week.

"It's going to be everything you think it could be," Jamestown athletic director Austin Hieb said Tuesday. "They'll meet with coaches, administrators, student-athletes, weight-training staff. They'll look at the campus and facilities, of course. They'll be checking out everything."

An NSIC contingent including presidents, chancellors, athletic directors, conference staff, senior women's administrators and faculty athletics representatives will be on-site Wednesday and Thursday.

Jamestown in August applied to the NSIC, a 15-team Division II league spread across four states, hoping to move up from the lower National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The private school has about 1,300 students.

The Jimmies are currently members of the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference, the only North Dakota school in the league. The GPAC's other members are in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.

The conference, in an apparent pique of poltroonery, booted Jamestown from its hallowed ranks earlier this month. The league's presidents voted to banish the Jimmies after this school year, thn issued a statement that said nothing of substance.

"The University of Jamestown has been a good member of the GPAC since they joined the league in 2018, blah, blah, blah," the statement read, starting with a smile before sticking the dagger.

Jamestown's crime was pursuing NSIC membership. The Jimmies bosses looked around and saw Minnesota State University Moorhead, Minot State, Mary and Northern State and said, "These would be better bus trips than Morningside, Dordt and Doane."

The earliest Jamestown can begin competition in the NSIC is the fall of 2025, so the Jimmies still need a home and opponents for 2024-25. The GPAC, which recently added Waldorf College in Iowa, said take a hike.

Weak.

That will be worked out in time, perhaps with help from the NSIC if the league decides the Jimmies are worthy.

And while the league's decision is still up in the air -- Hieb won't even venture a guess on how NSIC presidents and athletic directors feel about Jamestown -- here's hoping the Jimmies are extended an invitation.

The university fits the NSIC's geographic footprint, as they say, and already has better facilities than some in the league. The league is already a mix of public and private schools, so Jamestown's private status isn't an issue. Yes, the Jimmies football program struggles in the NAIA, but the school has the donor base to make a serious effort at improving.

Adding the Jimmies would grow the NSIC to 16 teams again, after Upper Iowa left for another league. Even numbers are good in college conferences. Divisions, travel partners, etc.

There's no compelling reason to keep out the Jimmies.

Jamestown needs two-thirds of the NSIC schools to agree. That's 10 of 15.

The sales pitch hits the high note this week.

First off..thanks for posting this.

Second..this is really really written from a North Dakota POV. To suggest there's no compelling reason to keep them out..haha..there's plenty of the league that isn't thrilled about making another ND trip..it's just the truth..and UJ is an ok addition, but it's not like they bring something to the league other than filling-in a membership spot.

....so what if the NSIC rushes this decision and bring in UJ and then Wayne (who wouldn't be thrilled about another ND trip) decides they wanna play further South and joins the MIAA, who's actively wanting expansion..and wants them....then what..? Eh..

I say wait and see on this..as Jamestown needs this a lot more than the NSIC needs to rush a decision.

[Purple Mav Man]

First off..thanks for posting this.

Second..this is really really written from a North Dakota POV. To suggest there's no compelling reason to keep them out..haha..there's plenty of the league that isn't thrilled about making another ND trip..it's just the truth..and UJ is an ok addition, but it's not like they bring something to the league other than filling-in a membership spot.

....so what if the NSIC rushes this decision and bring in UJ and then Wayne (who wouldn't be thrilled about another ND trip) decides they wanna play further South and joins the MIAA, who's actively wanting expansion..and wants them....then what..? Eh..

I say wait and see on this..as Jamestown needs this a lot more than the NSIC needs to rush a decision.

I couldn’t agree with this any more. And why I have been wanting the brakes pumped on this UJ deal. They add nothing but an even number and then piss off others (potentially Wayne as you alluded to). Why hurry?

[Thunder]

First off..thanks for posting this.

Second..this is really really written from a North Dakota POV. To suggest there's no compelling reason to keep them out..haha..there's plenty of the league that isn't thrilled about making another ND trip..it's just the truth..and UJ is an ok addition, but it's not like they bring something to the league other than filling-in a membership spot.

....so what if the NSIC rushes this decision and bring in UJ and then Wayne (who wouldn't be thrilled about another ND trip) decides they wanna play further South and joins the MIAA, who's actively wanting expansion..and wants them....then what..? Eh..

I say wait and see on this..as Jamestown needs this a lot more than the NSIC needs to rush a decision.

Let me play Devil's Advocate for a second. Does the NSIC really have a fear of anyone leaving?

1. Wayne to the MIAA - Sure they have some connections there and traveling South may be preferable to traveling North at times. But the trips to Oklahoma are further than the trip to Jamestown.

2. Winona to the GLVC - Does anyone really think they want to leave the rest of the MN schools for a less competitive conference?

3. Mankato to D1 - Many alum seem to desire this, but has there been any indication they are actively looking to move up? Would the Summit and MVFC accept them? I don't see them joining the Pioneer League. Could they join the OVC?

4. Augie to D1 - While this was the initial threat, it appears the D1 aspirations are now reserved for hockey after the Summit stiffed the Vikings.

Is Jamestown perfect, no, far from it. But as we have discussed they are the best available option. If the NSIC feels they can be a solid member, they are probably better adding a team than waiting for the conference to continue shrinking.

(With all this being said, I'm still not 100% sold on adding Jamestown myself but I've resigned myself to the realization that it is probably happening.)

[Matt Witwicki]

Let me play Devil's Advocate for a second. Does the NSIC really have a fear of anyone leaving?

1. Wayne to the MIAA - Sure they have some connections there and traveling South may be preferable to traveling North at times. But the trips to Oklahoma are further than the trip to Jamestown.

2. Winona to the GLVC - Does anyone really think they want to leave the rest of the MN schools for a less competitive conference?

3. Mankato to D1 - Many alum seem to desire this, but has there been any indication they are actively looking to move up? Would the Summit and MVFC accept them? I don't see them joining the Pioneer League. Could they join the OVC?

4. Augie to D1 - While this was the initial threat, it appears the D1 aspirations are now reserved for hockey after the Summit stiffed the Vikings.

Is Jamestown perfect, no, far from it. But as we have discussed they are the best available option. If the NSIC feels they can be a solid member, they are probably better adding a team then waiting for the conference to continue shrinking.

(With all this being said, I'm still not 100% sold on adding Jamestown myself but I've resigned myself to the realization that it is probably happening.)

1-Yes, real fear with the MIAA openly wanting to expand.
2-This feels far fetched to me..maybe I'm missing something
3-No..I think this is more talk here than in reality
4-Ever since Kelby K left the table, this feels like it's a dead issue until/unless the Summit comes knocking..doesn't feel likely

[4THEPAW]

I really wonder if there's real legs to the WSC to the MIAA rumor mill. I guess only time will tell, but football would need another pump of funding to compete in the MIAA. WSC has made great strides getting scholarships up and new uniforms and what not, but competing in the MIAA is another beast in itself.

[wscsuperfan]

I really wonder if there's real legs to the WSC to the MIAA rumor mill. I guess only time will tell, but football would need another pump of funding to compete in the MIAA. WSC has made great strides getting scholarships up and new uniforms and what not, but competing in the MIAA is another beast in itself.

I agree with this as well. WSC competes well in the NSIC.......I'm not sure they'd ever get the funding necessary to be consistently competitive in the MIAA.

[vikingfaithful]

I really wonder if there's real legs to the WSC to the MIAA rumor mill. I guess only time will tell, but football would need another pump of funding to compete in the MIAA. WSC has made great strides getting scholarships up and new uniforms and what not, but competing in the MIAA is another beast in itself.

God I hate that WSC logo or avatar. We have two housecats and it reminds me of our overly affectionate purring cat Milo. Just use the classic paw print.

[4THEPAW]

God I hate that WSC logo or avatar. We have two housecats and it reminds me of our overly affectionate purring cat Milo. Just use the classic paw print.

If i know it gets under an Augie fans skin than i think i will keep it!! ;)