Should Jamestown be accepted into the NSIC?

[Dan Brookens]

Hate to say I agree with a Tinker about this, but I think for now you're right. Although a D2 Conference that is basically the old SDIC would be fun for the fans. Of course I've said the same thing about a D1 Conference that's basically the old NCC as well.

[Dan Brookens]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

[Stanger86]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

Not bad. I could see that happening.

[NSU4LIFE]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

Crookston would absolutely thrive and possibly dominate the UMAC, it'd be a great move for them.

[laker]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

This makes too much sense. Competition and travel wise- and UMC could restart football.

[zimmy21]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

Absolutely would be best, but then let's play devil's advocate. What does the league do with 15 football members? Scheduling just became harder. Back to a rock and a hard place. Unless Wayne leaves, or Mankato/Augie get moved around with the Division changes that are about to happen

[MrMustang]

When she leaves, how do I get that job? 20 years of little to no success whatsoever at that pay would get me damn close to retirement!

must be an amazing place to work. Don't have to do anything and get paid a nice 6 figures and no one gets mad at you

[MrMustang]

Thank you. Travel for those would probably be brutal. I wonder what the cost would be for their travel vs D-2 scholarships, although facility wise it doesn't appear those first 2 are D2 caliber. Mayville is not good. Football field is unique being surrounded by a cornfield.

I thought Dakota State could pull a D-2 move off, but not sure if you guys want them, or what their other options would be.

https://dsu.edu/news/2022/02/buildin...5m-raised.html

I don't think Dakota State has any real option at this point but to try and go D2.

[MrMustang]

The NCC cast-offs improved the NSIC. These schools will not.
I don't want to be that guy, but they bring nothing competitively. The NCC schools absolutely did as evidenced by the All-Sports standings since we've joined.

Yes they did an overall, the league is better for it.

Overall, I love playing Mankato and Augie and Duluth and even St Cloud as we have developed some good rivalries with them in many sports. My criticism is the "too good for the rest of you:" attitude by some of the fans. If true, then why stay D2 .

part of it is just the banter on here and I don't get offended by it, and part of it is the rivalries. --- The 3 NCC schools are going to just have som3 advantages in football that make it tough, partly their size of school or towns, but the other sports are pretty competitive.

[MrMustang]

Without the NCC schools the NSIC would be another GLVC. Wish NCC name would have been adopted by NSIC. Shorter more descriptive of region.

Here is an example - and there is some defense to it but the we are to good for some of you is a bit odd after a decade.

There was nothing stopping the 4 NCC schools that were left going and get 4 NSIC schools (or other schools) and recruiting them to the NCC.... but they didn't -- they begged to join the NSIC.

[MrMustang]

I hate that paywall ****...

If your brief description is what's being discussed, I can already see the comments in here about how that won't happen. At least with the Black Hills State and SD Mines crew, I know there's a few that lurk here.

It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world though!

it is another option out there that might have some merit, my guess is Mines and Black Hills like where they are, but maybe they would come this way. still need more schools unless say UMC joins them

[MrMustang]

Mac's Tip Sheet: Should ND, SD small colleges return to the days of the DAC?

Valley City State athletic director Dennis McCulloch wants to start discussion about Dakotas schools playing in same league again

Valley City State head football coach and athletic director Dennis McCulloch. Zachary Lucy Photography

By Mike McFeely
January 17, 2024 at 7:20 AM
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Mac's Tip Sheet is a compilation of notes, quotes, rumors, gossip and commentary by Forum columnist Mike McFeely. If you have a tip, a note or a hot rumor feel free to send it along to [email protected]. Not all will be printed because of, you know, legal reasons. But they might lead to something. All tip sources will remain anonymous.

The Dakota Athletic Conference was perfect, a marriage of the old North Dakota College Athletic Conference and the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference. A 10-school small-college league made up of members from North Dakota and South Dakota that included affordable travel, relatively short bus trips, long-time rivalries and similar institutions.

The NAIA league died in 2012, the victim of college athletics realignment before it became the monster it is today.

Some schools moved to NCAA Division II, while others stayed in NAIA.

Minot State and Mary joined the D2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines went to the D2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.



Those that stayed NAIA largely landed eventually in the North Star Athletic Association. Dickinson State, Jamestown, Valley City State, Mayville State and Dakota State were among the members.

Now things are changing again.

Jamestown eventually bolted for a different NAIA conference and will now transition to Division II. Dickinson State has said it will leave soon for the NAIA Frontier Conference based in Montana. Viterbo (Wis.) and Waldorf (Iowa) have found new conferences for 2024-2025.

So the North Star Athletic Association is dissolving after the 2024-25 school year. That leaves behind Valley City State, Dakota State, Mayville State and Bellevue (Neb.) University. All are looking for new homes. And there aren't many good options.

Losing athletic departments at schools like Valley City State and Mayville State could be fatal to the institutions themselves because of loss of enrollment, which is why they have to find a home and stay viable.

Valley City State athletic director and football coach Dennis McCulloch wants his fellow Dakotas school administrators to think outside the box for solutions.

Could we have a re-imagined Dakota Athletic Conference — perhaps as a wing of the NSIC or RMAC — that would benefit all the small colleges in North Dakota and South Dakota?

"I'm just trying to start the conversation," McCulloch said this week. "Is there feasibility in that happening? Could there be a discussion about all the schools in the Dakotas playing in the same conference again? I'm nostalgic enough to believe that the DAC was a good thing for everybody and that we could have that again.



"If there's no interest, if people say there's no way that's going to happen again, then I can say when it comes up, 'No, we've explored that and it's not going to happen. We have to look at other options.' But until we have that conversation, I'm going to believe something can happen."

Valley City State is currently exploring all its options, as reported recently by Eric Peterson in The Forum. That includes having a consultant study the feasibility of the Vikings moving to Division II. McCulloch said a Division III league showed interest. Remaining NAIA is a possibility.

Mayville State is having the same discussions. Division III and a spot in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference might be the best fit for the Comets.

McCulloch knows Valley City State is in a tough spot, especially with nearby rival, the University of Jamestown, moving to the NSIC. But he remembers the days of easy bus trips, regional recruiting and intense rivalries and wonders if there can't be a way to return to that.

"It's really to say: Could you re-imagine the NSIC being split east-west? Same thing with the RMAC. Is there a regional solution that emphasizes reduced travel budgets, cost-containment, playing like institutions with which you have something in common?" McCulloch said. "I don't know of many things that are going to replace the Jamestown-Valley City State football game. We get 3,000 fans at our place for that game. Minnesota Duluth is going to come to Jamestown, but are the fans going to be as interested? There weren't many other things like the Mary-Dickinson rivalry in football. I don't think anything has replaced that. I think we can have some of those things back again if we think outside the box."

Opinion: It's one thing for the power Division I conferences to blow up regional rivalries for TV money and even North Dakota State moving to FBS would be for television money or national exposure reasons, but why wouldn't small colleges from North Dakota and South Dakota be under the same umbrella playing each other? It makes no sense.

Yes, McCulloch is looking through the lens of an AD and football coach who is on an island. We get that. But isn't what he's saying sensible? We're not talking Division I here. We're not talking big money or national exposure here. We're talking small schools in a remote part of the country that are looking to contain costs. Shouldn't they all be playing one another, in the same league?

good for him for throwing it out there -- at least he is trying to keep the school open and viable. Better than dropping football like some schools that won't be mentioned.

[MrMustang]

Howdy! I do lurk around this thread. Gotta watch out for what the East River folk are doing lol

As for reviving the DAC, that’d be a hard no from Mines, and I’d guess BH as well. Both of our schools recruit heavy from Colorado and Arizona which is conducive when you’re in the RMAC. That pipeline would be much more difficult in a new DAC. We’ve found a rather stable home, and I doubt we’d leave. Some of the old timers would like it and lord knows I’d love to give some of the old DAC schools a whooping for what they did to us in our dark times (except Mayville and Dakota State, they’re cool). In the end, it would be an extremely dumb and short sighted decision for us to leave

i think this is what most fans think west river

[MrMustang]

If I had to put my parlay bet on what will eventually happen, it's that Dakota State ends up in the NSIC when another school moves out. They've been putting lots of improvements into the facilities there in preparation. The school that moves out? My money's on Crookston moving down to D3. As for the North Dakota schools? Mayville and Valley City end up along side Crookston n the UMAC and it works well for them all.

school size wise I think that is the right try for UMC, Mayville, and Valley -- exactly like it worked out for Morris -- it makes sense and travel ain't terrible.

I think it is as inevitable that Dakota State joins the NSIC as it was with Jamestown. Done deal way before it even starts to happen

[MrMustang]

I continue to be fascinated taht as the NSIC gets "watered down" Augie and Mankato aren't exploring D1 more. Augie went hard that way with Krabbenhoff, but it is as dead as ever from what I can see. And Mankato certainly has the school size and the town size to make it work yet they apparently aren't really even exploring it either.

There seems to be a real disconnect with the school administration and fans from what I read here. Everything I can tell, Mankato and Augie love D2 and the NSIC, .