North Central Conference

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North Central Conference
NCC
Data
Classification NCAA Division II
Established 1922-2008
Members 9
Sports fielded 18 (9 men’s, 9 women’s)
Region Midwestern United States
States 5 - Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota,
Nebraska, Washington
Headquarters Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Locations

The North Central Conference (also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the north central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II. It was announced on November 29, 2006 that the 2007-08 athletic season would be the final season for the NCC, and would no longer exist as of July 1, 2008.[1]

Contents

[edit] Member schools

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment
Augustana College Sioux Falls, South Dakota 1860 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 1,650
Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington 1891 Public 9,296
University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth, Minnesota 1947 Public 10,497
Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota 1868 Public 13,814
University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 1908 Public 14,093
University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 1883 Public 13,817
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, Minnesota 1869 Public 15,400
University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota 1862 Public 8,641
Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington 1893 Public 12,816

[edit] Teams

[edit] 2008 Plans

As of July 1, 2008, all NCC members have changed affiliation.

University of North Dakota announced in the summer of 2006 that they will reclassify their athletic programs to Division I. They will leave the North Central Conference after the 2007-08 academic year.

University of South Dakota announced on November 29, 2006, that they will reclassify their athletic programs to Division I. Like North Dakota, they will leave the North Central Conference after the 2007-08 academic year.[2]

Augustana College, University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University, Mankato and St. Cloud State University have been admitted to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as of July 1, 2008.[3]

University of Nebraska at Omaha will join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association as of July 1, 2008.[4]

The Central Washington University and Western Washington University football teams will be joining with Dixie State College of Utah, Humboldt State University, and Western Oregon University to reform the Great Northwest Athletic Conference football division.

[edit] Sports

The NCC sponsors baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.

Five of the seven members of the NCC sponsor Division I Ice Hockey. University of North Dakota, University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and St. Cloud State University are members of the WCHA. The University of Nebraska at Omaha competes in the CCHA.

[edit] Former members

The NCC was formed in 1922. Charter members of the NCC were South Dakota State University, College of St. Thomas, Des Moines, Creighton University, North Dakota State University, University of North Dakota, Morningside College, University of South Dakota, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

The University of Northern Iowa was a member of the NCC from 1934 until 1978. UNI currently competes in Division I-AA in the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference. In 2002 Morningside College left the NCC to join the NAIA. The University of Northern Colorado left the conference in 2003, followed in 2004 by North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University. These three schools are all transitioning their athletics programs from Division II to Division I; they became founding members of the Division I FCS Great West Football Conference, which started play in the fall of 2004. Since that time, Northern Colorado moved on to the Big Sky Conference in all sports in 2006. In the fall of 2006, North Dakota State and South Dakota State were admitted to The Summit League, while continuing to play football in the Great West; effective in 2007, they as well will move on to rejoin old conference mate Northern Iowa in the Gateway Football Conference.

[edit] Associate Members

Football - Western Washington University, Central Washington University

Women's Swimming and Diving - Colorado Mines, MSU-Moorhead, Metro State (CO)

Men's Swimming and Diving - Colorado Mines, Metro State (CO)

Men's Tennis - Winona State

[edit] Conference football stadiums

School Football Stadium Stadium capacity
Augustana Howard Wood Field 10,000
Central Washington Tomlinson Stadium 4,000
Minnesota, Duluth Griggs Field at James S. Malosky Stadium 4,000
Minnesota State Blakeslee Stadium 7,500
Nebraska-Omaha Al F. Caniglia Field 9,500
North Dakota Alerus Center 13,500
St. Cloud State Husky Stadium 4,198
South Dakota DakotaDome 10,000
Western Washington Civic Stadium 5,000

[edit] References

  1. ^ Thomas: NCC will fold in summer 2008. Forum Communications Co. (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  2. ^ USD to Move Athletic Programs to Division I. University of South Dakota (2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  3. ^ Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Expands to 14 Teams. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  4. ^ MIAA CEO Council ratifies decision to add Nebraska-Omaha. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.

[edit] External links

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