Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference - History

History

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference was founded in 1932 as the Northern Teachers Athletic Conference. Charter members included Bemidji State Teachers College (Bemidji State University), Duluth State Teachers College (University of Minnesota Duluth), Mankato State Teachers College (Minnesota State University, Mankato), Moorhead State Teachers College (Minnesota State University Moorhead), St. Cloud State Teachers College (St. Cloud State University) and Winona State Teachers College (Winona State University). In 1942 the conference name was changed to the State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota. The conference switched its name to the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) in 1962. In the spring of 1992 the NSIC was formed out of the merger of the NIC, the men's conference, and the women's Northern Sun Conference (NSC). The NSC had existed since 1979.

In the 1998-99 academic year, the NSIC became an expanded eight-team league from a previous seven-member conference by adding Wayne State College, and in 1999-2000 became a 10-member conference by adding Concordia University, St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Crookston. The conference existed as an eight-member league from 2004-05 until 2005-06 with the departure of the University of Minnesota Duluth to the now defunct North Central Conference, and the University of Minnesota Morris to NCAA Division III.

In 2007 the NSIC Board of Directors voted to expand the conference to 14 schools. League presidents voted to accept into membership Augustana College, St. Cloud State University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and Minnesota State University, Mankato. These four schools were members of the North Central Conference which disbanded after the 2007-2008 academic year. They became official members of the NSIC on July 1, 2008.

On January 20, 2010 the NSIC Board of Directors voted to expand the conference again, this time to 16 members. The league accepted into membership the University of Sioux Falls and Minot State University. Both schools are moving from the NAIA, with USF leaving the Great Plains Athletic Conference, and Minot State leaving the Dakota Athletic Conference. The two schools will become active members in the 2012-13 academic year.

The NSIC and its member institutions have been members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Mankato State won wrestling national titles in 1958 and 1959, while Moorhead State won a wrestling national title in 1964. 41 wrestlers have claimed individual national titles in wrestling Nine individuals have won national titles in Men's Swimming and Diving. Northern State claimed national titles in women's basketball in 1992 and 1994. Seven individuals have won individual titles in men's indoor track and field. Four individuals have won national titles in women's indoor track and field. 11 athletes have won national titles in men's outdoor track and field. Six female athletes have won individual titles in outdoor track and field. Winona State won two team titles in women's gymnastics. In 1992, the NSIC entered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In the Fall of 1995, the NSIC and its member institutions became eligible for championship competition in the NCAA Division II ranks. The Northern Sun earned its first Division II national championship in a team sport sponsored by the conference when Winona State won the men's basketball championship in 2005-06.

Since becoming affiliated with NCAA Division II, NSIC members have won eleven team national championships and has also crowned 38 individual national champions.

The highest-ranking team in the NSIC in football that does not make the playoffs plays in the Mineral Water Bowl, against the highest-ranking team from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association that does not make the playoffs.