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http://www.yankton.net/stories/08140...40814001.shtml
The NCC Sure Won't Be The Same This Year
BY HOD NIELSEN
sports@yankton.net
No, it won't be the same -- that old North Central Conference.
The boss man, commissioner Mike Marcil, has decided to switch to another league, this one near his old home in Florida, where he lived before taking over the North Central reins from Noel Olson a few years ago and did a fine job. His reason? I have no argument with Mike, who became a valued friend of mine -- one for who I have a great deal of respect.
His leaving at this time, however, comes at a time when the North Central Conference is unsettled . It's not in a panic, to be sure, but it's rattled more than a little because two of the charter members, the Bison of North Dakota State and the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, are not on the league schedules as the football season nears kickoff. For the first time in more than 75 years, these two regular contenders for honors in the NCC -- the athletic family that they helped to success -- are not members.
They have left their long-time cohorts for greener pastures, smelling the pot of gold that the major colleges in the NCAA Division I, possess, hoping to get a chunk of it if (there is an "if"
they can compete in those lofty places.
SDSU and NDSU aren't the first NCC members to change. The University of Northern Iowa, for example, was a member of the NCC back in the days when it was the Iowa State Teachers College, and it has successfully moved up the ladder. Nebraka-Omaha and Minnesota State-Mankato have moved out and then returned, and Northern Colorado has moved on to D-I. Also, Morningside decided, for budgetary reasons, to move to the GPAC, an excellent NAIA entity. And there were others in the distant past.
There are those who think that the two defectors have made a mistake -- that they are dreaming when they think that they can compete successfully in that exalted class of competition, D-I. That may be true, but there are also those who praise the effort -- the "nothing ventured, nothing gained" element of our society."
The decision of the two new dropouts won't be a killing blow to the NCC, even if they in effect, say, "We're better than you are." They made that statement in spite of the fact their overall programs, although competitive, were certainly not dominant in the overall North Central schedules -- or in the NCAA Division II regional and national tournaments. They did have representative teams and even a few national titles -- but most of the time they were just "one of the boys" or "girls." Their programs will have to be substantially improved.
The seven fine schools who now make up the North Central Conference, while they will miss the now-defunct traditional contests (in all sports) are busy getting ready to roll in another exciting, competitive season.
The six who remain have been joined by another fine school, one who is no stranger to NCC schools, the Minnesota State-Duluth Bulldogs out of the Northern Sun Conference. The other six -- the University of South Dakota, University of North Dakota, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Augustana College, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota State-Mankato -- won't miss a beat. Again, every game will be hotly contested and every foe respected. It's a great family.
The NCC interim commissioner, Melanie Nelson, another long-time friend, and her associate commissioner Jon J. Martin, and their office -- as they have in the past -- will keep an eye and an ear open for another new member so they can have a more workable eight-team conference. But that eventuality is not in the foreseeable future.
Oh, I nearly forgot. Us poor kids who are left in D-II wish our bigger brothers who are leaving home all the best. Don't forget us.
http://www.yankton.net/stories/08140...40814001.shtml
The NCC Sure Won't Be The Same This Year
BY HOD NIELSEN
sports@yankton.net
No, it won't be the same -- that old North Central Conference.
The boss man, commissioner Mike Marcil, has decided to switch to another league, this one near his old home in Florida, where he lived before taking over the North Central reins from Noel Olson a few years ago and did a fine job. His reason? I have no argument with Mike, who became a valued friend of mine -- one for who I have a great deal of respect.
His leaving at this time, however, comes at a time when the North Central Conference is unsettled . It's not in a panic, to be sure, but it's rattled more than a little because two of the charter members, the Bison of North Dakota State and the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, are not on the league schedules as the football season nears kickoff. For the first time in more than 75 years, these two regular contenders for honors in the NCC -- the athletic family that they helped to success -- are not members.
They have left their long-time cohorts for greener pastures, smelling the pot of gold that the major colleges in the NCAA Division I, possess, hoping to get a chunk of it if (there is an "if"
they can compete in those lofty places.SDSU and NDSU aren't the first NCC members to change. The University of Northern Iowa, for example, was a member of the NCC back in the days when it was the Iowa State Teachers College, and it has successfully moved up the ladder. Nebraka-Omaha and Minnesota State-Mankato have moved out and then returned, and Northern Colorado has moved on to D-I. Also, Morningside decided, for budgetary reasons, to move to the GPAC, an excellent NAIA entity. And there were others in the distant past.
There are those who think that the two defectors have made a mistake -- that they are dreaming when they think that they can compete successfully in that exalted class of competition, D-I. That may be true, but there are also those who praise the effort -- the "nothing ventured, nothing gained" element of our society."
The decision of the two new dropouts won't be a killing blow to the NCC, even if they in effect, say, "We're better than you are." They made that statement in spite of the fact their overall programs, although competitive, were certainly not dominant in the overall North Central schedules -- or in the NCAA Division II regional and national tournaments. They did have representative teams and even a few national titles -- but most of the time they were just "one of the boys" or "girls." Their programs will have to be substantially improved.
The seven fine schools who now make up the North Central Conference, while they will miss the now-defunct traditional contests (in all sports) are busy getting ready to roll in another exciting, competitive season.
The six who remain have been joined by another fine school, one who is no stranger to NCC schools, the Minnesota State-Duluth Bulldogs out of the Northern Sun Conference. The other six -- the University of South Dakota, University of North Dakota, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Augustana College, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota State-Mankato -- won't miss a beat. Again, every game will be hotly contested and every foe respected. It's a great family.
The NCC interim commissioner, Melanie Nelson, another long-time friend, and her associate commissioner Jon J. Martin, and their office -- as they have in the past -- will keep an eye and an ear open for another new member so they can have a more workable eight-team conference. But that eventuality is not in the foreseeable future.
Oh, I nearly forgot. Us poor kids who are left in D-II wish our bigger brothers who are leaving home all the best. Don't forget us.
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