North Star Athletic Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
North Star Athletic Association
AssociationNAIA
Founded2013
CommissionerRoger Ternes
Sports fielded
  • 18
    • men's: 9
    • women's: 9
No. of teams7 (6 in 2024-25)
HeadquartersJamestown, North Dakota
Region
Official websitewww.playnorthstar.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that began play in the 2013–14 school year.[1] The conference currently has seven full member institutions in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. On December 28, 2023, the conference announced it will disband following the 2024–25 school year.[2]

History[edit]

North Star Athletic Association
200km
125miles
Dickinson State
Viterbo
Waldorf
Bellevue
Dakota State
Mayville State
Valley City State
.
Jamestown
Map
Location of NSAA members:
current, departing before 2025, future

Chronological timeline[edit]

  • 2013 – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) was founded. Charter members included Dakota State University, the University of Jamestown, Mayville State University, Presentation College and Valley City State University, beginning the 2013–14 academic year.
  • 2014 – Dickinson State University joined the NSAA in the 2014–15 academic year.
  • 2014 – Waldorf University joined the NSAA as an affiliate member for football in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
  • 2015 – Bellevue University and Viterbo University joined the NSAA (along with Waldorf upgrading to join for all sports) in the 2015–16 academic year.
  • 2015 – The University of Winnipeg joined the NSAA as an affiliate member for baseball in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
  • 2017 – Winnipeg left the NSAA as an affiliate member for baseball as the school dropped the sport after the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year).
  • 2018 – Jamestown left the NSAA to join the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) after the 2017–18 academic year.
  • 2021 – Iowa Wesleyan University joined the NSAA as an affiliate member for football, men's track and field, and women's track and field in the 2021–22 academic year.
  • 2023 – Presentation (S.D.) left the NSAA as the school closed after the 2022–23 academic year.[3]
  • 2023 – Iowa Wesleyan left the NSAA as an affiliate member as the school closed after the 2022–23 academic year.[4]
  • 2023 – Waldorf announced they will leave the NSAA at the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year to join the GPAC.[5]
  • 2023 – Viterbo announced they will leave the NSAA at the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year to join the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC).[6]
  • 2024 – The NSAA announced Jamestown will rejoin the conference beginning in the 2024-25 season.[7]
  • 2025 – The NSAA will disband following the conclusion of the 2024-25 athletic season.[2] Jamestown will transition to NCAA Division II and join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, while Dickinson State will re-join its former home of the Frontier Conference.[8][9] The remaining members (Bellevue, Dakota State, Mayville State, and Valley City State) have not yet announced any plans to join a new conference following the NSAA's dissolution.

Member schools[edit]

Current members[edit]

The NSAA currently has seven full members, three of which are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Colors
Bellevue University Bellevue, Nebraska 1966 Nonsectarian 8,300 Bruins 2015    
Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota 1881 Public 3,307 Trojans 2013      
Dickinson State University[b] Dickinson, North Dakota 1918 Public 1,800 Blue Hawks 2014    
Mayville State University Mayville, North Dakota 1889 Public 1,130 Comets 2013    
Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota 1890 Public 1,623 Vikings 2013    
Viterbo University[c] La Crosse, Wisconsin 1923 Catholic
(Franciscan)
3,088 V-Hawks 2015    
Waldorf University[d] Forest City, Iowa 1903 For-profit[e] 720 Warriors 2015[f]    
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Dickinson State will join the Frontier Conference after the 2024-25 academic year.[9]
  3. ^ Viterbo will leave for the CCAC after the 2023-24 academic year.[6]
  4. ^ Waldorf will leave for the GPAC after the 2023-24 academic year.[5]
  5. ^ Formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until 2010.
  6. ^ Waldorf competed in the NSAA as an affiliate member for football only during the 2014-15 academic year; before becoming a full member, effective in the 2015–16 academic year.

Future member[edit]

The NSAA currently has one future member, which is also a private school:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Current
conference
University of Jamestown[7][b] Jamestown, North Dakota 1883 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
1,300 Jimmies 2013;
2024
Great Plains (GPAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Jamestown was previously a member of the NSAA from 2013–18.

Former members[edit]

The NSAA had two former full members, both of which were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
Presentation College Aberdeen, South Dakota 1922 Catholic
(P.B.V.M.)
Saints 2013 2023 Closed in 2023
University of Jamestown[c] Jamestown, North Dakota 1883 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
Jimmies 2013 2018 Great Plains (GPAC)
(2018–2024)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
  3. ^ Jamestown will be returning to the NSAA for the 2024–25 academic year only.

Former affiliate members[edit]

The NSAA had three former affiliate members, one was a public school and the other two were private:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] NSAA
sport
Current
primary
conference
Conference
in former
NSAA sport
Iowa Wesleyan University[4] Mount Pleasant, Iowa 1842 United Methodist Tigers 2021 2023 football,
men's track & field,
women's track & field
Closed in 2023
University of Winnipeg[10] Winnipeg, Manitoba 1871 Public Wesmen 2015 2017 baseball Canada West
(U Sports)
dropped program
Waldorf University Forest City, Iowa 1903 For-profit Warriors 2014 2015[c] football North Star (NSAA)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
  3. ^ Waldorf became a full member of the NSAA in 2015-16.

Membership timeline[edit]

Iowa Wesleyan UniversityUniversity of WinnipegChicagoland Collegiate Athletic ConferenceViterbo UniversityBellevue UniversityGreat Plains Athletic ConferenceWaldorf UniversityFrontier ConferenceDickinson State UniversityValley City State UniversityPresentation College, South DakotaMayville State UniversityNorthern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceGreat Plains Athletic ConferenceUniversity of JamestownDakota State University

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (other) 

Conference sports[edit]

The North Star Athletic Association currently fields 18 sports (9 men's and 9 women's):

Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball Green tickY
Basketball Green tickY Green tickY
Cross Country Green tickY Green tickY
Football Green tickY
Golf Green tickY Green tickY
Softball Green tickY
Track & Field - Indoor Green tickY Green tickY
Track & Field - Outdoor Green tickY Green tickY
Volleyball Green tickY

Men's sports[edit]

Men's sponsored sports by school
School Baseball Basketball Cross
country
Football Golf Track
& field
(indoor)
Track
& field
(outdoor)
Total NSAA
Sports
Bellevue Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Dakota State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Dickinson State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Mayville State Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Red XN 4
Valley City State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Viterbo Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Waldorf Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Totals 7 7 6 5 7 6 6 44

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the North Star Athletic Association which are played by NSAA schools

School Soccer Volleyball Wrestling
Bellevue CAC
Dickinson State Heart of America
Viterbo CCAC
Waldorf GPAC Heart of America

Women's sports[edit]

Women's sponsored sports by school
School Basketball Cross
country
Golf Softball Track
& field
(indoor)
Track
& field
(outdoor)
Volleyball Total NSAA
Sports
Bellevue Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Dakota State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Dickinson State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Mayville State Green tickY Red XN Green tickY Green tickY Red XN Red XN Green tickY 4
Valley City State Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Viterbo Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Waldorf Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Totals 7 6 7 7 6 6 7 46

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the North Star Athletic Association which are played by NSAA schools

School Soccer Wrestling
Bellevue CAC
Dickinson State Heart of America
Viterbo CCAC
Waldorf GPAC Heart of America

Conference Championships[edit]

Football[edit]

NSAA champions by year