North Star Athletic Association
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.
Association | NAIA |
---|---|
Founded | 2013 |
Commissioner | Roger Ternes |
Sports fielded |
|
No. of teams | 7 (6 in 2024-25) |
Headquarters | Jamestown, North Dakota |
Region | |
Official website | www.playnorthstar.com |
Locations | |
History
Chronological timeline
- 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, effective beginning the 2013-14 academic year.
- 2014 - Dickinson State University joined the NSAA, effective in the 2014-15 academic year.
- 2014 - Waldorf University joined the NSAA as an affiliate member for football, effective 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), effective in the 2015-16 academic year.
- 2015 - The University of Winnipeg joined the NSAA as an affiliate member for baseball, effective 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, effective after the 2017 spring season (2016-17 academic year).
- 2018 - Jamestown left the NSAA to join the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), effective 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, effective the 2021-22 academic year.
- 2023 - Presentation (S.D.) left the NSAA as the school closed after the 2022-23 academic year.[2]
- 2023 - Iowa Wesleyan left the NSAA as an affiliate member as the school closed after the 2022-23 academic year.[3]
- 2023 - Waldorf announced they will leave the NSAA at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year to join the GPAC.[4]
Member schools
Current members
The NSAA currently has seven full members, three of which are private schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[lower-alpha 1] | 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 | 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 | 1,423 | Vikings | 2013 | |
Viterbo University | La Crosse, Wisconsin | 1923 | Catholic (Franciscan) |
3,088 | V-Hawks | 2015 | |
Waldorf University[lower-alpha 2] | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit[lower-alpha 3] | 720 | Warriors | 2015[lower-alpha 4] |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Waldorf will leave for the GPAC after the 2023-24 academic year.[4]
- Formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until 2010.
- 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.
Former members
The NSAA had two former full members, both of which were private schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Joined[lower-alpha 1] | Left[lower-alpha 2] | Subsequent conference |
Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presentation College | Aberdeen, South Dakota | 1922 | Catholic (P.B.V.M.) |
Saints | 2013 | 2023 | Closed in 2023 | |
University of Jamestown[5] | Jamestown, North Dakota | 1883 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
Jimmies | 2013 | 2017 | Great Plains (GPAC) (2018–2024) |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
Former affiliate members
The NSAA had three former affiliate members, one was a public school and the other two were private:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Joined[lower-alpha 1] | Left[lower-alpha 2] | NSAA sport |
Current primary conference |
Conference in former NSAA sport |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iowa Wesleyan University[3] | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | 1842 | United Methodist | Tigers | 2021 | 2023 | football, men's track & field, women's track & field |
Closed in 2023 | |
University of Winnipeg[6] | 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[lower-alpha 3] | football | North Star (NSAA) |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
- Waldorf became a full member of the NSAA in 2015-16.
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (other)
Conference sports
The North Star Athletic Association currently fields 18 sports (9 men's and 9 women's):
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | ||
Basketball | ||
Cross Country | ||
Football | ||
Golf | ||
Softball | ||
Track & Field - Indoor | ||
Track & Field - Outdoor | ||
Volleyball |
Men's sports
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross country |
Football | Golf | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Total NSAA Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bellevue | 6 | |||||||
Dakota State | 7 | |||||||
Dickinson State | 7 | |||||||
Mayville State | 4 | |||||||
Valley City State | 7 | |||||||
Viterbo | 6 | |||||||
Waldorf | 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
School | Basketball | Cross country | Golf | Softball | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) |
Volleyball | Total NSAA Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bellevue | 7 | |||||||
Dakota State | 7 | |||||||
Dickinson State | 7 | |||||||
Mayville State | 4 | |||||||
Valley City State | 7 | |||||||
Viterbo | 7 | |||||||
Waldorf | 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 | — |
Viterbo | CCAC | — |
Waldorf | GPAC | Heart of America |
Conference Championships
Football
|
|
- NSAA champions by year
Volleyball
Men's basketball
Women's basketball
Baseball
Softball
References
External links |