PRESS RELEASE

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Board of Directors approved the addition of the University of Jamestown (UJ) as the league’s 16th full-time member. The Jimmies will become official members of the league on July 1, 2025, pending their acceptance into the NCAA Division II membership process. UJ would participate in 17 of the NSIC’s 18 sponsored sports beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. 

“The NSIC is excited to invite the University of Jamestown as the 16th member of the conference starting July 1, 2025,” stated NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind. “Throughout the application process, the strategic work Dr. Peterson and the University of Jamestown engaged in to prepare for the NCAA Division II and NSIC membership transition was evident. The University is well positioned and will be a valuable addition to the conference athletically and academically.”  

“The University of Jamestown has strategically developed into a comprehensive institution, including the development of excellent programs and facilities. Concurrently, they have dedicated resources toward the development of competitive athletic programs; for this reason, we feel confident that the University of Jamestown will be a very good addition to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference,” said Dr. Tim Downs, President of Minnesota State University Moorhead and Chair of the NSIC Board of Directors.

Located in Jamestown, North Dakota, UJ currently enrolls 1,289 students in 54 undergraduate programs, three graduate programs, seven accelerated certificates, a doctoral program in Physical Therapy, and a PhD program in Clinical Research.

“I would like to express enormous gratitude to the NSIC Board of Directors, the Conference Council, the site visit team, and especially Commissioner Erin Lind. We couldn’t be more excited to receive an invitation to one of the best conferences in all of Division II. We look forward to a long and competitive future together,” said University of Jamestown President Dr. Polly Peterson. 

Since UJ moved into the Great Plains Athletics Conference (GPAC) in the fall of 2018, 277 athletes have earned all-conference honors, with seven student-athletes being named conference Player of the Year. UJ athletic coaches have earned nine GPAC Coach of the Year honors. Collectively, Jimmie athletic teams have won nine postseason championships while in the GPAC, with women’s volleyball winning the 2022 NAIA national championship.

UJ is expected to file its application with the NCAA by the February 1 deadline and then will officially begin its transition into the conference. With a successful NCAA Division II membership application, UJ will enter a three-year transition period before earning NCAA active membership status. The 2024-25 academic year will be the Jimmies’ last in the NAIA. 

During its second year of the provisional period (2025-26), UJ will be included in NSIC team schedules, but the Jimmies will not be eligible for NCAA Championships. In the third year of the transition, UJ will be granted provisional membership in NCAA Division II and will continue to play a NSIC conference schedule but will still not be able to compete in the NCAA Championships.

The Jimmies will gain NCAA Division II active member status in the fall of 2027, as long as all benchmarks are met during the transition process, and will be eligible to compete in the NCAA Championships during the 2027-28 academic year.

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 111 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About the University of Jamestown
The University of Jamestown is a student-centered university dedicated to the development of wholeness in all members of its community. The University adheres to a curriculum of academic excellence which blends the liberal arts with sound professional preparation. UJ’s commitment to the Christian faith encourages an atmosphere of self-discipline, responsibility, and concern for the continuing growth of the individual.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.