NSIC extends membership invitation to the University of Jamestown pending NCAA Division II acceptance

BURNSVILLE -- 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.