2003-2004 North Dakota State University Cross Country/Track ...

Representatives of colleges and
universities in North Dakota,
South Dakota, Iowa,
Nebraska, and Minnesota met in the
late Fall of 1921 in Chicago to
consider the formation of what was
to become the North Central
Intercollegiate Athletic conference.
There were representatives
from nine institutions at the
meetings: North Dakota Agricultural
College (now North Dakota
State
University),
North Dakota
University,
State
University of
South
Dakota, South Dakota State
College, Morningside College, Des
Moines Municipal University,
Nebraska Wesleyan University,
College of St. Thomas at St. Paul,
and Creighton University.
Shortly after the conference
began, it met with some rough going
as four charter members withdrew.
Des Moines Municipal was first,
dropping out after the 1926 season.
Nebraska Wesleyan severed
relationships after the season of '27.
In 1928, St. Thomas and Creighton
also withdrew. It was not until 1935
when Omaha University was allowed
to join the conference. In 1936,
Iowa State Teachers College (now
the University of Northern Iowa)
was admitted and in 1941 Augustana
College of Sioux Falls was allowed to
become a member of the conference.
Omaha withdrew from the
conference in February of 1943,
leaving the conference membership
as it stood until 1968--Morningside,
Northern Iowa, North Dakota State,
North Dakota, Augustana, South
Dakota State, and South Dakota.
At the fall meeting in 1968,
Mankato State College (now
Minnesota State University-
Mankato) was admitted to the NCC.
The University of Nebraska-Omaha
(formerly Omaha U.) was readmitted
in the spring of 1976.
Mankato State was dropped from
the conference at the end of the
Spring in 1977 and Northern Iowa
left the league in the Spring of
1978.
The University of Northern
Colorado became the eighth
member of the NCC in January of
1979. Mankato State and St. Cloud
NDSU’s LUKE PFEIFER, at right, won three NCC indoor titles (1998-2000) in the 55-meter
hurdles and four consecutive outdoor titles (1997-2000) in the 110-meter hurdles. Pfeifer was also a fourtime
NCAA Division II All-American and set the school record in the 110-meter hurdles (:14.00) in 2000.
The North Central Conference
State were admitted in 1981 to bring
the membership of the NCC to 10.
The league contracted to nine
teams in 2002-03 when
Morningside left after 80 years as a
member. Northern Colorado moved
up to Division I after the 2002-03
season to drop the league to eight
teams. NDSU and SDSU will move
up to Division I in 2004-05, but
Minnesota-Duluth will move in to
put the NCC at seven members.
Despite its state
of flux, year-in and
year-out the North
Central Conference
is one of the
toughest NCAA
Division II leagues in
America. The league has been
represented in a postseason bowl
game every year since the NCAA
opened college division football
bowl contests except 1971 and
1974. North Dakota State has
captured the national football crown
five times since 1983 and eight
times since 1965. Northern
Colorado won back-to-back titles in
1996 and 1997, and North Dakota
claimed the 2001 national grid
crown.
South Dakota, South Dakota
State and North Dakota have won
national championships or placed
among the top four in basketball
and have been perennial powers.
North Dakota State (1988,
1998, 2000, 2001) and Nebraska-
Omaha (1991) have won national
wrestling titles and the league
constantly has five or six teams
ranked among the top 15 in the
nation.
The league has produced many
All-Americans and national
champions in track, cross country,
baseball and swimming.
The NCC is strong in women’s
programs. North Dakota State has
won five NCAA basketball
championships and UND has won
two over the last 11 years, and
South Dakota State won the 2003
title.
NDSU and UN-Omaha have
won national softball titles and the
NDSU track team won the 2002
indoor national crown and has been
a national power the last four years.
The Eight Members of the NCC
School Enrolled Location Population
Augustana College 1,900 Sioux Falls, SD 124,000
Minn. State Univ.-Mankato 13,300 Mankato, MN 32,500
Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha 14,500 Omaha, NE 390,000
Univ. of North Dakota 12,500 Grand Forks, ND 49,500
North Dakota State Univ. 11,600 Fargo, ND 90,600
St. Cloud State Univ. 15,900 St. Cloud, MN 59,100
Univ. of South Dakota 8,700 Vermillion, SD 9,800
South Dakota State Univ. 10,000 Brookings, SD 18,500
NCC Outdoor Team Champions
1922 USD
1923 USD
1924 Des Moines
1925 USD
1926 USD
1927 SDSU
1928 SDSU
1929 SDSU
1930 SDSU
1931 USD
1932 SDSU
1933 UND
1934 UND
1935 UNI
1936 UNI
1937 UND
1938 UND
1939 UNI
1940 UNI
1941 UNI
1942 Augustana
1943-46 No
Meets
1947 SDSU
1948 SDSU
1949 UNI
1950 SDSU
1951 UNI
1952 SDSU
1953 SDSU
1954 SDSU
1955 SDSU
1956 UNI
1957 Canceled
1958 SDSU
1959 SDSU
1960 SDSU
1961 USD
1962 UNI
1963 USD
1964 UNI
1965 USD
1966 USD
1967 UNI
1968 UNI
1969 UNI
1970 MSU
1971 NDSU
1972 NDSU
1973 UNI
1974 UNI
1975 SDSU
1976 SDSU
1977 MSU
1978 UNI
1979 SDSU
1980 NDSU
1981 SDSU
1982 UNC
1983 NDSU
1984 NDSU
1985 NDSU
1986 SDSU
NCC Indoor Team Champions
1965 UNI
1966 No Meet
1967 UNI
1968 UNI
1969 UNI
1970 MSU
1971 NDSU
1972 NDSU
1973 UNI
1974 SDSU
1975 SDSU
1976 MSU
1977 MSU
1978 UNI
1979 NDSU
1980 NDSU
1981 SDSU
1982 UNC
1983 NDSU
1984 NDSU
1985 NDSU
1986 NDSU
1987 MSU
1988 MSU
1989 MSU
1990 NDSU
1991 SDSU
1992 USD
1993 NDSU
1994 NDSU
1987 NDSU
1988 NDSU
1989 NDSU
1990 NDSU
1991 NDSU
1992 NDSU
1993 NDSU
1994 NDSU
1995 NDSU
1996 NDSU
1997 NDSU
1998 NDSU
1999 NDSU
2000 USD
2001 NDSU
2002 NDSU
2003 NDSU
1995 NDSU
1996 NDSU
1997 USD
1998 USD
1999 USD
2000 NDSU
2001 NDSU
2002 USD
2003 NDSU
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