Just a month ago important leaders of all sorts from the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) traveled to Jamestown to get a first-hand look during their “discovery phase” at what the University of Jamestown had to offer the conference as a potential future member. As expected the NSIC has concluded before the Thanksgiving holiday, with members voting today on UJ’s application. Jamestown needed a 2/3 vote out of the 15 members to get into the league which equates to 10 votes.
A news release was just put out around 1:30 PM from the NSIC on their website northernsun.org that reads
” 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.”
That means the University’s trip down memory lane in the NSAA next season will just be that. A gap year of sorts, since they were booted from the GPAC for the 23-24 season back on October 11th. This intermediate year will still work for both sides since the NSAA needs to find a long-term solution to losing Waldorf University to the GPAC. Otherwise, they will not have enough teams to be considered an affiliated conference. Jamestown on the other hand will have a place to play next season in the NSAA and then will get to make a jump many are excited about, and that is moving up the NCAA Division II level while joining the NSIC.
According to the news release, “UJ is expected to file the application with the NCAA by the February 1 deadline and then will officially begin its transition into the conference.”
If the application is successful then the University of Jamestown would still enter a three-year transition period before earning NCAA active membership status. That means UJ could have its very last season at the NAIA level during the 23-24 academic year. But it also means that they will be entering a “provisional period” when entering their new conference and will not be able to compete in NCAA Championships until the fall of 2027.
Dr. Polly Peterson, the President of the University of Jamestown said in the release “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,”.