March 18, 2015

Contact Cody Bohl at 608-796-3820 or cabohl@viterbo.edu

VITERBO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES MOVE TO NORTH STAR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN TIME FOR THE 2015 ACADEMIC YEAR

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) announced on Wednesday that Viterbo University will become a full member of the conference, effective for the 2015–16 school year. The decision was made final following a meeting of the NSAA Board of Presidents and acceptance from Viterbo University administration.

“Viterbo University is excited about the opportunity to compete in the North Star Athletic Association. We are proud members of the NAIA and believe the NSAA will be an excellent fit for the V-Hawks,” commented Richard Artman, President of Viterbo University. “The NSAA provides a larger geographical footprint which will help with recruiting and good competition which features ranked opponents it many sports and teams that have represented the NSAA in NAIA national tournaments the past few years.”

Viterbo will begin its full membership in the upcoming academic year in 17 varsity sports that include men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, and softball. The V-Hawks will be one of four member schools with men’s and women’s bowling.

Director of Athletics Barry Fried expressed his excitement as he stated, “I have been very impressed with the vision and direction of the North Star Athletic Association. Commissioner Anderson is a strong leader and in a short time the league has become a well-respected NAIA conference. I see nothing but growth and success for the future of the league.”

Conference realignments are nation-wide and in 2015-16, Viterbo will be one of many to move in that direction. Currently, the V-Hawks are members of the Midwest Collegiate Conference which is made up of seven schools. The new nine team NSAA will provide stability, a larger geographical footprint that will help recruiting, and strong competition from top to bottom. 

Fried continued, “The landscape of college athletics is changing constantly. Conference realignment is occurring at every level of college athletics from D1 to NAIA. Small conferences across the country will most likely be a thing of the past and larger, super-conferences will be the new norm. We’re on that path and ready to compete in the North Star.”

Viterbo is the only team from the MCC to make the move to the NSAA this year. Bellevue and Waldorf spent 2014-15 in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference while the Warriors were associate members of the NSAA in football.

About Viterbo University

Viterbo University was founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. In 1972, men’s basketball was established as the first intercollegiate sport in the department, which has since grown to 17 collegiate sports as members of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics.

 A Catholic, Franciscan university in the liberal arts tradition, Viterbo prides itself on believing that learning is a lifelong process involving more than just academics. The Viterbo University community prepares students for faithful service and ethical leadership through its five core values of contemplation, hospitality, integrity, stewardship, and service.

Viterbo is home to more than 70 undergraduate degree programs, five graduate degrees, two associate degree programs, and most recently, a doctorate program for nursing practice.

About the NSAA

Established in 2013, the intention of the NSAA is that intercollegiate athletics be an integral part of the total educational experience and process. Through athletics, student-athletes experience and understand themselves, others, and the world in which they live.

The purpose is to provide a forum in which member colleges may participate in intercollegiate athletics with institutions that share common goals for their athletic programs.

The five inaugural members of the NSAA include Dakota State University, the University of Jamestown, Mayville State University, Presentation College, and Valley City State University. In 2014, Dickinson State joined as a full member and Waldorf College as an associate member.