Northern State University's athletic teams boast a long and proud tradition of competition in the Upper Midwest. Football began in 1903 and men's basketball in 1902. The Wolves have garnered national attention throughout the years, including two individual national champions, two national championship teams and numerous All-America athletes.
Sports: Northern State University sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports; nine each for men and women. The sports include: men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, women's soccer, women's fastpitch softball, volleyball, baseball, football, and wrestling.
Conference: NSU belongs to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), which includes ten universities: Bemidji State (MN), Concordia St. Paul (MN), Minnesota-Crookston, Minnesota State University Moorhead, University of Mary (ND), Northern State (SD), Southwest Minnesota State, Upper Iowa, Wayne State (NE) and Winona State(MN). The men's teams joined the NSIC in 1980 and the women's teams followed in 1985. In 1999, the NSIC added three schools: Wayne State College (Neb.), Concordia University (St. Paul) and the University of Minnesota-Crookston.
National Affiliation: In the fall of 1995, Northern State and all of the NSIC teams received full membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), at the Division II level.
Facilities: NSU's facilities are modern and well maintained. The outdoor facilities include a 12-court tennis complex on the east side of campus and a 15 acre complex for baseball, football and track and field located north of town. Swisher Field includes a 6,000-seat football arena and an artificial surface outdoor track. Recent additions to the complex include a new $50,000 computer operated scoreboard for football and a lighted and paved parking lot for the football stadium, a track and field facility. The baseball team plays at the adjacent Fossum Field. The golf squads can choose from among three courses in the surrounding area. The softball team utilizes Moccasin Creek Softball Complex, which features four diamonds, a short distance from campus. In 1987, NSU athletics moved into the Barnett Center, a multipurpose facility on the southeast corner of campus. The Barnett Center includes a swimming pool, raquetball courts, wrestling room, weight room, training room, auxiliary gym, eight locker rooms, classrooms and offices. The main arena, Wachs Arena, contains a 160-meter indoor track and a wooden basketball court. The Barnett Center which seats 8,000 people is utilized for state tournaments and community events.
Fan Support: The Aberdeen community and surrounding area love and support athletics. NSU consistently leads the conference in attendance at football and both men's and women's basketball games. The NSU men's and women's basketball teams are mainstays in the Division II Top 10 attendance list. Several organizations help raise funds to support athletics. The largest organization is the Wolves Club with about 1,000members.
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Northern State University (located in Aberdeen, SD) is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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