BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Board of Directors recently approved the addition of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as an associated member in wrestling beginning in the 2021-22 academic year. With the addition of UW-Parkside, NSIC wrestling will now have 10 participating institutions across a five-state area, the largest conference in NCAA Division II.

The nine NSIC wrestling schools, along with UW-Parkside also make up NCAA Division II Super Region Five.  

“The NSIC is excited to add the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as an associated member in wrestling. UW-Parkside will enhance the NSIC’s status as a model NCAA Division II conference both on the mat and in the classroom.  The NSIC is proud of its academic and athletic success in wrestling and UWP will add to that success,” said NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind.  

“Joining the NSIC is an incredible opportunity for our wrestling program and our student-athletes, and we are extremely grateful to Commissioner Lind and the NSIC leadership for welcoming us,” said Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics. “Competing as a member of the NSIC will positively impact all aspects of our program, most importantly our student-athletes and our wrestling supporters.”

UW-Parkside was a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference from 2016 until 2018, before the school moved to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference. Since that time, UWP has competed an independent, as the GLIAC no longer sponsors wrestling.  Since instituting wrestling in 1969, UWP has amassed 17 individual National Champions (10 NAIA & 7 NCAA DII), 18 Top-10 team finishes, 144 All-Americans and 120 Academic All-Americans.   

“The NSIC is a natural fit for us and it will benefit our program in a number of ways,” head coach Corey VanGroll said. “NSIC will provide consistency in our competition schedule that will bring some of the best teams in the country to Parkside that our team, family, friends, and fans can look forward to.  Our National Qualifier (Region 5) consists of all NSIC teams, and competing against NSIC teams throughout the year will prepare us better for that tourney.  The NSIC will also provide our team and individuals with the opportunity to be recognized with athletic and academic honors from NSIC. This was a great change for Parkside Wrestling, and I look forward to the rivalries to intensify over the years.”

About NSIC Wrestling
NSIC wrestling schools consist of Augustana University; University of Mary; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University Moorhead; Minot State University; Northern State University; Southwest Minnesota State University; St. Cloud State University and Upper Iowa University.  

St. Cloud State has won four team NCAA Division II National Championships since 2014-15 and the NSIC has crowned 17 individual national champions in its history. In the classroom, the NSIC had three teams with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher last year, while 50 wrestlers earned NSIC All-Academic (3.20+ GPA) honors.

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