North Dakota

Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota Division: NCAA Division II Conference (football): Great West Conference Stadium: Alerus Center (indoor) Conference (basketball): Great West Conference Arena: Betty Englestad Sioux Center

The University of North Dakota competes as members of the Great West Conference in NCAA Division I FCS football and NCAA Division I basketball. In 2012, the school will move to the Big Sky Conference in all sports. North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the northeastern part of the state on the Minnesota border, and only a couple of hours south of Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada. The school has an undergraduate enrollment of around 10,000. The school was embroiled in litigation in regard to the team's former nickname the Fighting Sioux, but has retired both the nickname and it's associated trademarks as of December, 2011. A new nickname will not be unveiled until January, 2015.

Most of the campus is contained in a narrow rectangle between University and Demers Avenues on Grand Forks' west side, a small campus lies east of Columbia Road about a quarter-mile east of the rest of the campus. The nearest interstate is Interstate 29 (exit 140). The Alerus Center (13,000) is off-campus, located between I-29 and 42nd Street. Betty Engelstad Center (3,600) hosts most basketball games, but some games are played at the opulent Ralph Englestad Arena (13,610), located on Columbia Road and home to the hockey team.

North Dakota's main rivals have been North Dakota State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State, all dating back to the old days of the North Central Conference. Those three schools, however, are now in the Summit League, so these series will continue as non-conference matchups. There is also a rivalry with Minnesota in hockey, but that will diminish when the two schools move to different leagues in 2013.

North Dakota has prepared 24 football players for NFL/AFL play. The basketball program has sent one alum to the NBA, but that alum is the winningest coach of all time, in terms of championships won. The name? Phil Jackson.

Conference Affiliations

Football

Big Sky Conference	NCAA I FCS	2012-present
Great West Conference	NCAA I FCS	2008-2011
North Central Conference	NCAA II	1973-2007
North Central Conference	NCAA College	1955-1972
North Central Conference	NAIA	1936-1955
North Central Conference	NCAA	1922-1936
NCAA Independents	NCAA	1910-1921
Pre-NCAA Independents	independents	1894-1909

Basketball

Big Sky Conference	NCAA I	2012-present
Great West Conference	NCAA I	2009-2011
NCAA Division I Independents	NCAA I	2008-2009
North Central Conference	NCAA II	1973-2008
North Central Conference	NCAA College	1955-1973
North Central Conference	NAIA	1936-1955
North Central Conference	NCAA	1922-1936
NCAA Independents	NCAA	1910-1922
Pre-NCAA Independents	Independent	1904-1910

Post-Season Appearances

Football

NCAA Division II Championship Game	2001, 2003
NCAA Division II Playoffs	1975, 1979, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Camellia Bowl	1972
Pecan Bowl	1966
Mineral Water Bowl	1965

Basketball

CollegeInsider.com Tournament	2011
NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament	1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2003
NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament	1965, 1966, 1967
NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament	1949, 1953, 1954

Championships

Football

NCAA Division II National Champions	2001
Great West Conference Champions	2011
North Central Conference Champions	1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1958, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006

Basketball

NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament North Central Region Champions	1977, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1994
NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Region Champions	1975, 1976
NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Region Champions	1965, 1966
NAIA District 12 Men's Basketball Champions	1949, 1953, 1954
Great West Conference Tournament Champions	2011
North Central Conference Tournament Champions	1981, 1982, 1992, 1993, 1994
North Central Conference Regular Season Champions	1928, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1954, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1995

National Individual Awards

Football

National Football Foundation Hall of Fame	1999: Jim LeClair (LB)
NAIA Hall of Fame	1957: Charles A. West (coach)
AFCA Division II Coach of the Year	2001: Dale Lennon
NCAA Division II Football First-Team All-Americans	1975: Bill Deutsch (RB) 1979: Paul Muckenhirn (TE) 1980: Todd Thomas (OT) 1981: Milson Jones (RB) 1989: Cory Solberg (K) 1991: Shannon Burnell (RB) 1993: Kevin Robson (OL) 1993: Shannon Burnell (RB) 1994: Mike Mooney (LB) 1995: Dave Hillesheim (DE) 1996: Juan Gomez-Tagle (K) 1996: Mark Callahan (DL) 1996: Tim Tibesar (LB) 1997: Jim Kleinsasser (TE) 1997: Phillip Moore (RB) 1998: Jim Kleinsasser (TE) 1998: Phillip Moore (RB) 1999: Kelly Howe (DB) 2000: Cameron Peterka (K) 2001: Cameron Peterka (K) 2001: Dan Graf (AP) 2001: Travis O’Neel (LB) 2003: Ben Olson (OL) 2003: Digger Anderson (LB) 2004: Chris Kuper (OL) 2004: Digger Anderson (LB) 2005: Chris Kuper (OL) 2005: Digger Anderson (LB) 2005: Jeff Glas (K) 2006: Adam Wolff (DL) 2006: Weston Dressler (WR) 2007: Ryan Chappell (AP) 2007: Weston Dressler (WR)
AP Football First-Team Little All-Americans	1955: Steve Myhra (G) 1956: Steve Myhra (G) 1963: Neil Reuter (T) 1965: Dave Lince (DE) 1966: Roger Bonk (LB) 1971: Dan Martinsen (DB) 1971: Jim LeClair (LB) 1972: Mike Deutsch (RB)
NAIA Football First-Team All-Americans	1954: Richard Ryan (B) 1954: Ronald Kubesh (G)

Basketball

NABC Division II First-Team All-Americans	1991: Dave Vonesh (C) 1993: Scott Guldseth (G) 2003: Jerome Beasley (C)
AP College Basketball Little All-America Team	1966: Phil Jackson (F) 1967: Phil Jackson (F)

External Links

University of North Dakota Athletics