MADISON, S.D. (NSAA) – Roger Ternes, the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) commissioner, is excited to announce that Iowa Wesleyan will join the conference as an associate member for four years in the sport of football. They will begin the NSAA football competition this coming fall.
“All of us in the NSAA look forward to a productive and mutually beneficial affiliation between the Iowa Wesleyan University Tigers and the North Star Athletic Association,” stated Ternes.
Iowa Wesleyan, located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, was accepted to become a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) this past fall.
“We are pleased to welcome Iowa Wesleyan University into the NSAA conference as an associate member in football,” said North Star Athletic Association Board of President Chair and Waldorf’s President Dr. Bob Alsop. “After meetings with their administration and coaches of IWU, we look forward to great competition with an institution that shares the NSAA values of prioritizing the student-athlete experience.”
IW was a decades-long member of the NAIA up until 2012, where they made their transition to NCAA Division III. Their football home is called the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. The complex houses Evans Field, a 5,000-seat capacity football stadium, as well as softball and baseball fields.
“We are excited about the opportunity to compete in the North Star Athletic Association,” said Iowa Wesleyan’s Vice President for Advancement and Athletics Derek Zander. “The NSAA will give our student-athletes the opportunity to compete against high caliber football programs while allowing our students to focus on their academic aspirations in the classroom. This is an exciting day for Iowa Wesleyan and the Tiger football program.”
“This football relationship adds scheduling depth within the North Sta Athletic Association and eases the scheduling burden for NSAA institutions and Iowa Wesleyan University,” added Ternes.
The NSAA is working on finalizing their 2021 football conference schedule, which will be released on a later date.
North Star Football Members
North Dakota: Valley City State, Mayville State, Dickinson State
South Dakota: Presentation and Dakota State
Iowa: Waldorf and Iowa Wesleyan
