Alumni return for reunion to close involvement with NCC

By Mike Billeter

Mirror Staff Writer
February 29, 2008

As men and women of all ages marched onto the basketball court of the Elmen Center Forum at halftime of last Saturday’s men’s basketball game, a nostalgic pride hung in the air. 

Pride for the men and women who represented 66 years of Augustana’s athletic participation in the North Central Conference (NCC); nostalgia because this is the final year that Augustana athletes have the opportunity to compete in a conference that has been a perennial powerhouse in Division II athletics.

Last Friday and Saturday, the Viking athletic program paid its respects to the NCC with Champions Weekend. Many key men and women involved in the success of Augustana athletics over the past six-and-a-half decades enjoyed a weekend of reconnecting, socializing and remembering.

“When we were planning some of the yearly events like the boosters’ auction, we discovered the date of the auction would be the day before a home basketball doubleheader, so we decided to make a weekend of the event,” athletic director Bill Gross said. “We decided to do something special to commemorate the end of an era with the NCC by bringing back the members of the 33 championship teams we’ve had in NCC history.”

One of the most powerful indications of Augustana’s NCC success came during halftime of the men’s basketball game when current and former Viking athletes marched on the court in representation of their sports, waving and smiling to many of the same fans that supported them during their years of NCC play.

Just like many of the other events that took place over the weekend, the Parade of Champions was not just a celebration of competition in the NCC, but also a chance for people to understand the depth of Augustana’s achievements in the annals of Division II athletics.

Whether being recognized for team achievements or for individual honors, the athletes that gathered for this event were not just here for free food and sporting events. They were here to pay their respects to a league that was a major part of their athletic lives as Vikings.

“The biggest reason I chose to play in the NCC is because it was the premier Division II conference in the country,” former Viking basketball player and three-time First Team All-NCC selection Nick Olson said. “Consequently, one of the reasons I came to Augie is because I knew I would be playing against the best Division II competition in the nation.”

Besides the Parade of Champions, other events were held during the weekend as the athletes, boosters and alumni recollected previous experiences and accomplishments.

On Friday, the Augustana Booster Club held a social gathering with 570 boosters, former players, alumni and faculty that featured both a silent auction and a live auction.  The auctions were to commemorate and celebrate not only the ending of an era with the NCC, but also the opportunity for a new chapter in Viking athletics as Augustana prepares to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

“We’re looking forward to the bright future the NSIC presents as a conference,” Gross said. “Even though the conference is relatively young, it has already produced two national champions and a national runner-up, so it’s clear that it has the chance to be a premier Division II league.”

While the NSIC will continue to grow and improve, it also makes a stark contrast to the level of quality the NCC has proven as a Division II athletic conference. One example of this can be seen in the number of league members who have left over the past 30 years by jumping up to the Division I level.

Since 1978, four teams have left the NCC to play at a higher level, and two more, the University of South Dakota (USD) and the University of North Dakota (UND), will be doing the same next year. With the caliber of competition in the NCC, it is no wonder so many athletes and boosters harbor a deep respect for the conference.

“I think one thing that really demonstrates the quality of the NCC is that many of the teams in this league are able not only to move up to Division I, but also are able to join an already great conference like the NSIC and bring it to another level,” Olson said.

Along with the quality of the athletic competition, Gross has some other reasons to respect the NCC.

“I’ve spent 33 years of my life in the NCC as a player, coach and administrator for Augustana, and I think the quality of the people involved in the NCC is a major reason for the league’s outstanding success throughout the years,” Gross said. “It is a classy conference that is respected nationally and has a very professional air about it. Also, people knew that every game would be a war, and that made it enjoyable for not only the coaches and players, but also the fans.”

And while the festivities this weekend were just one small symbol of the NCC’s significance in the pages of Augustana’s history, many current players are excited for the opportunities the NSIC will present in the future.

“From a football standpoint, I think we’ll be very competitive in the NSIC and it will be nice to play more teams that are close to home,” redshirt freshman football player Eric Bergman said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for all of our athletic teams to have success in the new conference and bring in some NSIC championships in all of our sports.”