Augustana University Athletics

Congressional Engagement Listening Session - August 22, 2023

The Augustana University and the NSIC along iwth other regional student-athletes and administrators held a Congressional Engagement Listening Session at the Elmen Center on the campus of Augustana University on Tuesday, August 22. 

U.S. Senator John Thune and NCAA President Charlie Baker held discussion with panelists that included regional student-athletes and administrators. The conversation will focused on the principles of amateurism and maintaining the collegial relationship between student-athletes and institutions. 

The session will began with welcoming statements from Commissioner Lind and President Herseth Sandlin. 

Student-athletes panelists included: Davaris Cheeks of Concordia University, St. Paul, the Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative; Grace Hadlich of the College of St. Scholastica, a Division III National SAAC representative; Erika Bute of Augustana University, a SAAC representative; Muthu Meenakshisundaram of the University of Minnesota Morris, a Division III National SAAC member; and Jack Cartwright of the University of Sioux Falls, a SAAC representative for the Cougars. 

Athletic administrators joining the session included Minot State University President Dr. Steven Shirley; Augustana University Director of Athletics Josh Morton; Southwest Minnesota State University Director of Athletics Jennifer Flowers and Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton.

Media Coverage

About Augustana Athletics
Located in the heart of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Augustana University athletics is home to five team NCAA Division II National Championships while competing primarily in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Vikings also compete in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Association (GLIAC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Having won four national championships since 2010, the Vikings have shown broad-based athletics excellence by finishing in the top-20 of the Division II Learfield Director's Cup standings in nine of the last 10 years. In the classroom, Augustana has consistently led the NSIC in All-Academic honorees and tallied 57 Academic All-America since 2010.  

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men's league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women's league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 110 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA's three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.