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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Frontier Schools Study Move To Ncaa D-Ii

Associated Press

Presidents and chancellors of Frontier Conference schools are divided over whether the NAIA league should seriously consider moving up to NCAA Division II.

School officials from Carroll College, Montana Tech, Montana State-Northern, Rocky Mountain and Western Montana College met here Wednesday, their first meeting since the NCAA lifted a moratorium on adding new teams.

“Our meeting was simply to start examining the pros and cons of moving to the NCAA as opposed to staying with the NAIA. We are very, very much at the beginning of that entire process,” MSU Northern Chancellor William Daehling said Friday.

“We have no desire to move unless we would be forced to because of competition purposes.”

Former NAIA schools in the region that Frontier Conference schools had counted on for non-conference competition have moved up to NCAA Division II and are limited to the number of NAIA schools they can schedule.

“When you get out West, our competition is so spread out that we are in divisions that require us to travel to California and to Iowa to compete, and it’s just not economically feasible for us to do that,” Daehling said in a telephone interview.

“The NAIA, on the other hand, has indicated that they’re more willing to look at divisional lineups and district lineups, so we can cut those travel costs down,” Daehling said.

The president and chief executive officer of the NAIA, Steve Baker, is scheduled to meet with Frontier Conference officials this spring.

“We believe we should allow the NAIA it’s time to make a pitch to us, too,” said Lindsay Norman. “Speaking only as chancellor of Montana Tech, I can’t imagine anything he would say that would change our scheduling problems.”

Tech’s football team filled its non-conference schedule last fall with games at four NCAA schools.

“Given my choice, I’m very strongly inclined to make the switch,” Norman said.

Sheila Stearns, chancellor at Western Montana College, said she came away from Wednesday’s meeting believing “that we’re fine where we are, and we’ll stay where we are as a conference. My initial impression is that it’s probably impractical.”

One advantage of NCAA membership would be catastrophic insurance coverage for a school’s athletes, but Stearns said the NAIA is looking to offer similar coverage.

She said the organization also is searching for corporate sponsors to help defray the costs of postseason play.

“The pressure that the NAIA is putting on itself to improve is considerable,” said Stearns, who just finished a term as past president of its board of directors. “I really believe NAIA schools and our conference should give the organization some time.”

Among the costs of moving to the NCAA would be adding sports to meet required minimums, although some league schools already are doing that to comply with gender equity laws.

Jeff Thompson, athletic director at Carroll College, said the Helena school hasn’t taken a stand.

Officials at Rocky Mountain College did not return a phone call seeking comment.