Augustana Vikings | |
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University | Augustana University |
Conference | NSIC (primary) CCHA (men's ice hockey) |
NCAA | Division II (primary) Division I (men's ice hockey) |
Athletic director | Josh Morton |
Location | Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
Varsity teams | 22 (10 men's, 12 women's) |
Football stadium | Kirkeby–Over Stadium |
Basketball arena | Elmen Center Sanford Pentagon |
Baseball stadium | Karras Park |
Softball stadium | Bowden Field |
Soccer stadium | Morstad Field |
Other venues | Howard Wood Field Sanford Gymnasium |
Nickname | Vikings |
Colors | Navy and gold [1] |
Website | goaugie |
Team NCAA championships | |
5 [2] |
The Augustana Vikings are the athletic teams that represent Augustana University, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Vikings compete as members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for all 14 varsity sports. The Vikings joined the NSIC from the North Central Conference, which folded in 2008.
In December 2018 Augustana announced its intentions to transition to NCAA Division I by 2030 at the latest. However, they had hoped to receive a bid to join a conference by 2020, according to Sioux Falls newspaper The Argus Leader. Multiple regional media reports in 2018 indicated that Augustana's likeliest Division I destination was the Sioux Falls-based Summit League. Many of the school's boosters are tied to Sanford Health, a hospital company also based in Sioux Falls that has long been a major sponsor of the Summit League. The conference moved its headquarters in 2018 to an office complex owned by Sanford. [3] [4] On May 22, 2020, the Summit League commissioner, Tom Douple, informed Augustana president Stephanie Herseth Sandlin that the conference would not be adding more new teams "at this time." [5]
Men's sports
| Women's sports
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On September 26, 2007, it was officially announced that Bob and Kari Hall were making a $7.1 million donation for an on-campus football stadium. The stadium is to bear the name Kirkeby-Over Stadium in honor of Kari Hall's parents. Construction began on November 12, 2007 [6] with the official groundbreaking taking place on November 16, 2007. Augustana University recently completed the Hall Football Complex; complete with its own locker rooms, weight room, and football meeting rooms. The head football coach is Jerry Olszewski.
Augustana players who have had significant NFL careers include Les Josephson (Los Angeles Rams 1964–1974), Bryan Schwartz (Jacksonville Jaguars 1995–1999), Corbin Lacina (1993–2003), Kevin Kaesviharn (2001–2009), and C. J. Ham (Minnesota Vikings 2016–present). [7]
The Vikings have appeared in the NCAA Division II Playoffs 7 times. Their combined record is 2-7.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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1988 | First round | North Dakota State | L 7–49 |
1989 | First round | St. Cloud State | L 20–27 |
2010 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Grand Valley State Minnesota–Duluth | W 38–6 L 13–24 |
2015 | First round | Humboldt State | L 31–45 |
2019 | First round | Colorado State–Pueblo | L 0–17 |
2021 | First round | Bemidji State | L 24–28 |
2023 | First round Second Round | Minnesota State Colorado Mines | W 51-24 L 10-56 |
In 1976–77, 2004–05, and 2009–10, the Augustana wrestling team finished second in the NCAA Division II Championship. The Elmen Center serves as the home for both the volleyball team and the wrestling team.
In 2015–16 the men's basketball team coached by Tom Billeter finished the season 34–2 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship. On November 6, 2015 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, the Vikings upset the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference 76–74 in an exhibition game on a buzzer-beating right-handed jumper by Daniel Jansen. [8] Led by Jansen, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's Player of the Year, [9] [10] [11] [12] the Vikings were 21–1 in the Northern Sun, then won the NSIC tournament title and captured the Central Regional title with an 80–78 victory over Northwest Missouri State to qualify for the Elite Eight, which was played at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. Augustana defeated Lincoln Memorial 90–81 in the championship game on March 26. [13] Augustana's Arvid Kramer [14] [15] [16] [17] and Brett Szabo [18] both played in the NBA.
The Vikings have appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament 15 times. Their combined record is 19–17. They were National Champions in 2016.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
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1975 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Nebraska-Omaha Missouri—Rolla | L 61–69 W 71–64 |
1977 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | North Dakota Nebraska–Omaha | L 64–71 L 91–93 |
1978 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Chapman Wisconsin–Green Bay | W 78–66 L 60–72 |
1986 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Wayne State (MI) Eastern Montana | L 57–72 L 61–86 |
1988 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Ferris State St. Cloud State | L 75–91 L 114–118 OT |
1989 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Wisconsin–Milwaukee Alaska–Fairbanks | L 95–99 W 112–107 OT |
2008 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Minnesota State–Mankato Northern State | W 95–87 L 66–75 |
2009 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals | St. Cloud State Winona State Southwest Minnesota State | W 73–72 W 88–82 L 60–73 |
2010 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals | New Mexico Highlands Mesa State St. Cloud State | W 87–73 W 95–84 L 75–84 OT |
2012 | Regional Quarterfinals | Colorado Mines | L 69–82 |
2013 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Upper Iowa Winona State | W 79–65 L 65–77 |
2015 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Arkansas Tech Northwest Missouri State | W 104–77 L 65–66 |
2016 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Harding Nebraska–Kearney Northwest Missouri State Tarleton State Western Oregon Lincoln Memorial | W 100–85 W 77–67 W 80–78 W 86–79 W 74–55 W 90–81 |
2017 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Arkansas–Monticello Northwest Missouri State | W 76–69 L 53–74 |
2022 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Southwestern Oklahoma State Upper Iowa Northwest Missouri State | W 83–64 W 65–60 L 56–70 |
The 2012–13 women's basketball team played at San Antonio in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
The Vikings have appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament 15 times. Their combined record is 12–15.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Regional semifinals | North Dakota | L 78–93 |
1991 | Regional semifinals | North Dakota State | L 89–90 |
1992 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Nebraska–Omaha North Dakota State | W 83–70 L 69–104 |
1993 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | North Dakota North Dakota State | W 79–67 L 82–91 |
1994 | Regional First round Regional semifinals | Metro State North Dakota State | W 88–65 L 59–82 |
1997 | Regional First round | Northern State | L 65–68 |
1999 | Regional First round Regional semifinals | South Dakota State North Dakota | W 66–62 L 62–84 |
2006 | Regional Quarterfinals | St. Cloud State | L 69–82 |
2007 | Regional Quarterfinals | Nebraska–Kearney | L 68–75 |
2009 | Regional Quarterfinals | Minnesota State–Mankato | L 68–81 |
2010 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Minnesota–Duluth Fort Lewis | W 74–57 L 52–79 |
2012 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals | Colorado State–Pueblo Wayne State (NE) | W 82–76 L 40–63 |
2013 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four | Concordia–St. Paul Southwestern Oklahoma State Emporia State Clayton State Dowling | W 78–66 W 68–64 W 75–74 W 81–68 L 54–76 |
2018 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Lindenwood Northern State Central Missouri | W 75–41 W 90–86 L 42–81 |
2023 | Regional Quarterfinals | Missouri Southern State | L 74-75 |
The Sanford Pentagon and the Elmen Center serve as the home court for the men's and women's basketball teams.
The 2018 Augustana baseball team won the NCAA Division II College World Series, defeating Columbus State 3–2 in the final. They finished the year 52–9, a school record. [19]
On October 5, 2021 Augustana University announced that it will add men's ice hockey starting in the fall of 2023. The team will compete at the NCAA Division I level in the CCHA. The announcement was made at the groundbreaking ceremony for Midco Arena which will serve as the team's home. [20]
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Upper Midwest of the United States. Nine of its members are in Minnesota, with three members in South Dakota, two members in North Dakota, and one member in Nebraska. It was founded in 1932. With the recent NSIC expansion, the original six member schools have been reunited.
The Summit League, or The Summit, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States, from Minnesota in the east, to the Dakotas, Nebraska and Colorado to the West, and Missouri and Oklahoma to the South. Founded as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities in 1982, it rebranded as the Mid-Continent Conference in 1989, then again as the Summit League on June 1, 2007. The league headquarters are in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois, Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College. It derives its name from the Confessio Augustana, or Augsburg Confession, a foundational document of Lutheranism. Until September 2015, the university was known as Augustana College.
Sioux Falls Arena is a 7,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility was built in 1961. It seats 6,113 for basketball games and 4,760 for indoor football and hockey.
Midco is a regional cable provider, providing a triple play service of cable television, Internet and telephone service for both North Dakota and South Dakota, along with much of Minnesota, and several communities in Kansas and Wisconsin. The company's business-class service also provides direct fiber-optic communications services via leased data circuits for larger companies.
Sanford Health is a nonprofit, integrated health care delivery system headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with additional offices in Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bemidji, Minnesota.
The Elmen Center is the former basketball arena and hosts volleyball games for the Augustana University Vikings in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is located on the Augustana campus. The Elmen Center seats approximately 4,000 fans. The building is also the recreational center for the university and a host of several late night events. The Elmen Center is 81,000 square feet.
The St. Cloud State Huskies are the athletic teams for St. Cloud State University. The university is primarily a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), and currently sponsors 18 NCAA Division II teams. SCSU also sponsors a women's Nordic skiing team through membership in the CCSA, as well as men's and women's Division I ice hockey teams that are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (men) and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (women). The teams go by the nickname Huskies, and the school's mascot is a husky named Blizzard.
The 2012 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 2011–12 basketball season.
The Sanford Pentagon is an indoor arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Pentagon opened in September 2013 and has a seating capacity of 3,250 spectators. It hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. The facility is known for hosting a wide range of sporting events including: regional youth basketball tournaments, NCAA Division I basketball games, NCAA Division II basketball games and tournaments, mixed martial arts events, and occasional concerts.
The 2015 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball. It began on March 13, 2015, following the 2014–15 season and concluded with the championship game on March 28, 2015.
The 2016 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball. It began in March 2016, following the 2015–16 season, and concluded with the championship game on March 26, 2016.
The 2016 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the NCAA Division II women's college basketball national champion. It began on March 10, 2016, and concluded with the championship game on April 4, 2016.
Cortez Thaddeus Ham Jr. is an American football fullback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Augustana (SD) and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings after the 2016 NFL draft. Even though his first year in the NFL was 2016, he has a rookie card in the 2020 Panini Select set.
Daniel Jansen is an American professional basketball player who last played for MZT Skopje of the Macedonian League. He played college basketball at Augustana University from 2012–2016.
Tom Billeter is an American college basketball coach at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. He previously has been the head coach at Augustana University (SD), North Dakota State University, as well as holding assistant coaching roles at a number of NCAA Division I colleges. He led Augustana to the 2016 NCAA Division II national championship and was named the national coach of the year in that season.
The 2018 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the NCAA Division II women's college basketball national champion. It began on March 9, 2018, and concluded with the championship game on March 23, 2018.
The Augustana Vikings men's ice hockey is a NCAA Division I ice hockey team that began play in the fall of 2023.
The Midco Arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is a 3,082-seat ice hockey arena on the campus of Augustana University. The arena broke ground on October 5, 2021.
The 2022 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament was the single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball in the United States.