South Dakota
CCHA expanding into South Dakota with addition of Augustana University
Garrett Raboin, proven right here as an assistant coach on the College of Minnesota, has been named head hockey coach on the CCHA’s latest member, Augustanta College, which can begin enjoying within the 2023-24 season. (Picture courtesy Augustana College)
Augustana College of Sioux Falls, South Dakota — close to the Minnesota border and about 200 miles southwest of Minneapolis — was unanimously accepted by the CCHA, which incorporates the seven colleges that broke away from the Western Collegiate Hockey Affiliation final summer season and NCAA Division I newcomer St. Thomas of Minnesota.
That’s in keeping with an emailed information launch from the CCHA.
The WCHA breakaway colleges are Northern Michigan College, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State and Ferris State in Michigan; Bowling Inexperienced State in Ohio; and Minnesota State-Mankato and Bemidji State in Minnesota.
The Vikings — who transitioned its identify from Augustana Faculty to Augustana College in 2015 — are an NCAA Division II establishment in most different sports activities, much like the 4 Michigan members of the CCHA, together with NMU.
However Augustana officers stated within the CCHA’s announcement that they’re planning to hitch Division I in most or all sports activities via their strategic plan, named Viking Daring: The Journey to 2030. It contains targets associated to athletics, particularly becoming a member of D-1, student-athlete assist and neighborhood engagement.
Already, Augustana broke floor in October on Midco Area, touted as a brand new, state-of-the-art hockey area that can seat a minimum of 3,000 with a number of suites and different premium seating choices. This and the brand new hockey program is being funded by presents from numerous donors, led by T. Denny Sanford, Midco and Sanford Well being.
The announcement stated that Augustana won’t play hockey within the 2022-23 season, then play two years of a “transitional” schedule starting within the fall of 2023 earlier than enjoying a full CCHA schedule for 2025-26.
The Vikings have already employed a head coach, Garrett Raboin. Like NMU head coach Grant Potulny, Raboin is a former assistant coach on the College of Minnesota. The brand new Augustana coach simply completed his fourth season with the Gophers after a six-year stint in the identical place at one other Minnesota college, St. Cloud State of the Nationwide Collegiate Hockey Convention.
NMU athletic director Forrest Karr, who’s the CCHA Administration Council chairman, was fairly constructive concerning the league’s growth.
“Our planning is concentrated on what is sweet for the convention and what’s going to advance the convention,” Karr stated within the CCHA launch. “Our website go to workforce went to Augustana College in November and we have been impressed with the high-quality tutorial applications, distinctive athletic amenities and glorious neighborhood assist.
“Augustana College is constructing a sustainable hockey program that can add worth to the CCHA and place the convention for future success.”
These sentiments have been echoed by CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and league Board of Administrators Chairwoman Religion Hensrud, who can be president of Bemidji State.
“The CCHA helps the continued development of faculty hockey and is worked up to just accept Augustana College as our ninth member,” Lucia stated within the league e mail. “Sioux Falls is a confirmed hockey neighborhood and the dedication Augustana College is making to Division I hockey is spectacular. Our members sit up for aiding Augustana College of their transition to varsity hockey and the CCHA over the subsequent few years.”
For instance of the Sioux Falls space’s assist for hockey, the Sioux Falls Stampede is a member of the 16-team U.S. Hockey League, listed because the nation’s solely Tier I junior hockey league that has had six consecutive years with a minimum of 30 NHL draft picks and in 2021-22 had greater than 400 NCAA D-I faculty commitments.
“We’re very happy to welcome Augustana College into the CCHA,” Hensrud stated. “The dedication Augustana College has to tutorial excellence mirrors that of all of the groups within the CCHA and can add to our general excellence as a league.”
Augustana has a report of athletic success, with 5 NCAA nationwide championships whereas competing within the Northern Solar Intercollegiate Convention, a largely Minnesota league in NCAA Division II.
The Vikings have gained 4 nationwide titles since 2010 and completed within the prime 20 of the Division II Learfield Director’s Cup standings for eight of the previous 9 years.
Academically, Augustana persistently leads the NSIC in all-academic honorees and has had 44 Educational All-America honors over the previous decade, the CCHA launch acknowledged.
The CCHA additionally introduced that Augustana turns into a full voting member instantly, and can play a transitional schedule in one other 12 months, beginning in fall 2023 with 16 video games — one sequence towards every authentic CCHA member — in each 2023-24 and 2024-25 earlier than enjoying a full league schedule for 2025-26.
“As Augustana launches the primary faculty hockey program in South Dakota, we’re grateful to the CCHA for welcoming our college, town of Sioux Falls, and the complete state to NCAA Division I competitors on this thrilling sport,” Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin stated. “We’re thrilled to hitch the CCHA — the league and its members are dedicated to excellence, participant growth and the expertise of student-athletes and followers.”
“We started this tutorial 12 months with three targets for our hockey program and with this invitation we now have now achieved all three — finalize the design of Midco Area, rent a head coach and discover a convention dwelling,” Augustana athletics director Josh Morton stated. “Becoming a member of a league that has shortly established itself as a nationally aggressive convention means rather a lot and we sit up for including to the excellence of the CCHA in 2023 as we carry the best stage of faculty hockey to Augustana College.”
Augustana was based in 1860, has an enrollment of two,100 and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Regardless of the identical nickname because the close by Minnesota Vikings NFL workforce, these Vikings’ college colours are navy blue and gold.
Data compiled by Journal Sports activities Editor Steve Brownlee. His e mail deal with is sbrownlee@miningjournal.web.