Univ. Minnesota-Duluth FCS National Champs

The University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) defeated Northwest Missouri State (21-14) for the Division II National Championship this past Saturday. This is a small miracle considering that UMD posted a 4-6 record last year. Furthermore, the Northern Sun intercollegiate conference in which UMD is a member is an “un-funded” conference. Members of “un-funded” conferences in Division II only have 24 scholarships for their football teams, not the Division II standard 36 to work with. Head Coach Bob Nielson Led the Bulldogs to a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship with just 24 total scholarships. This is the equivalent of winning the Iditarod with a team of Yorkies. You may ask yourself “Why is this important?” Well the football giants of the FBS (Division 1) have 85 scholarships and each FCS schools (formerly Division I-AA) 63 athletic scholarships. In division, 2 there are 36 Scholarships and in UMD’s case 24. UMD won the national championship with 24 scholarships against the other 149 division 2 colleges that play football.

As for Northwest Missouri State, they are the proverbial Buffalo Bills of college football having lost the last 4 FCS National Championships. What makes the heartbreak harder to “bear” for the Bearcats is that they lost all four title games by a combined total of just 19 points. The Bearcats, led by head coach Mel Tjeerdsma, fell to Grand Valley State twice, Valdosta State once and UMD this past Saturday, in the four title games. You really do have to respect a program that is essentially 4 games away from being the best dynasty on any level of college football. Nebraska and Tom Osborne has a great run in the mid-90’s winning three out of four years with the great Tommie Frazier teams. NMSU if it would have completed that feat would have easily surpassed that mark set by those great Cornhusker teams. Northwest Missouri also is a member of the MIAA is a fully-funded league that is very tough and has sent a member to the national title game 10 out of the last 18 years.

Northwest Missouri (13-1) has won two national championships, but the last three years have delivered heartbreak. One last thing to take into account is that Division II has a playoff system so making it to four straight title games is an impressive feat.
I guess I did not realize just how hard it must be to run a program with just 36 or 24 scholarships and compete for championships. I have a new found respect for teams on the Division II level not realizing that they do more with less. Congratulations to UMD for winning the National Title.

SINCERELY, KARATE KLAYBORNE