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Published: August 8, 2003 - The Observer
By Raenelle Kwock, Observer Staff Writer

"Eastern Oregon is in the process of making another request to join the Northwest Conference, an NCAA Division III conference," said Sheldon Nord, the university¹s vice president of student affairs.

Nord spent five years at Oregon Institute of Technology, a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

Nord said Eastern needs to have a strong reputation like OIT men¹s basketball coach Danny Miles or Linfield football or Southern Oregon¹s women¹s basketball.

Nord said Eastern should look at its successful track and cross county programs and do the same thing in the other sports.

"My desire is for all sports to be very competitive," he said.

Nord said he would like every Eastern athlete and coach to have a reasonable chance of winning conference championships.

Eastern football is an independent and does not have a conference championship.

Eastern football coach Jim Fenwick said there are several options for change: Division II, Division III or NAIA.

"Geographically, our location (is an issue)," he said. "Our direction and administration decides what is best for the students here. So if the biggest concern is go to Division II, we must be equal and fair to the student-athletes competing at Division II. If it¹s being NAIA ... be fair to students and the NAIA for a good healthy program. Division III ... same questions."

Eastern football is scheduled to play three teams from the NAIA Frontier Conference this season. This conference is primarily based in Montana.

"At this time, I am not aware of any expansion to the Frontier Conference," Carroll football coach Mike Van Diest said. "It has been mentioned in the past, and two years ago Eastern Oregon was extended an invitation to join the conference but the president of Eastern declined the invitation. That is where we stand at this time."

The Frontier Conference consists of Montana Tech in Butte, the University of Great Falls, Rocky Mountain in Billings, Montana State-Northern in Havre, Carroll College in Helena, Western Montana in Dillon, Lewis and Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

"A year ago, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Management Council and CEO Board voted to place a moratorium on any discussions of conference expansion for two years," GNAC commissioner Richard Hannan said. "That time period expires at the spring 2004 conference meetings. At that time there will be a general review and discussion of expansion to determine if there is any interest in pursuing opportunities that may be available."

Pasco Arritola, who coached Eastern men¹s basketball from 1975-78, said winning is important but the focus should be primarily on academics. He thinks athletics should live within that.

"If Eastern wants to be highly competitive, they (have) to entice better athletes to come," Arritola said.

Lee Insko, who coached Eastern football from 1968-77 and men¹s basketball from 1978-82, said individual sports like cross country and track have had success and there are opportunities to expand on that success. Insko said the chances in league are limited for team sports because Eastern teams are playing schools that give out athletic scholarships.

Eastern athletic director Rob Cashell said he is not an advocate of either the NCAA or NAIA. But, he said there needs to be a decision for what is best for the student-athletes and the  institution.

"I¹m not concerned which direction it is; I¹m concerned about having a direction," Cashell said.

Eastern Oregon University
One University Boulevard,
La Grande, OR 97850-2899
Phone: 541-962-3672
or call 1-800-452-8639 for Admissions Information

Eastern Oregon University is a member of the
Oregon University System