To borrow a sports cliché, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
For the South Dakota Mines athletic department, the Hardrockers are consistently looking ahead after making the move from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II more than 13 years ago.
South Dakota Mines was accepted into Division II in 2010 and began a three-year transition from the NAIA in 2011-2012. The Hardrockers became a full-fledged member of NCAA Division II starting the 2013-2014 school year.
The Hardrockers initially began as a DII independent. In 2016, the Hardrockers began play in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The football and soccer programs initially competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Several Hardrockers Use DII Experience to Further Athletic Career
Moving from NAIA to Division II has allowed several South Dakota Mines athletes to continue their athletic careers on a professional level. They include former Hardrocker football stars Jakeb Sullivan, Jack Batho, Jeremiah Bridges, and Adrian Eastman, as well as basketball standouts Konor Kulas, Jack Fiddler, and Kolten Mortensen.
Sullivan, a local product of St. Thomas More, came to Mines after transferring from Northern State University. Now in his fourth season of playing football in Europe, the 2021 European League of Football champion and championship game MVP said playing football for the Hardrockers challenged him, on and off the field.
“We played in one of the best DII conferences in America with teams like Colorado State Pueblo and Colorado School of Mines,” Sullivan said. “Aside from that, my teammates and I went to school at one of the most prestigious engineering schools in America. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, because my time at South Dakota Mines taught me how to overcome tough situations. Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
What do Division II Student-Athletes Need?
In 2014, a student survey was distributed that encompassed everything about the student-athlete experience. One of the top things that has been done for the athletes is to improve their experience medically, along with sports performance.
With its partnership with Monument Health, the South Dakota Mines athletic department employs four trainers and two full-time strength and conditioning coaches.
Number two in the survey was developing a culture of not making any excuses.
Third was the need for better facilities, which means improvements to O'Harra Stadium. Fundraising both for student-athlete scholarships and things like facilities and other needs within the department are ongoing.
Getting the Best Student-Athletes Possible
If their recruiting can get more consistent, their trend line should go up with wins and losses without sacrificing academics.
Recruiting students athletes is improving at South Dakota Mines with the help o fincreased scholarship opportunities. South Dakota Mines has increased money for scholarship from about $575,000 in 2014 to around $1.3 million in 2022. The NCAA allows $2.8 million in scholarships, giving Mines room to grow its scholarship goals.
