LCO Ojibwe College Joins National Junior College Athletic Assocation

LCO Ojibwe College

Press Release

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College was recently approved to join the National Junior College Athletic Association. This critical step brings the College closer to their goal of launching a golf program in the 2020-2021 academic year.

President Russell Swagger commented that “the college continuously focuses on student engagement, retention and graduation. The addition of athletic programming aligns with the college’s strategic plan and aims to fill the needs of today’s students who are looking for athletics to be part of their educational experience.”

As part of the College’s vision for the future, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College’s plans for expansion include additional athletic programs, student housing, and childcare.

“The NJCAA is very excited to welcome new member Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College to the association. We know their focus is on student engagement, student success, and student completion and that excites us all because they are using sports to help obtain those goals.” Dr. Christopher Parker, Executive Director of NJCAA.

“Region 13 is very excited to welcome Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College to the NJCAA and Region 13. We look forward to working with Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College to develop their intercollegiate athletic programs and value their membership in the organization,” said Steve Crittenden, NJCAA Region 13 Board Member.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College will be launching their inaugural athletic program with a men’s and women’s golf team with the spring 2021 season.

About Region 13

Region 13 is comprised of NJCAA programs in Minnesota, North Dakota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, eastern Montana and northern Wisconsin. The MCAC represents the Region XIII Division III (non-scholarship) two-year college athletic programs found within the Minnesota State College & University system, as well as select colleges in North Dakota & Wisconsin.

Member colleges of the NJCAA are allotted to a specific NJCAA Region upon membership to the association. Unlike other collegiate organizations that defer to conference affiliation, the NJCAA guarantees each member college's membership within the regional structure of the association. In most cases, region assignment is based upon geographic location of the college.

The region structure of the NJCAA is the primary method used by all sponsored sports of the association in determining qualification for national championship tournaments. In certain sports, two or more regions are partnered to form a competition 'district', which is then used for national championship qualification.