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ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University men’s basketball team made history with an electrifying national championship appearance that united the campus, community and entire state of South Dakota – and it’s only the beginning.

Though the Wolves fell one basket short in the final game, their record-breaking season leads right into a thrilling series of events yet to come at the university.

“It’s been such a game-changing time at Northern, with so much positive momentum on campus, and the Wolves’ historic season propels us even farther forward,” said NSU President Dr. Tim Downs. “Words can’t even express how proud I am of the entire team, and how grateful I am to all of Wolves Nation for coming out in droves to support our student-athletes and our university.”

More than 9,000 combined fans – including alumni, faculty, staff and students – cheered on their hometown team at three games held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. And for the Wolves, “hometown” extended far beyond the borders of the Northern campus. The whole community of Aberdeen “marooned out” all championship week as the Wolves kept advancing, each game more thrilling than the last.

By the championship game, people from around the nation were cheering on the Wolves, with the NCAA reporting more than 1 million viewers.

“We cannot thank our athletic department, men’s basketball coaches, and student-athletes enough for the excellent season the team had this year,” Downs said. “They all well represented Northern and our community as athletes with the highest level of sportsmanship and honor. We will cherish the efforts of this team for decades into the future.”

As the university moves forward with major campus improvement projects, Downs said he’s excited for NSU supporters to keep showing up for Northern. An estimated timeline of those projects follows:

April 2018: A ground-breaking ceremony will be held for the Regional Science Education Center and the Athletic and Recreation Fields. The new science center will be located at the corner of South State Street and Twelfth Avenue Southeast, serving as a gateway to campus. The state-of-the-art facility, which will advance educational and research opportunities for the university and entire region, will open in fall 2019.

The Athletic and Recreation Fields, located east of Jerde Hall, are expected to be completed in August 2018, with the pavilion completed in September. This project, along with two others – a new School for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the current site of NSU’s Jerde Hall and an on-campus regional sports complex – are part of the NSU-SDSBVI Educational Impact Campaign. The $45 million campaign has already received pledges for donations totaling more than $25 million, not including a recent ask of $5 million from the city of Aberdeen.

Summer/fall 2018: Jerde Hall will be demolished to make way for the new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Construction will then start on the new SDSBVI, with completion expected in fall 2019.

Fall 2018: Great Plains East and West, Northern’s two new residence halls, will open their doors to 299 students. These halls will boast amenities such as air-conditioning, conference rooms, study rooms – and even a Papa John’s Pizza, convenience store and game-cleaning room.

Fall 2019/spring 2020: Following a fall 2019 demolition of the current SDSBVI, construction will begin on NSU’s on-campus regional sports complex, which will include Dacotah Bank Stadium and Koehler Hall of Fame Softball Field. Completion is expected no later than 2022.

“All of these projects – along with an outstanding athletics program, as our Wolves demonstrated so clearly – are perfect examples of what I mean by ‘enhancing the student experience,’” Downs said. “And our students aren’t the only ones who benefit. The success of our teams and our campus improvement projects truly enhance the experience for the whole community, region and state – for all of Wolves Nation.”

For more information about campus improvement projects at Northern, visit the NSU Campus Master Plan webpage.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $45 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.