FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The University of North Dakota is looking for ways to save money in its athletic department, and it could include a change in conference affiliation.
New school President Mark Kennedy is taking inventory of athletics after the department ended the fiscal year with a shortfall of about $1.4 million. He has ordered a campus committee to analyze several factors, including the number of sports, cost of the programs and the conference landscape.
The Fighting Hawks are members of the Big Sky Conference, which has 11 full-time members and five affiliate members who do not participate in all of the league's core sports. The three other Division I programs in the Dakotas participate in the Summit League for most sports and the Missouri Valley Football Conference for football.