The MIAA had been the University of Nebraska at Omaha and schools in Missouri and Kansas until last week when it added 2 from the Lone Star Conference...Central Oklahoma and Northeastern Oklahoma as part of a goal to expand from 12 to 16 schools.

    It has also extended an invitation to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., an NAIA school transitioning to NCAA Division II, leaving one more slot open if Lindenwood accepts.

     Kristensen says while both leagues are outstanding, switching would significantly reduce UNK's travel expenses...adding that "the map says it all." Chadron State is UNK's nearest RMAC rival at 346 miles while the MIAA has 7 schools within that radius.

     In fact, Kristensen says the Lopers' 2 longest MIAA trips...if granted membership...combined would still be shorter than their longest RMAC trip to Western New Mexico University. He says he'd rather "put money into scholarships instead of gas."

        UNK Athletic Director Jon McBride says the goal is to make life better for athletes by reducing the number of long bus rides and missed classes.

      Kristensen says the RMAC schools "are like family" and he takes no joy in proposing to leave, but says the situation has arisen very quickly with the MIAA an opportunity that wasn't there a year ago.

      Changing leagues would also renew old rivalries for the Lopers. They were a member of the Central States Intercollegiate Conference from 1976 to 1989, and all but one other member of that league is a member of the MIAA.

      UNK would need the approval of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to move to the MIAA, and the request is already on the agenda for the regents next meeting in two weeks in Lincoln.

     If the regents give their ok as expected, UNK would then formally apply to the MIAA for membership.

      The conference would then begin consideration of the application, a process that would include campus visits and an inventory of the UNK athletic department. If accepted, UNK would likely join the MIAA for the 2012-2013 school year.

       UNK would have one of the smallest athletic budgets in the MIAA and fewer scholarships, especially in football where MIAA schools go to the D-II limit of 36 while the RMAC has a limit of 28, but Kristensen says he's not going to lay awake at night worrying about that because the Loper coaches are good at what they do.

       The RMAC has been talking expansion itself, and is looking at a northward expansion as a possibility. South Dakota Mines in Rapid City and Black Hills State in Spearfish were just accepted for transition into D-II and have approached both the RMAC and the Northern Sun Conference about membership.