BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced its 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees. The induction ceremony will be held Tuesday, July 9 at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Lakeville, Minnesota at the NSIC's 20th annual Summer Kickoff event. A social will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Reserve your tickets for the banquet by visiting www.NorthernSun.org/SummerKickoff and filling out the online Hall of Fame Banquet Registration Form. Registrations are due no later than July 1, as space is limited for this event.
The class of 2019 includes:
Erika Hohenstein, Minnesota State University Moorhead;
Jason Jacobs, Southwest Minnesota State University;
Dustin Jones, Wayne State College; and
Deidra (Faber) Schumacher, Winona State University.
Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league. For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC. In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame now boasts 204 members and one team.
The 23-member Class of 2000 was the first to include standout female student-athletes from the former NSC. The 2000 inductees entered the Hall at the inaugural NSIC Summer Kickoff Event in Becker, Minnesota. The distinguished class of 2001 was enshrined in Willmar, Minnesota, as the conference moved the annual Summer Kickoff Event. This year's NSIC Hall of Fame includes four prominent inductees that are being recognized at the 20th annual NSIC Summer Kickoff Event, at its new home in Lakeville, Minnesota.
Each NSIC school (who has been a league member for at least ten years) is asked to submit one candidate per institution for induction into the Hall. Each of the candidates are derived from individuals who have been affiliated with the NSIC, NIC, NSC and their member institutions.
In order to be eligible for the NSIC Hall of Fame, candidates must have made their contributions in one of the following areas: 1) former student-athletes, 2) administrator/coach, 3) official/supervisor/coordinator, 4) contributor/supporter, or 5) team. The conference provides two plaques; one of which will go to the inductee and one to the institution represented. A history of each inductee will be kept in the league office and each institution will prominently display the plaques of their respective NSIC Hall of Fame inductees.
Jason Jacobs – Southwest Minnesota State University (1996-1999)
Jason Jacobs was a four-year letterwinner for the Southwest State University football program from 1996 to 1999. The defensive lineman concluded his career as one of the most decorated players in program history.
Jacobs, a native of Bird Island, Minnesota, played in 42 career games and was a two-time first team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honoree (1998-99), including being named the 1998 NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
Jacobs was named first team Daktronics All-Region in 1999 and twice was named second team Daktronics All-Region (1997-98). The 1999 NSIC Glen Galligan Award winner as the conference's top football senior student-athlete, he was a named second team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1999 and twice was named first team CoSIDA Academic All-District (1998-99). He was also a two-time Football Gazette second team All-American (1998-99).
Jacobs closed his career holding the school record for tackles for loss with 58, while ranking second with 28 quarterback sacks and fifth in total tackles with 286. He also holds the school single-season record with 19 tackles for loss in 1999 and helped lead his team to a winning record in 1999, which was just the seventh in program history. He was inducted into the SMSU Hall of Honor in 2013.
Jason currently works for Entrust Datacard Corporation as a Director of Financial Reporting and Accounting Operations. He and his wife, Molly, have two children and live in Victoria, Minnesota.
