BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The NSIC Board of Directors has announced an extension to NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind’s contract, continuing her guidance of the conference through 2029. Lind has served as NSIC Commissioner since July 1, 2014.

Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, president of Concordia University, St. Paul and 2022-23 chair of the NSIC Board of Directors, commented, “The NSIC Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that Erin Lind has agreed to continue to serve as the commissioner of the NSIC.  During the past decade, Erin's visionary leadership has positioned the league as a leading NCAA Division II conference.  We are proud of Erin’s numerous accomplishments, her passion for our individual and combined success, and her strong and effective leadership during this turbulent time in higher education and intercollegiate athletics.  With Erin at the helm, the future of the NSIC is exciting and bright.”

Lind joined the NSIC staff in the summer of 2001 and had served as the NSIC Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator since 2005.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to continue to serve in the role of commissioner for the Northern Sun,” said Lind.  “I am fortunate to work with an amazing staff that makes serving our membership the top priority every day. Our staff is committed to continuing to make the student-athlete experience in the NSIC memorable and impactful. What makes our conference special is the people in it, and I am honored to continue to work closely with our Board of Directors, Conference Council members, coaches, student-athletes and external stakeholders for the years to come.”

During her tenure as commissioner, Lind has been instrumental in envisioning the future of the NSIC and  implementing the league’s current strategic plan. She has increased the visibility of the league through corporate partnerships. Partners such as Sanford Health and Midco Sports Network have led the way to championship enhancements across all sports. NSIC Championship and game-day experience enhancements have included live television coverage, improved branding of the championships, along with all student-athletes competing in first-class venues and receiving mementos for participating at NSIC Championships. Lind also created a partnership with ISG as the primary sponsor of the league’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Summit, an event that has flourished during her tenure.

Under Lind’s guidance, the league has also created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) group that has enhanced DEI efforts through various avenues. The conference also partnered with the D2CCA Player 2 Ref program and worked with its coordinators of officials to enhance avenues to attract, educate, and retain officials across NSIC sports. Academics and life skills in the NSIC continued to be enhanced through educational and leadership programming for student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. During the 2022-23 academic year, the conference partnered with the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health to provide various educational programming opportunities to enhance physical, mental, and social wellbeing of NSIC constituents.

Lind has also been active on the national scene where she currently serves on the NCAA Management Council and the Division II Planning & Finance Committee.  Previous positions included being a member of the NCAA Division II Central Regional Advisory Committees for women’s basketball, volleyball and softball. She also served as Regional Advisory Committee Chair for men’s and women’s tennis. She was a member of the NCAA Division II Championships Committee and served as chair in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Lind has also served on the NCAA Division II Nominating Committee and NCAA Concussion Advisory Group.  She  also served on the Executive Committee of the Division II Conference Commissioner Association (D2CCA) and was chair in 2019-20.

Lind’s accomplishments over the years have not gone unnoticed as she was presented the Breaking Barriers Award at the 2016 Minnesota National Girls and Women in Sports Day award ceremony. She was also the first recipient of the GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) Award in 2011, which is presented to a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University to recognize recent (past 10 years) graduates with exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the recipient’s profession or community/society or university.

A 2001 graduate of SMSU in Marshall, Minnesota, Lind earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management with minors in business management and coaching. She completed her Master of Education in sports management at the University of Minnesota in 2003.

Known as Erin Frye in her playing days, Lind was a starter for the women’s basketball team from 1998 to 2001. She was an All-NSIC First Team selection and a member of the NSIC All-Tournament Team as a junior and was honorable mention all-conference as a senior. She ended her career as the school’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,380 points. Lind helped lead SMSU to the 2000-01 NSIC Championship and its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
Erin and her husband, Matt, have two sons, Jacob & Taylor.