THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: What's new is old, or brand new for some

There’s changes afoot.

Whether at the college, high school or professional level, there’s a good reason why it might seem a little different this fall.

It’s because — it is.

A LITTLE closer to home, North Idaho College settles back into the Scenic West Athletic Conference this year after leaving for the regionally-based Northwest Athletic Conference in 2016.

The school’s basketball teams returned to the NJCAA’s Scenic West Athletic Conference last winter, with softball, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball joining for the 2024-25 season.

It won’t be much of a change for the softball and volleyball teams, who have found some success at the national level in recent years.

Wrestling, which owns 14 national titles, never left in its search for that 15th title.

Salt Lake, Utah State-Eastern, Southern Nevada, Truckee Meadows in Reno, Nev., Snow, Colorado Northwestern, Community Christian (Redlands, Calif.) and Pacific Northwest Christian (Kennewick, Wash.) also field men’s soccer teams. College of Southern Idaho, in Twin Falls, will also field teams for the first time this season.

“The SWAC plays a very high level of soccer,” said NIC women’s soccer coach Kellsi Parson, who enters her third full season as coach. “Two or three teams are always in the Top 25. I think the biggest challenge is that there’s never going to be a day off. We can’t overlook anyone in the conference and every game has meaning.”

Parson played at NIC in 2012, helping the Cardinals to a 9-4-2 record.

NIC has seven sophomores on its roster this season.

“The recruiting process was a lot different this year,” Parson said. “We were given funds that will allow us to compete for a national championship.”

In the NJCAA, full scholarships for athletes cover tuition and fees, as well as room and board. In the NWAC, only 65% of those fees are covered.

Among the returners are Adison Stoddard, Cora Anderson and Ali Ellsworth. Ashley Wilson, a freshman defender from Timberlake High in Spirit Lake, is the lone local on the roster.

Freshman midfielder Drew Hansen from Coeur d’Alene High and sophomore goalkeeper Kael McGowan return for the men’s program.

“I really took my time on everyone we brought in,” Parson said. “I made sure to sit down and talk with everyone and their families to make sure they fit who we were looking for, both on and off the field. We brought in 23 very dynamic and different players. We added height, speed and experience to a very experienced returning group of players.”

For second-year NIC men’s coach Brad Williams, he had a little more time with his recruiting this time around.

“Last year, I inherited a group of three returning players after starting on May 1,” Williams said. “I had to quickly assemble a roster that could compete in the NWAC, which was a difficult task. This year, I started recruiting in September of 2023. I’ve spent countless hours watching film, traveling to see players compete in various competitions, having phone calls and bringing in the right student-athletes, not just for a playing standpoint, but had the right character to take us up several levels in order to compete in the NJCAA. We now have players from 10 different countries, five fives and some of the best local talent to up our level and compete with some of the best teams in the nation.”

NIC opens the women’s season with an exhibition match against the Community Colleges of Spokane at Eisenwinter Field on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

The Cardinals will also face Yakima Valley and NAIA foes College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon before the first regular season match on Aug. 22 at Western Wyoming of Rock Springs, Wyo.

FOR THOSE used to those rivalry games with Spokane, Wenatchee Valley and Columbia Basin, those are not on the schedule for this season.

Travel to matches, either within the conference or nonconference, will include trips to Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and California.

“What I’ll miss the most about the NWAC is the travel schedule,” Parson said. “It was nice to be home every night. But the travel schedule with the SWAC also has its benefits. I also think it gives the student athletes the true college experience. Staying in hotels, flying to games, and being in very competitive games will be very exciting for everyone involved.”

“We are fully embracing the higher level of competition that the NJCAA and SWAC provides our student-athletes,” Williams said. “We will still have plenty of time together in buses and travel time, but are also aware of the challenges that will bring our student-athletes academically. We are planning on a rigorous study schedule on the road to ensure our program is doing our jobs as both students and athletes. We will have a lot of time to bond on and off the field, and are excited for the team-building process that we will experience this season.”

In the case of NIC, we kind of know the enemy a little bit.

Sure, we haven’t seen them play Salt Lake, Snow or CSI quite yet, but if we’ve learned anything about matchups in other sports, it won’t lack enthusiasm from either team.

Rivalries are rivalries.

Even in some cases, they’re a little newer than others.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.