(Sioux Falls) Competition in the North Central Conference comes to an end this weekend with the NCC baseball tournament and track and field meet.  It'll be the end of an 86 year old league that's often been considered the best in Division II.

Noel Olson of Sioux Falls spent 13-years as the commissioner of the NCC.  The 76-year old Minnesota native has been around the league his entire life and he says it's tough to see it come to an end. 

Noel Olson says, "I think what happened is the NCAA didn't get Division II enough credit or scholarships.  So we were a victim of our own success."

The North Central Conference features great regional rivalries that was always strong top to bottom and  won their share of national championships.

"I think the reason for that, there weren't any division one schools in the area, so we got a lot of great athletes," Olson said.

 In football, they were the class of Division II.

"We were the best.  One year, USD and NDSU played for the national championship and the rest of the country didn't like that.  So that's how regionalzation came about so that one team would come out of each region."

Olson is especially proud of what the North Central accomplished in women's sports, especially in basketball.  

"When I started, the women's programs were just beginning and we moved up the ladder quickly.  We were clearly the best women's program in the country.  There wasn't even a contest," Olson said.

Tune in Friday night at six to watch part two of the two piece on the great North Central Conference.