Upper Iowa ‘journey’ to Division-II respectability complete

Shay Gutman didn't want to leave Iowa after graduating from Cedar Rapids Washington in 2010. He also didn't want to have to wait long to see game action on a college football field.

Upper Iowa University offered him those things, plus a trump card.

'They were the only Division-II school in the state,” he said Friday. 'That was a huge factor, because I wanted to play at the highest level I could.”

Upper Iowa begins its 10th season as a member of NCAA Division II this year, with the Peacocks football team opening play at home on Saturday against Minnesota State Moorhead.

'And certainly, the progression has been a journey,” Athletics Director David Miller said. 'There's no question about that.”

The journey from struggling new member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference to respectable competitor appears complete. Upper Iowa posted its first winning season in Division II last year, going 6-5. Now the Peacocks look to take another step forward in one of the best Division-II conferences in the country, featuring nationally-ranked teams Minnesota Duluth, MSU-Mankato and St. Cloud State.

They will have plenty of firepower, as six all-conference performers return on offense. Running back Chris Smith became the Peacocks' all-time career rushing leader last season, and quarterback Cole Jaeschke claimed the career passing yards record. Tight end Lucas Hefty, offensive lineman Casey Beck, and wide receivers Derek Giesking and Keaton Hosch also earned all-Conference honors last season.

'It's been a blast to play in this offense,” Gutman said. 'Anybody can go off on any given weekend.”

Upper Iowa has been able to bring in some of that talent thanks in part to its D-II status, which was part of the reason the university wanted to make the jump. Head football coach Tom Shea was a defensive coordinator the year after the Peacocks debuted in D-II,

'They wanted some uniqueness, some separation from different schools to help with enrollment,” he said. 'It gives us regional exposure, and we can give scholarships to athletes. If you look at what it has done for the student body, I think it's been a tremendous success.”

It has also raised the academic profile of the school, Miller said. Tougher academic requirements have boosted the athletic department's overall GPA to a 3.2, and more than a third of the student body is comprised of athletes.

It may have taken some time for the Peacocks to adjust to the D-II level on the field -- they went 5-17 in the two seasons before last. But a decade in, they are ready to compete.

'When our recruiting class came in, we had heard Upper Iowa isn't a fun place to be, you can't win there,” Gutman said. 'We had a chip on our shoulder, and it's been great to see it all come together on the field.”