Today's New York Times has a good article on the Lincoln/OSU-Marion game.  Apparently, OSU-M was invited to the tournament only three days before the game as a replacement for Wayne State, who dropped out.  So, Lincoln had no control over scheduling OSU-M and probably thought the tournament field would include a D2 school. 

Has this been posted here yet?
http://www.ohiohistory.org/about/pr/18575106290/release.html

It is worth noting that along with academic standards, gender balance is a key component of the NCAC's mission.  From the conference webpage:
"A member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III, the NCAC features championship competition in 22 sports — 11 for men and 11 for women. The 11 women's sports are the most offered by any Division III conference, and the equality in number and emphasis between men's and women's athletics is just one of the elements that sets the North Coast apart."

The All-Sport trophy is part of this equality.  The schools that do well have strong Men's and Women's programs. 

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