The school and community profile says so. But for all the success the school has had on the court and on the field since joining the NSIC, the community takes very little notice and offers only minimal support. But then again, maybe its a matter of "if you build it, they will come." The same questions were asked when NDSU and SDSU left the NCC for DI, more so in Brookings than Fargo. The move has ushered in a golden era of athletics at both schools and their respective communities and states have turned out. But Mankato, not being a flagship or land grant institution in Minnesota, could just as easily fall into a profile of a Western or Eastern Illinois, which isn't pretty. That said, the hockey program has actually done pretty well, and I know people that have no connection to MSU-M and have never laced up a skate in their life that are more than just casual fans of Maverick hockey. For Mankato, I think they are content with being DI hockey only.
Edit: I'd add that there was some quiet athletic department interest in moving up a number of years ago after USD and UND made the leap but outside of the athletic department, there appears to have been zero interest or support for such a move, whether at the admin level, MNSCU, community (meaning those that would be the financial support, not the man on the street with empty pockets, etc), or otherwise
