By a 6-2 margin, the South Dakota Board of Regents gave its approval Thursday to allow South Dakota State University to further pursue reclassification of its intercollegiate athletics program to NCAA Division I.    Approval from the Board of Regents during its regular meeting in Rapid City is the latest step in a nearly two-year process of studying a potential move to Division I. Regents heard testimony from proponents and opponents of the potential move during a hearing in Sioux Falls on Dec. 4. SDSU also enlisted outside consulting firms Carr Sports Associates to conduct a feasibility study and Conventions, Sports and Leisure International (CSL) to conduct a market assessment, both of which came back favorable toward a move to Division I.    The final hurdle to reclassification is conference affiliation. Throughout the fact-finding process SDSU officials have stated that the university will not make a move up the ranks of the NCAA until a suitable conference affiliation is secured. Thursday's action by the Board of Regents gives SDSU officials the authority to negotiate with potential conferences. SDSU would seek membership in a Division I-AA football-playing conference, while all other Jackrabbit athletic teams would compete in Division I (or I-A).    SDSU currently sponsors 20 sports at the intercollegiate varsity level - 10 each for men and women. Affiliation in NCAA Division I could begin as soon as the 2004-05 school year.    "I think that in the long run for our university, it's probably a great move. In the short run for wrestling, the timing is probably not the greatest," SDSU wrestling coach Jason Liles stated. "It is going to be tough to recruit when you have to worry about sitting out the postseason for four years."    "It's going to effect my recruiting for sure. We are going to have to come up with a new plan to get through that time. As a team, it will be tough to compete. Individually, I know we can have people that can compete," Liles added.    The 2002-03 enrollment is 9,952 students at SDSU. Over 50% of all Division I institutions have enrollments of less than 7,500 students.    SDSU, then South Dakota State College, joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1957 as a member of the College Division, then joined NCAA Division II in the mid-1970s when the College Division was separated into Division II and Division III.    Frequently Asked Questions About SDSU's Move To Division I