AJS

Good points. After I posted, I did think I’m overly critical about what I perceive UND’s consistency issues since I watch every game. For all I know, the other Tier 1 teams have them as well.

Tier 1. Michigan, Michigan State, Western Tier 2. UND Tier 3. Penn State Appears Michigan & Michigan State can only lose to each other. I don’t think any NCHC team besides UND can beat Western. I have UND currently below Western, strictly for consistency. IMO, UND at its best is > Western, but UND can drop games to other NCHC teams that Western wouldn’t. Unlike UND, Penn State cannot beat the Tier 1 teams in their league, but they also cannot lose to anyone else. I have them a Tier below UND, because I don’t think they can win a title.

I know you know this, but it's not the coaches / players who are setting their budget. I have heard that this past year, Football budget increased while Hockey decreased. There is something to the bus trip to Omaha. Clearly, not enough $ to go around. Strategically, I like where they're at. Keep hockey at a high level, increase Football and once Football gets going, then start really concentrating on basketball.

Let's take part of this. A few years ago, I noticed they flew to Omaha. Couldn't be a bigger waste of money. This year, they bussed. Smart. Every year when they play Bemidji everyone complains. UND has a great contract signed with them. Bus trip. I think it's they do home and home for 3 years and 4th UND gets two home games. Play Mankato or Augie non-conference along with Bemidji & MN every year. There are small tweaks to scheduling for hockey that can really save some $ and that won't affect the product.

It's crazy to me how much the moving to FBS landscape has changed in such a short period of time. For the Dakota / Montana schools, it seems pretty straight forward. You can't afford to do it, but you also can't afford to get left behind. Taking @The Sicatoka post from 12/29 and @SIOUXFAN97 it seems like it's a case of having to buy your way into a conference. I just don't understand what not only what the long-term plan would be, but even just the 5-year plan for the conferences. You get a short-term influx of cash but then have to split the small MW tv pie more ways. For the schools looking to get in. Each school probably has more alumni than one would think that could write a 25-million-dollar check, but from that group you need to find the one person that actually will for this type of situation. Different and considerably bleaker topic than a few years ago. The amount of money needed for a far worse situation is tough.

As someone who was a bit worried about the portal class, I think they closed very well with Macklin, Weir and Kamara. I liked some of the pieces before (especially Lawson and Miller), but I do feel good about this class. NDSU losing their middle linebacker on the last day has me a bit apprehensive to give my thoughts on the overall retention. I do think it's so far so good! Was tough at the beginning, but if they are able to keep it at 4 impact players, could be much worse.

Schmidt was on the 360 pod. They don’t expect a ruling on the JUCO waivers until Spring, but Samuels-Parker & Wiltshire are going to be participating until they are told they cannot. Sounds optimistic based on their situation of it being granted. Getting those two back would be a game changer for 2026.

I could be reading too much into it, but seems to be a little more juice behind this one.

Hot take. This team has tremendous depth with 15 healthy F's. Good depth with 14 healthy F's. 13 healthy F's it starts to get really thin. Not having Croal last weekend was noticeable. Zakreski is such an X-factor for this team. IMO, this team will be so much harder to beat come March if the 3rd line is 19-8-21. That line dominates other team's 3rd lines. For that to be a possibility, you need someone who can step into a Top 6 role, the only candidate that isn't there currently is Zakreski.

DE / LB / WR The way I look at it, you have potentially the Top starting DE combo in the country. What is behind them? Mohr? He’s been hurt consistently. Is the Albany transfer DT or DE? If he’s DE then I still think you need one more. If he’s DT then I think you need DE X 2

Does anyone know how this works? Can they participate in off-season activities while they await word on an additional year?

This program just caught in incredible break the last two weeks. Let's pump it up! I'm actually surprised that anyone would hold a grudge against a coach that left at the end of the Bubba tenure. That was a sinking ship. I look at these two ways, not only is Freund a step up as an OC, but with how poorly the 2nd half went last year, I don't know how the Freuchte / Kaminksi era could have been revived. Multiple factors, not all Freuchte's fault, but this is a hard reset for Jerry and the offense. The outlook for next year is different today than it was two weeks ago.

This can seem like I'm getting ahead of myself, but IMO, there's an extra level of importance, given that Denver hosts a regional. Felt like this when they played Omaha as well. UND can do their part in making Denver start to feel a bit uncomfortable with their NPI with a couple of good results this weekend.

Well said. Programs that don't embrace this type of thinking will be at a disadvantage. Key of course will be this will be done on a case-by-case basis. Asking yourself that simple question.