PartTime

What you say is true, but once again, waiting on Spirit Lake for their responce was pre-settlement.

Ding ding ding ding ding!! we have a winner here!! I don't know why the AG would agree to UND having to get permission from two tribes instead of one. That, to me, considering Standing Rocks stance, was the clincher. BUT!! It didn't have to come down to this, if Spirit Lake would have spoken up from the get go when everyone was asking them instead of sitting on the fence saying nothing, it wouldn't have even come to this. Many of you will disagree with me I'm sure but I blame Spirit Lake first. The NCAA was waiting for a responce and they said nothing. I refuse to feel sorry for Spirit Lake, their approval didn't come until after the settlement agreement. Just my opinion.

Grand Forks grew 7.1% even with the base downsizing continuously over the last 10 years, I don't think that's bad at all. They have GF at just under 53,000 people now, I'm guessing we would have been around 60,000+ if the base would have been left alone, but it happened and now it will be going the other way...............to what degree I don't know, but up is better than down.

The downsizing of the base over the years hasn't helped, but now that's hit rock bottom and is going to start going the other way, that should help. As for Grand Forks itself, I've often thought that our city leaders have no vision and they are content with stagnant to slow growth..............just my opinion.

Like I said, depends on who is playing................they also had a game at REA between Central and Grafton that was 9,000+

I agree with you as far as Fargo/UP hosting the East region, but State? not sure I agree with this, UP (or is it called Scheels Arena now?) seats just under 5,000 right? they would be turning people away, not every game, it depends on who is playing, but there would be games where they would be.

Yeah, if you compare Fargo's metro population to Grand Forks city population, big difference, but I know your trying to make a point here.

Bull! I've said it before and I'll say it again, where were they and why didn't they speak up before the settlement when UND said they had Spirit Lakes support and the NCAA wanted to hear it from Spirit Lake but they sat on the fence with no comment?

4:00 I believe is a good start time (providing it doesn't conflict with other sports) because a lot of people do work on Saturday's. I feel a later start time coupled with better quality teams coming to town (which will happen with the Big Sky) will mean a larger attendance.

NDSU did what was best for NDSU at the time, just as UND did what was best for UND at this time. As for the two praises you are giving Kupchella, I'll agree with one of them, the fundraising campain, but not the waiting to make the move to DI, I still would have liked to see UND move at the same time as the SU's. As for Roger Thomas.........no praise. I had/have mixed feelings about the Big Sky, different time zones, travel, etc. But it was the right move to make and I am happy for UND. As for the Summit league and the MVFC, a football invite or even some kind of assurance we would get in the conference in the near future would have helped, but nothing. As for Tom Dupple, plain and simple, he screwed up in my opinion, he should have offered UND at the same time as USD instead of playing around with the nickname issue. What we were doing with our nickname and how we were going about it was fine with the NCAA, but Mr. Dupple put himself above the NCAA and said we had to settle the issue before the Summit would even look at us, that, ended up hurting them in the end.

Reason? I'm just curious.

You wouldn't think that the size difference in the two markets would be that big of a factor considering that the two markets are only 70 miles apart and they feed off each other, but, I'm sure market size is factored in, they have to have something to go by.

I myself would love to see football back on campus and I agree with you that student attendance would also increase, but, in doing so, I feel you would lose the climate controlled fans. Would it be a wash? not sure, but if I remember correctly, when the games use to be played at Memorial Stadium, the students stuck around a little longer and didn't bolt at halftime.

Your usual teams are at the top, this season I would say the team to beat would be GF Central. Two losses this season, one to Apple Valley which I beleive they were outshot that game 27-22, the other loss was at Grafton, they lost 2-1 but outshot the Spoilers 49-15.......but I know shots on net don't win games, but it is a measure of how the game was played. Post season though, anybody can beat anybody. Grafton, come post season and state, they are always a scary team.