The Sicatoka

And what exactly is that? Tu-Uyen Tran of the GF Herald blogged that he contacted Summit League school presidents about the issue and they all said to talk to the league commissioner. So Tran tried to contract Douple. And Douple didn't return the Herald's calls. So much for Douple stepping up and defining "the Summit's clear position". Do we surely know that getting Standing Rock's approval would satisfy Douple and/or the majority of Summit members? I've never heard Douple or anyone else say that. What is their "clear position"? The only thing I know for certain is that if the SBoHE changes the name before November, there is zero chance of getting SR's approval. So if the SBoHE intends to shut that particular door before it has to, it owes us an explanation as to why it's happening.

Normally the presidents of the individual conference member schools have the vote.

"That's stereotyping. And stereotyping is wrong." {sip off scotch} {long draw off cigar} [/Ron White]

That's going to happen come Nov 2010. (There is no way UND will allow itself to go back onto the NCAA sanction list.) So what's the Summit's issue?

My main concern: There has been almost no effort by UND or the SBoHE to convey any message to alums, Sioux boosters, students and the public at large. Sure, Faison has made statements from time to time about the importance of UND getting into the Summit, but nobody from UND has ever said something like: "Therefore, it is the official position of the University of North Dakota that the Fighting Sioux nickname be retired as soon as possible to assist with the transition to Division I." Furthermore, neither Faison nor Kelley has ever bothered to explain what they know about the Summit's position in relation to the nickname issue. They have to know something. What has Douple told them? Is there a deadline? When? Why that date? Why not November 2010? What do they understand it to mean when Douple says the nickname issue must be "resolved"? Do all Summit members feel that way or is it just Douple talking out of his tail-feathers? It'd be nice to know some information and context. Surely, behind the scenes, Kelley and Faison are conveying much (if not all) of this type of information to Goetz and the SBoHE. And I don't believe that Kelley and Faison would sit around waiting for the board to decide what it wants to do. For the first time, it became clear yesterday that they are pushing the board in a particular direction. It's about time that they publicly do something, anything. But there are still many unanswered questions that people have a right to know. State the case; make the case.

No. They need to quit playing games and lead from the front. They'll probably find out that the vast majority of fans just want this resolved and want someone to step up and finish it. Additional Note: There's a vocal group that doesn't like how Alerus Center is run. They didn't show up for a recent open meeting to discuss the issues and problems and come up with ideas to make it better. But they love to make noise anonymously on the internet about the Alerus Center. I honestly believe the most vocal supporter of the Sioux name won't show up either, but will continue to anonymously make noise.

I agree. And that seems to be the SBoHE's new direction. But the only guy I've seen get out recently is Hanson's predecessor.

No one has ever stated the costs of changing the moniker. And don't tell me some cost evaluations and estimates haven't been completed. I'm (as an alumnus and taxpayer) getting that bill if it comes. How much? In my opinion, Spirit Lake should be sueing not the SBoHE, but the NCAA. The NCAA is not treating them equally as only one of five Chippewa tribes in Michigan (the closest) had to approve Central Michigan, and only one Florida Seminole tribe (there is only one) had to approve Florida State. So why don't they as one approving, and the closest at that, tribe count in North Dakota? Does the NCAA not believe Spirit Lake to be as worthy as the one Michigan Chippewa tribe or the Florida Seminole Nation? Spirit Lake should flex that "tribal sovereignty" muscle. What right does the NCAA have to tell a sovereign nation that it can't allow a university to use its tribal name? And what right does one sovereign Sioux nation to have to tell another what it can or can't do? And how in the world does a State of ND/NCAA agreement bind a soverign nation, that wasn't a party to the settlement, from making its own decisions?

For both Kelley and Faison: Step up to the podeum in 300 Twamley in front of media from around the state and lay out specifically, knowing it's going onto the local evening news, the issues and concerns and his position. Costs, benefits; pros, cons; and how they arrived at their position based on those.

I tend to look at KRACH because I believe that's a better model than the arbitrary weightings in an RPI. I wish the NCAA would dump the RPI and use KRACH in the PWR. (That almost sounded dirty. )

So, if that's the case, ... Faison and Kelley need to step up, man up, and state the case. The silence from them is deafening and has gone on long enough.

I see headcounts. I see dollars. But aren't US heads (resident tuition) lower cost than Foreign (non-resident tuition)? I'd like to see the breakdown of dollars going resident/non-resident, or what's ND getting for local v. outside talent.

And now I read this and it seems that Kelley and Faison are willing to, borrowing Roebuck's phrase, "sell (a) soul". http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/148493/

Why haven't we heard Faison or Kelley come out and publicly state their position and plan? Why hasn't the media, or "select alumni" cornered them and forced them to man-up and state a position? It's time for Faison and Kelley to state a position and a case. I know someone who let their position be known. And this person would benefit, or so we've been told, if UND dropped the name to get into the Summit. This person is UND WBB Coach Gene Roebuck. Listen to this (starting 31 minutes and 20 seconds in): http://www.fightingsioux.com/newMediaPlaye...;CLIP_ID=678456 "I would not want to give up the name to be in a conference. ... I'm not gonna sell my soul." -- Gene Roebuck Gene's manned-up, stood up, and given his view. What about his bosses. Lead from the front boys. I suggest you ask them these questions directly: rokelley@mail.und.edu brianfaison@mail.und.edu

That subtotal: 9592458 1714 of 2103 is 81.5% or 18.5% foreign. Grad Assistant breakdown: US: 81.5% of the 6736610 = 5490337. Foreign: 18.5% of the 6736610 = 1246273. Add the Foreign Grad Students to Foreign Students (2855848) and you get 4201121. Looking at that it becomes 43% Foreign, 57% US.

From NDSU's own website: http://www.ndsu.edu/news/features/portiono...dhallcollapses/

Somewhere in this forms the question: Aren't we growing "good grad students" from our good undergraduate programs? Why does the NDUS have to search far and wide, instead of cherry-picking the best it already produces?

They don't have to wait until Nov 2010. They come out and say "We'll take you if you're in compliance with the settlement you have with the NCAA." Boom. Done. Easy.

Could this be the reason why the NCAA floated the "96 team MBB tournament" trial balloon out there?

As a taxpayer in the state of ND, hoping they don't exist. But, Hanson is bracing us for something by bringing it up. Otherwise, why would Hanson bring it up? "Oxbow6" sums it up very well: History lesson: What brought down Kendall Baker at UND? "Creative" transfers of funds between accounts.

From Tu-Uyen Tran's blog: Why would Dr. Hanson bring up a fund that seemingly is just fine in that it is under $4000 in the red? Why bring that up when you're looking at $2,500,000 in the red? It might be nothing; it might be damning. Either way, Dr. Hanson brought it up. Very interesting. And ... Either way ... seems not all the "other shoes" have dropped ... yet.

The NDSU "Cleopatras" ... the Queens of Denial. And with the new moniker comes their new fight song.

You know, I'm surprised that pointing out Tu-Uyen Tran's blog didn't draw more ire from the NDSU "Cleopatras" that show up here.