The Sicatoka

From this past thread to getting a 7-0 vote of confidence. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14609499.htm

The NCAA changed the rules in the middle again? Nope. Too easy.

No, the thread title drips with irony. "Genious [sic]" indeed. Pure genius.

What's become of those harsh rules is that (in many, not all cases) the schools that don't have much to lose in a transition are going DI; of course, many of those schools are the last ones that should be moving up. Examples? Pick your favorite recent jump "DI" commuter school with a smaller fan base than an NCC school, a broken overall school budget, and an athletic budget smaller than Augustana's. Alternatively, if you do have something to lose, meaning you probably are better suited to move up, you'll be hesitant to move up because of what you may lose. I wish the NCAA rules "were to become less mercenary and more educationally rational." If the NCAA is all about student-athlete opportunities, explain to me why a school deciding to change levels to be more with peers is forced to have a generation (meaning five years) of student-athletes with no post-season opportunities. In summary: I said it three years ago; I say it today: The NCAA system is broken.

What that says is that he faces, on average, and with some rounding, 36 shots per game, saves 33 of them, and 3 get by. GAA divided by "non-save percentage" is shots faced per game. "non-save percentage" is "1 minus save percentage". Your better question is "consistency": Does he put up a shutout on 36 shots one night and and then let in 6 or 7 on 36 shots the next? (Jake Brandt had that problem one season --> shutout, then give up five, GAA 2.5). That's what simple GAA and save numbers don't show.

Stark as that is, the population positive really isn't as positive as once was. "Fargo's role as people magnet declines" Bismarck (Burleigh Co.) is adding more than Fargo/Cass. Grand Forks "holding serve" doesn't looks so bad in comparison to the rest of the state.

The point that wins my attention --> Roebuck is "unqualified" for the MBB job by the standard being used. There is the best complaint with the process to date. The "my guy wasn't picked" stuff sounds hollow compared to pointing that reality out.

As were mine. I'd love to see all of the other factors that we don't see (DI/DII concerns? finances? salary? NCAA sanctions with logo?) that got us here, but I'm not going to get the pitchfork and torch out and storm Hyslop .... yet.

No, I agree with much of what dlsiouxfan says. But, let's give the VB coach a chance to coach a game before she's hung out. Let's face it, over the last three years Moorhead State has as good or better VB than any school (DIs included) in the region. It's sick; it's sad; it's accurate. Basketball? They haven't picked anyone yet (and intentionally left the door open as I see it). I don't see what people in the decision-positions see. I have to trust them until it's overt that they've erred.

The irony just drips from that.

That paragraph is hard to read. Here it is broken into bullet points:

I feel sorry for my alma mater in this: When it was RT as the AD (with final call), he went to Kupchella and Harmeson (three!) and they together decided to stay internal and hire a hockey coach --> UPROAR! Now Buning as the AD (with final call), forms a committee of three and they go external to hire a coach --> UPROAR! The more things change, the more they stay the same. I'll give it this: I'd rather have passion and uproar from the fans over the process than complacency.

Gee, with all of the "insider" stuff and questioning of process and implicit "no confidence" vote to anyone that would come in, I know I'd be excited to come into this situation. If you have a problem with something you won't solve it here; go to the source and deal with it head on.

I'll bet the same way until he has cash and conference well understood (in hand?).

Simple observations (not trying to start nothin'): Based on what UND sponsors today (except for M/W hockey), - in womens sports, --it exactly matches the Mid-Continent offerings - in mens sports, -- UND offers football, Mid-Con does not -- Mid-Con offers soccer and tennis, UND does not

Could there be two more contra-indicating factors than this, and this,

Two feathers can do all that?

Ding the bell. He got it 100% right. SDSU fans like Mid-Con because of hoop; NDSU fans like the Big Sky because of football; UND fans like the WCHA because of, er, ah, well, 'cause hatin' Buckie and Goldie is fun and using it as a springboard to 7 NCAA DI national titles ain't bad either. There's the differences in interests and philosophies of the three groups of fans in one sentence. That also explains why UND folks are interested in "conference" before a move: We see what a good conference can prepare you to do in post-season play.

Yeah, and look out for "them."

And wasn't he the guy that said the same thing about 18 months ago? Look what that was worth then.

SacSt's athletic budget is $9 million? Total? And UND's is reportedly $10 million in DII. EDIT: Well, I found $11.2 million for SacSt in here. (More than half their budget comes from student fees and institutional support.)

Subway Holiday Classic banners. Actually, I'd like to hang WCHA Tourney championship banners (in addition to WCHA regular season championships and NCAA championships). And as far as Parise, my personal suspicion is .... Gone.

Playing the "if" game, if they were to expand the footprint so greatly (add NDSU) would they really be so short-sighted as to allow the chance for something else in the new, larger footprint to possibly slip away (i.e. SDSU to Mid-Con)? And would they want to expand the footprint that much for just one game (when they could have set up two new sets of travel partners in BB, someone for UNC and a new pair, instead)? I expect to see all or nothing. And I almost guarantee a "nothing" response from BSC will trigger the Mid-Con to make moves in June.

What hasn't changed? - Geography. - The noises about Sac. St. looking at DI-A. What has changed? - Northern Colorado is in the Big Sky. - The Mid-Con lost Chicago State and is seriously looking at grabbing available teams. I'm guessing the Big Sky was "marking time" on the SUs, knowing they were out there. Now, they may not be (due to Mid-Con). I think the Big Sky has to show its intent or lose out on the SUs (or more).