The Sicatoka

To the best of my knowledge: (a) the player in question is at BSU (links above), (b) UND's players are where they should be: at UND working hard (academics and athletics).

Some UM-C fans read this board (just as others).

Upper administration (Thomas, Harmeson level), then coaching and athletics staff, then public, would be my assumption. You need messengers to carry the message to the public.

Now why in the world would this guy be in Grand Forks. (There's a photo to check your eyes SiouxMeNow.) I really like this part of his bio: I believe Fullerton was once quoted (by The Oregonian) as saying: If it was him, I wonder if he liked The Ralph, The Betty, and The Al.

Like I said: When they're sure they've looked at the matter well enough internally and have solid answers to the questions that will be raised would be a fair supposition.

A budgeted cost never realized is a net positive on the bottom line.

UM-Crookston. MSU-Moorhead. Both went DII for what other reason than attempting to elevate public perceptions of the schools? PS - Good to see you haven't lost the ol' ad hominem touch.

Looking at the names mentioned here: Sando: His best USHL campaign was 26 points. Lee Marvin's best was 17 points. Of course, Lee played defense and Drew played forward. Lee has trouble making the lineup at either position. Lindenberg: His best USHL campaign was 11 points. Scott Foyt, who can't break the lineup at defense, had 8 points in just 31 games at defense in the USHL (before being traded to an AWHL team that year). Moreland: He has only played 9 USHL games (according to HockeyDB.com). That's not a full season sample to compare to. Now, USHL success clearly doesn't predict future success; however, it tends to be a good indicator. My questions are this: Did they skate this summer? Where? With whom? Have any reached full potential already? Do any have untapped potential ready to be developed?

What we really need is a New Jersey kid on the roster! Back to this "recruiting Minnesota" thing: UND's current roster, player's home location and number from there: United States 16 - Minnesota 7 - North Dakota 6 - Michigan 1 - Illinois 1 - Alaska 1 Non-US 9 - Canada 8 -- Manitoba 3 -- Saskatchwan 3 -- Ontario 1 -- Alberta 1 - Slovakia 1 And if the rumor that Matt Moreland has walked on and made the team is true the US total goes to 17 and ND total goes to 7 .... and that's as many North Dakotans as Minnesotans. That's almost as many North Dakotans as Canadians.

The cameras built into the facility must not matter either then. You're telling me just having to send game announcers (and not having to send a truck and a camera crew and production crew, or having to arrange an uplink frequency) doesn't matter to folks looking to broadcast a game? It's about the facilites and what they provide. Not having to lug all that stuff to a game-site matters to broadcasters (meaning lower production costs). PS - The 13280 in The Ralph for basketball (Kansas at North Dakota) seemd "OK" with the place for that game.

tony: You assumed whom I had in mind. It could any one of numerous schools in the region who have attempted to raise the profile of their school by advancing athletics over academics. But since you mentioned NDSU, from their own webpage it says, "An ACT composite score of 21 or higher or SAT score of 970 or higher is recommended." (emphasis added) That's not a minimum. As far "public", UND has a history of not engaging in public discusssions of issues until they have a very good handle on the variables.

A detail: Nobody has signed anything. The early signing period isn't until November. At most Mr. Watkins has made a verbal commitment. But just the same, apparently to the right place.

And the Student Senate wanted a working system in place to distribute tickets this year. Their wants and the realities they've created haven't meshed so well up to this point.

Basketball tradition? Where's my picture of UND star (and future NBA player and coach) Phil Jackson standing between UND coaches (and future NBA Finals coaches) Jimmy Rodgers and Bill Fitch? It must be with my Jerome Beasley picture. However, DII BB success won't mean diddley-squat at the DI level (especially with all the probations). And, naw, a conference wouldn't care about an arena complex with build in satellite uplink television capabilities (including a control room), for both the main (Ralph) and secondary (Betty) arenas. A football stadium with uplink capabilities in it wouldn't matter either I guess. But like I said in a different thread here:

I said help. NDSU has focused on track. UND has focused on hockey. Want to compare "big time" successes in focus areas over the last 25 years?

Faculty? Kupchella has been insistent and persistent that the faculty has come first. That's why he's been more focused on other (not athletics) aspects of campus, one big one being faculty salaries. UND faculty salaries, the biggest issue to the faculty, have increased by 25% since 2000. (4.8%, 7.1%, 6.2%, and 5%, from 2000-2003) Kupchella's is working on elevating UND from the academic side first. He's pushed through his higher admissions standard for automatic acceptance. (That's another faculty issue.) That, academics first, is a different approach from other regional universities: Some of those schools claim elevating athletics will elevate the university. In the case of admission standards, those are something that college presidents look at very closely when choosing new schools to associate with (i.e. conference members). The Kupchella Administration has looked to the academic (faculty) issues first. Then, as can be easily inferred by recent statements by his immediate staff, will the other aspects of the university (athletics) be dealt with. However, the athletics side of UND hasn't been "treading water" through this time when the UND Administration has had an academics focus: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, DI womens hockey, moving into The Alerus Center and Ralph Engelstad Arena, planning a new indoor training facility. Kupchella's made some points with the faculty. Let's see how he decides to use them.

Some key notes: They never say "lower bowl". The closest they say is: Why not sell student season tickets in sections 308 and 309? PS - Please note they also said:

Awesome! UND gets the concessions dollars for Athletics. Plus, as a bonus, the City of GF gets a great new revenue source too: All those "minor in possession of alcohol" charges and fines.

bisonguy: About 1: Who knows the motivations for the BSC's past or present statements. Maybe the right schools weren't showing interest and that's why they weren't looking east before now. Which schools are showing interest now? We know the public statements of a few. Others? Only Fullerton knows if there are. About 2: Buy-out clause. About 3: T&CC? I bet a new indoor training facility with a 300 meter track would help UND's teams. I've read that somewhere. Where was that? Then again, maybe the BSC isn't the right place for UND. Maybe UND should look at conferences that have schools with three major revenue producing areas: basketball, football, and hockey. With all the recent and potential shake-ups in conference alignments who knows what may be out there in the not-so-distant future.

Conference before move? Tough? Yes. Impossible? No. The political aspects? Campus-wise, if you've dealt, or are dealing, with other issues important to the faculty you're ahead of the game. (Recent salary actions for faculty and staff outpaced regional schools. There's a great start.) Community-wise even RT admitted he's hearing both sides of the issue. State board-wise this is a local control issue, right? As far as UND being able to quietly work on, then unveil, something major: One day they called a press conference; soon after they had $100 million hockey facility. That's pretty good at being quiet behind the scenes yet working on something big. I'm pretty sure Dr. Harmeson and Mr. Thomas are working on a strategic plan for what is best for the University of North Dakota. What they determine is best for the institution, well, that's why they have the jobs.

Excellent point redwing. Cheapest FSC seats in the lower bowl: Varsity Club level of FSC. Cost: $330 FSC dues plus $345 per seat for two seats. Total: $1020 (or $510 per seat). Those folks next to the students in 107 and 110? Coaches Club:$1100 plus two seats at $345 plus two at $230. Total: $2250 (or $562.50 per seat) Find a way to make that up in Roger Thomas' athletic budgets and I'm sure he'll gladly have students in those seats.

UND92,96 covered most of it. Let me just add that the BSC recently put out word that it would accept "letters of interest" from interested schools. All that takes is letterhead and a stamp.

How can you be so sure? Let it all play out. Patience.

This is when we should mix in the past comments from UND AD Roger Thomas and UND Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Phil Harmeson as found in [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=68051

Dr. Kupchella is a manager who surrounds himself with the best and trusts them to do what is best. (He also holds them accountable.) Dr. Phil Harmeson is the Senior Associate to Dr. Kupchella and is UND's NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. Dr. Harmeson is intimately involved in UND Athletics as the FAR. (When the hiring process decisions were being made to replace Dean Blais as head hockey coach Dr. Kupchella, Roger Thomas, and Dr. Harmeson were in the room. That's how involved he is.) Dr. Harmeson is very aware of the ever changing NCAA landscape around him as well, and thinking (dare I say thinking very big) about how it could influence and affect UND as evidenced by [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=68051