The Sicatoka

Just for reference, for all you tailgaters and folks who can now have a cold adult beverage inside the arena at The Alerus Center, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with Potato Bowl , KFGO Radio is reporting this morning that this weekend's North Dakota Highway Patrol sobriety check point will be somewhere in Grand Forks County.

When the arena first opened the South Club Room was supposed to be for Fighting Sioux Club members only. I'm guessing, based on the overcrowding in there at times, that they are going back to that. I'd also guess (note the word guess), based on getting my FSC club cards for 2004-2005 that don't have a "level" designation on them, that any member of the FSC will be allowed in.

If I were to pick a darkhorse (bottom half last season) to make a run at the title, ala Mankato in 2003, it would have to be CC.

I'm still only willing to put them into unordered 'groups' at this point. Top group: UND, UMD, Wisconsin. Concerns for each? - The Sioux lose offense. - The Bulldogs lose leadership (Lessard and Geisler). - The Badgers, because of the unbalanced WCHA schedule, play Minnesota, UMD, and UND four times each this year. (Last year they only had Minnesota for four and didn't go to Duluth or Grand Forks. That could be their tripping point.) The middle group: CC, DU, Minnesota, SCSU The trailing group: MSU-Mankato, MTU, UAA I could maybe see MTU and SCSU switching groups. Minnesota's inexperienced defense keeps them in the middle group but they'll probably make a late run at the top group.

The ones that are revenue-positive for the athletic department?

Having to wear a number worn last year, which standard would you have to try to live up to: the number for Spirko or Zajac? And when's the last time UND had a "34" on the roster? NDFan: As a recruiting class, this year's juniors were Parise, Prpich, Greene, and Marvin. Fylling also came back from the USHL and Genoway became eligible and started playing with this group (but both only had three years of eligibility remaining). There weren't many open slots behind that big senior class.

Congratulations to those who won National Championships this past spring while representing UND. http://www.fightingsioux.com/sports/mswimm...RELEASE_ID=3076

BF1234 was on such a good streak there for a while, then this. NDSU is doing 54.5 FB scholarships in 2004, then 63 in 2005 and 2006. Why? So their 3-year average is over 60. So? A DI-AA has to have averaged 60 FB scholarships awarded over the previous three seasons to be allowed to play a DI-A in a "bodybag" game. The earliest possible date (assuming the 63s are met)? 2007. Next, I wouldn't bet against Michigan in the Big Ten this season.

I'm sure Gene Taylor agrees with you. Interesting statements posed to me one day: ____'s key sport is _____. History says the key rival that consistently fills their house, and thus their wallet, and maintains fan interest in the program, is _____. When you put UND versus NDSU in the first blank, the answers are much different. I think the answer to the "who needs" question is in there somewhere (and it is also pointed to somewhat by the quote from BF1234).

Oh no-no-no dagies. I'm sure we'll all hear how they chose to leave the program, like Mike Erickson did. It had nothing to do with ten incoming freshmen squeezing out returners. And surely the words "floating in river" and "cut throat" are in no way involved.

Maroon is a bloodied brown.

Phil Lamoureux?

Sure, the Big Sky is at the "letter of interest" stage in their big picture planning. But at the risk of repeating myself:

I'm purely going to speculate here. I have no "insider knowledge" on the subject. NDSU fans sure seem interested in having UND moving up. Wouldn't they have to share the "DI" spotlight in the state then? Could the interest in having UND move up be that ... - the Big Sky would rather have two schools with better FB traditions, and decent BB potential (NDSU and UND) versus a more BB oriented school with less FB tradition (SDSU)? Toss in that logistics between Grand Forks and Fargo are far better than between Fargo and Brookings (airports in each town, and 75 miles versus 200) and that has to come into some BSC AD's minds who are familiar with the schools (like Sacramento State's AD). This is the "McFeely" concept that started the thread. - could it be that NDSU is missing the benefits of playing UND, namely 20000 FB tickets at $20 and 8000 BB tickets at $12.50, or specifically an extra $500,000 of gate revenues. That sure wouldn't hurt NDSU right now. Alternatively, I've thought having UND and NDSU in different conferences would be good if both conferences were solid (kind of like Florida and FSU). Why? Then you'd have a solid conference schedule PLUS one great non-conference gate (assuming they'd be at the same NCAA level of play).

BF1234 got another one correct: SCSU, MSU-Mankato, and UM-Duluth don't have the dollars and the MN legislature's first priority is and will always be "Goldie". USD always seems to be in financial strife. And didn't they just cut some athletic program? Augie has the advantage of being in Sioux Falls but has the disadvantage of being private (and without a big sugar daddy). UN-O will always be second fiddle to "Big Red" in Lincoln (see "Goldie" scenario above). SDSU had better hope for some BB success to keep interest high (and donations coming). Like SDSU, NDSU needs football success for their cashflow. None of them really have complete packages of DI facilities. (I'm not saying Frost or FargoDome are bad. I'm saying each could use another quality facility in the other sport.) As far as the Big Sky, didn't they call for "letters of interest"? All that takes is letterhead and a stamp, right? What'd NDSU's Carr Report say again? "The Consultants recommend that the University begin the transition process, but only after it has achieved the following: Secure an acceptable conference membership before making the decision to reclassify to I-AA."

Is there a way to make them get younger? For the record: Football: Alerus Center, opened August 2001 Mens and Womens Hockey: Ralph Engelstad Arena, opened October 2001 Mens and Womens Basketball: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, opened August 2004 Volleyball: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, opened August 2004 Soccer (locker rooms): Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, opened August 2004 Wellness Center: under construction, scheduled to open in August 2006. And who knows what else may be announced in coming days. There's this big space over where hockey and football used to play ....

Minnesota's issues? - Defensemen (Harrington, Vannelli, Stevens, Kennedy, MacKinnon, Atherton, and freshmen aren't a deeply defensive-minded and experienced group; Taylor bolting hurt the toughness in front.) - Loss of leadership (Grant Potulny, Riddle, Koalska, Ballard) North Dakota's issues? - Leadership on-ice and "in The Room" - New coaching staff (sort of, new roles and a new face)

jloos: The Bulgars are off the ruble. They use the leva. (About 1.62 of those to the US sawbuck. ) As far as losing scoring, UND is losing a lot. If Vanek goes Minnesota will have lost even more than UND. But in either case (Vanek returning or not) UND will return more scoring.

I'm not downplaying Carson-Newman. I'm pointing out there's a DII on a glorious DI-AA's schedule. (Carson-Newman's playoff hopes could be damaged by that. Ask North Alabama.)

At the risk of repeating myself .... What surprises me is that NDSU fans have so much time to worry about a (quote: Fargo Forum) "minor league" (end quote) football program like UND. Shouldn't Bison fans be over on Bisonville discussing glorious battles against no scholarships Valpo and NAIA Montana Tech and DII Carson-Newman?

Mississippi State, Ole Miss (U of Mississippi), and the University of North Dakota all appear in US News and World Report's "Tier 3" category. That's not bad company. NDSU shows up a tier down in Tier 4. Valparaiso and Delta State don't appear (quick scan, may have missed) on the US News lists. (Personally, I think US News is a popularity contest system. Princeton Review is a better choice, but I needed a resonably objective source.) bisonguy: I think you missed my point. Level of NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) level of play does not translate to academic prowess. What surprises me is that NDSU fans have so much time to worry about a (quote: Fargo Forum) "minor league" (end quote) football program like UND. Shouldn't Bison fans be over on Bisonville discussing glorious battles against no scholarships Valpo and NAIA Montana Tech and DII Carson-Newman?

Someone say "academics"? If NCAA level of play had anything to do with institutional academics MIT, Johns Hopkins, Emory, Tufts, and a lot of others are really bad schools.

I'm surprised the names "Chad Beiswenger" and "Kasey Moreland" haven't come up yet.

Ah yes, that brutal standard demonstrated by Valpo Saturday.

They are working to finish out the weight room at The Betty. Sure, this year they'll (BB, VB) have to go to Hyslop. That's a small inconvenience now to have their own space in The Betty in the future.