The Sicatoka

I'm amazed at how much non-UND interest there is in UND's budget. And I still would like to see a paper in the region get all of the data and put it out there (at least for the public universities). Let's see how these budgets are done.

I'm not an attorney and I don't even play one on TV. However, I can read the NCAA by-laws and what those say is that legislation (like this) is supposed to come from an Association-wide vote. (Read more here.) UND pays to be an NCAA member. The by-laws serve as a contract. I don't see Constitution or anti-trust as prime issue as much as I see possible breech. Prove breech; go from there.

NDSU will be raising student fees for this this fall.

I'd hope a Big Ten I-A school would be able to deal with a team with a potential 233 pound defensive end. I suspect UNI will have to deal with ends heavier than that on September 7.

I know. They couldn't say a word about TR and the Rough Riders because he is regarded as the original founder of the NCAA (or at least the force behind its creation). If they had a problem with TR they'd have to look themselves in the mirror too. It'd be right in the NCAA's face.

There's always still Osh..(insert sounds of someone billy-clubbing me over the head and me hitting the floor here)

If it's good enough for the State .... http://www.governor.state.nd.us/awards/rr-gallery/

Alpo, er, I mean Valpo ....

Can you now also see why UND would be interested in seeing (for ideas) how others (regionally) are running their budgets? Buning went to New Hampshire with the mens hockey team last fall. He came back seeing UNH does it via student fees and institutional revenues (spelled: legislature).

But don't forget: There were American Indian warriors who served in TR's Rough Riders unit, thus they were "diverse" and "inclusive."

As a Christian I'd find both the positives and negatives in it. As a First Amendment believing American I'd support their right to say it.

"Rough Riders" would be unique in the NCAA spectrum of monikers.

Different color scheme. Different level of competition (NCAA v. NDHSAA). Built in familiarity with the name.

I'm saying I want to see how others in the region are doing it. UNH is slamming students with six times the student fees for athletics that UND is. I'm thinking that's a non-starter. UNH and Maine both have $6+ MM in institutional funds for athletics. Find that in UND's overall budget ... please.

Travel and conference. How many DI schools within 500 miles of Orono or Durham? How many conference footprints overlap into the same region? Now ask those about UND/Grand Forks.

Maine gets nearly $6.945 MM of a $13.4 MM budget from direct institutional support. New Hampshire's $20.272 MM budget gets $6.56 MM from direct institutional support and another $6.913 MM from student fees.

"Flickertails" is bad. Here's why: When Oriska (ND) still had a high schools they were the "Flickers". On one occassion (at a tournament) someone took their all-caps "FLICKERS" banner and connected the right end of horizontal portion of the "L" with the bottom of the "I" ---> "F LI C K E R S" Giddyap.

Yes, and proportionally I'd say they are equal to the number that believe the same in Gopher or Badger fan bases. (By the way, the words I'm most keying on in your question are "at whatever cost".)

With "Goldie Gopher" as a conference rival in a major UND sport you'd want to steer clear of anything resembling rodentia for identity and licensing issue concerns. Saddle up.

I'd split it the way the original did, as in Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

Is that what I said? No, that's not what I said. I want to see how other folks are doing (or not doing) it and learn from that.

Yup. Yup. Yup. And yup. I'm becoming of a mind that says UND needs to take this to court to prove the issues of: - breech of contract (by how the NCAA did this) - free expression (read my signature quote) And then, at that point, with that victory in hand, look around and decide whether or not the University wants to continue this saga in the ever-changing political winds of tribal (and general) politics.

But gee, we can't expect the NCAA to follow it's own rules, like Association-wide governance and policy coming via Association-wide vote and not a via edict of a committee?

The "all about the student athlete" NCAA putting good money to hard work for the student athlete.

You don't have to have a lot of money to hire attorneys when they come to you hoping for a cut of an anti-trust ruling settlement. (I'll stop there because I may have said too much already.)