The Sicatoka

I've spent more than enough time in the academic buildings on each campus. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

One of the longest months of my life was a weekend in Mankato.

Those buildings "behind" FargoDome (I assume you mean west) aren't academics buildings for NDSU. At least one is a private company. Another houses some NDSU offices for research administration. You don't see students come and go from them.

They approved Proposal 2003-13. I'm not sure if it's been amended since the date of that link. This still means that there is a five-year probation on post-season play during a transition. What that says is if a team joins an established conference with an autobid the "new" team is autobid eligible immediately (assuming they are post-season eligible otherwise). Before, if a team joined an autobid conference they'd have to wait two extra years (it was eight years for mens BB), beyond the transition five, for the autobid to be good for them. The bigger key to all of this that is readiliy overlooked: Getting admitted to a conference with an autobid.

If you insist. ;) Did you miss this: PS - That broken truss (it would never hold) on the front of the Minnesota hockey jerseys was designed by the Minnesota engineering school. Come to UND and our engineers will fix it for you. PSS - Remember what comes after BS: MS.

Athletic facilities? Hands down UND. Newman Outdoor Field is a nice thing to have but it's prime tenant is still the FM RedHawks. Academic facilities? Is there anything that looks like CAS at NDSU? Those are pretty new facilities. Yes, the newest academic building on either campus is probably the building at NDSU just east of the engineering school. (I think that is for their accounting department.) I'm not sure what the last 10 years list for each campus is. (Ten years is "recent" in collegiate time.) Considering academic buildings, if you think of UND as Merrifield Hall, NDSU wins. If you think of NDSU as Old Science and Minard Hall, UND wins. NDSU would love to have the Upson/Harrington complex over Dolve Hall and their EE buildings. UND would love to have some of NDSU's computing centers. Facilities-wise, it's where you look on each campus. (And I've spent a few minutes on each campus myself.) Programs-wise, UND's Engineering School seldom gets the credit it deserves. The NDSU CS and math departments are a nudge better. UND's Education program is the best around and there's no comparison between Nursing at UND versus NDSU. Again, it's where you specifically look. Overall, the disinterested party called Princeton Review, which we obviously are not, consistently puts UND on their list of the best. I'm yet to see NDSU on that list. And as far as Alien Technologies, they've got some serious loan guarantees from the State (like $35 MM), but that's still an empty lot with a pile of dirt on it last I looked. Back to the original topic here: - nationally, average ACT scores are up - UND applications and enrollments are up Why not take the pick of the litter?

Did someone just say this is a hollow trophy?

Another aspect to this conversation: ACT Scores Show Significant Gains in the '90s The national average ACT score in 1999 was 21 (and we all know that UND folks are above average).

Another aspect to this: How did athletic coaches get so powerful on academic campuses? - Coach says to donors, "Admissions didn't let me get (hot recruit name here)." - Unhappy donors say to university, "What check?" Who ends up with more power and influence in that transaction?

I

UM-TC hypes that big minimum ACT ... for automatic admission .... but look at the average incoming freshman ACT score for the UM-TC General College: 20.4. I suspect, having read that page, that most student-athletes are admitted to that college. And remember 20.4 is the average, meaning some higher ....

Here's the page listing the new standard for automatic admissions. And here they are: Please note those key words near the bottom: "The Student Academics Standards Committee will consider applicants who have not met the minimum admission criteria." I suspect student-athletes at many schools (cough-Big Ten-cough) are granted admission under that criteria. What I was told when I asked about it (because I did go to the source and ask) was that students, when surveyed by UND, are looking for schools that are more selective in their admissions process and this is how UND is responding.

Here's some history on this converation.

legend: I know we're way off subject (the bed SDSU has made for themselves), but don't forget the "interests and opportunities" angle of Title IX. Some of our regional peers may be reminded of it .... the hard way. As far as feeders: http://www.whockey.com/links/ http://www.gfparks.org/ndaha/ http://ndhsaa.com/athletics/hockey/2004_girls_st_HO.pdf http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/activitypage.asp?actnum=460

legend: From the fiscal point of view, I can't disagree with you. Womens hockey doesn't cover their expenses at the gate. Personally, I think each program (mens baseball through womens basketball, all of them each individually) should have to cover its own way through gate revenues or donations. If they don't, they should be gone. Yeah, that's harsh. However, womens hockey has to be per Title IX and the whole (the athletic department) has to deal with the total fiscal impact.

Let me give you folks an excerpt from the Executive Summary of the Carr Report (the Consultants) submitted to South Dakota State University:

I think that sooner or later I will win the PowerBall lottery, whether that would be in a few years or in the distant future. Therefore, wouldn't it be better to start spending it now?

Do you know I don't have an "inside"? Are you sure? Could it be that you and I have a different understanding of the same matters? The question stands.

Hasn't this road been traveled once before but then regarding contracts and qualifications to read them? I seem to recall a conversation between you and PCM along those lines. Wasn't the resultant of that one don't "act like what you think you know is the way it is"? Do you know I don't have an "inside"? Are you sure? If it is the way you say, why not blow it wide open to Tom Dennis at the GF Herald? Why just dabble on an internet posting board?

I prefer The Eagles' version.

Personally, ask me after the season's over. Isn't that why schedules are played? Right now it's all posturing and supposition, unless someone really does have the answer key and isn't letting on.

Ralph must be really good if he's doing it now, literally from another world. The guys in control now are named Strinden and Clifford. I've never doubted or questioned their allegiances.

It was so plainly stated, I thought it needed to be repeated.

UND Sports Facilities Inc. is a 509(a)3 nonprofit corporation. Any profit they show they have to give to a 501©3 charitable nonprofit organization. I'm pretty sure the one UND Sports Facilities would choose would be the UND Alumni Association and Foundation (especially considering Dr. Tom Clifford and Earl Strinden are on the board of UND Sports Facilities Inc.). Would you rather (a) not have the new facilities, or (b) be renting facilities from a truly private or separate organization that will provide no return to UND?

So a DII WBB averaged more than some DII FB programs. Yes. Can't disagree. But what in the world is any DII womens BB team doing averaging more than any DI-AA football program? I thought DI-AA football was an upgrade. Apparently, in the recent past, some DI-AA programs have been beaten by "the DII girls," as in BB, at the gate. Very disappointing.