The Sicatoka

From the original linked piece: For something that some believe won't be enforced, they sure talk it up in the article. Alternatively, if it won't be enforced anyway, (right?,) UND's athletics programs are a better fit with the MAC than the BSC. The BSC doesn't offer baseball, softball, or swimming and no BSC member plays hockey. Alternatively, the MAC offers things UND doesn't have: mens soccer, tennis, and wrestling, plus womens field hockey, plus three MAC teams play hockey in the CCHA. UND wouldn't be "searching for a home" for existing programs.

Robert Hemenway is chancellor at the University of Kansas and chair of the Division I Board of Directors. That sounds to me like a guy who's had the idea of divisional restructuring cross his mind and he sits on the DI Board of Directors.

Yeah, but they both (DII and DI-AA) want more television. Why? "There seems to be more and more blurring of the lines between classifications," -- Robert Hemenway, chancellor at the University of Kansas and chair of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors. That's a quote from the NCAA News article in this thread.

Isn't the closest I-A conference the Big Ten? The MAC? Hey, that's just some crazy notion from some guy. Then again, how much longer is the MAC going to be a I-A conference (in light of the new attendance minimums for I-A)? MAC teams Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, SUNY-Buffalo, Akron, and Central Michigan didn't average 15000 in 2003. Ohio made it by 824 (and that's not a good margin). There's half the MAC right there.

From the Herald: http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/9903962.htm http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/9903963.htm

UND president Kupchella and UC-Davis president Vanderhoef are interviewed in the NCAA News this week. Topic? NCAA divisions and division membership issues. http://www2.ncaa.org/media_and_events/asso...al/4121n09.html

Could they have crossed up the regular season vs all games numbers? Streak for all games: 14 Streak for regular season games: 11

I just came across a recent NCAA News piece on DI-AA. It's an interesting read, expecially when you "compare and contrast" it with a past piece by former NCC commissioner Marcil. Marcil on DII woes: http://www.ncaa.org/news/2004/20040315/edi...al/4106n04.html Positions or ideas espoused: - philosophy of regional teams: "has a philosophy of geographic regionalization" - philosophy of fiscal sanity: "limited athletics grant-in-aid maximums" - rename the division: "connotes a second-rate or inferior product" - establish some type of national television coverage plan for Division II Fullerton (et al) on DI-AA woes: http://www2.ncaa.org/media_and_events/asso...ws/4121n01.html Positions or ideas espoused: - philosophy of regional teams: "What makes a team I-A is that, ... No. 2, you are going to play a national schedule. We don't aspire to do either of those unless we're forced to. We understand that we're not trying to be I-A," (Fullerton) said." - philosophy of fiscal sanity: ""What makes a team I-A is that, No. 1, you are going to make enough money to support your program, ... We don't aspire to do either of those unless we're forced to. We understand that we're not trying to be I-A,"(Fullerton) said." - rename the division: "officials continue tossing around the idea of changing the name of the classification ... people often misunderstand the I-AA name ... is applied ... in "unintended and harmful ways."" - want more television coverage: "treat I-AA football as a primary event, even more television coverage would be forthcoming."

I won't dispute what you've heard. I'll ask a question. The question: Who is the "we" Scarano speaks of, is it internally at UNH or with other DI-AA ADs? The "in I-AA" ending makes me believe it may be external to UNH.

Dr. Kupchella gives his State of the University Address later today. Here's a portion of what he previewed to the Grand Forks Herald:

Yeah, it's one man's opinion, but look where the teams mentioned here rank on Massey's listing: 63 Florida Atlantic (highest I-AA) 74 Grand Valley State (highest II) 76 Georgia Southern 86 Cal Poly SLO 94 UC-Davis 100 Montana 123 St. Cloud 126 North Dakota 139 South Dakota State 141 Northwestern State of Louisiana 144 Montana State 145 NDSU 149 Northern Arizona 159 Nicholls State (beat by NDSU) 161 Ferris State (UND 45, FSU 0) 169 Southern Utah 177 Winona State 192 Northern Colorado 217 UNO http://www.mratings.com/rate/cf-m.htm

UC-Davis has beaten two (admittedly bottom dwelling) Big Sky teams and Northern Colorado by 10 in Greeley.

National Letter of Intent signing dates: November 10-17, 2004 and April 13-August 1, 2005.

Forget the FSU football team. Send the FSU hockey team for two games: We owe them.

Sweet. If only he'd have had a jersey.

Peer pressure? Dear Band: Keep listening to PCM and babies "y'all be wearing gold-plated diapers."

I thought he'd been tagged "Sparky" by the team. A Sioux player wearing jersey #11 leads the nation in scoring after one weekend. Who would have guessed.

OK, if you want the fairer comparison: FSU rushing versus Findlay: 472 yards FSU rushing versus North Dakota: 1 yard <--- note that is singular Now that is shrinkage. You should have been quiet and not had me look.

Didn't 'star2city' predict a larger discussion of this issue during Homecoming Week? Well, that article is the the topic starter.

From 410 yards to 36 inches. Now that's shrinkage.

Let's send out this classic hit to the Ferris rushing game.

Seriously? Sayitain'tso.

'tony', as best I could hear channel-surfing between the Twins, the Gophers vs DU on FSN, WDAY-TV, Texas Tech whuppin' Big Red, and popping on the Bose for the hockey game (UND at Maine), about half of those in Brookings were Bison fans. (That's not a dig at anyone. That's applause to those NDSU fans who went.) You're right: 30ish is one thing, "24" would be a cut to the bone. I'm sure that number surprised a lot of folks. PS (and a late edit): "I wonder if there is a chance .... UMD will look harder at DI" --- I guess I wouldn't expect that. The UM system is short on money.

Some quotes I find interesting: Could it be that the BCS schools are looking around and are tired of sharing all that TV revenue with schools that are just there for the revenue-sharing check? I'd guess that Ohio State ($80 MM athletics budget) et al view schools with $8-10 MM budgets the same way a lot of DII fans viewed the UM-Morris' and MSU-Moorheads moving into DII. I wouldn't be surprised to see the BCS-type schools push for a division of their own. Scholarship reductions in DI-AA now too? I guess as state budgets get tighter the schools have to look to balance the budgets somehow, even in the DI-AA ranks.

Say the BSC does lose Sac State --> 7 Say Portland State decides travel and exposure is better in a west coast (Big West, WCC) conference --> 6 Buh-bye BSC autobids. Like I've said, the BSC will do what it believes it has to to keep its autobids. It wouldn't be dumb of the BSC to build in a little margin (add to a total of 10 or 12 teams) in case Montana gets the notion to go DI-A down the road.