The Sicatoka

Dear GF Herald Editorial Board: I don't see a game on October 13. I see one on October 18. I got exactly that when I paid $80 and got a football season ticket. That works out to roughly $13 per game. Variable pricing has been in effect for UND Hockey since the opening of Ralph Engelstad Arena. Now please study up on the ticket pricing for UND Athletics. http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/hockey.asp http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/football.asp http://www.fightingsioux.com/info/ticket/bball.asp Thank you.

What did I say? There was a group aimed at DI. There was a group less in favor of it. Rather than taking a "let's look at this together" approach and taking a little more time to study the issues as a group, with strength in numbers, one subset, when they didn't get the answer they desired, moved. Now everyone is left in the lurch. A DI NCC may have been a solution. However, go back and look at the situation objectively. Under this DIAA NCC scenario: UN-Omaha has said they'd go to the MIAA. Augustana has hinted at going to the NSIC rather than go DIAA. At best what's left is UND, NDSU, SDSU, UNC, USD, SCSU, and MSUM, and maybe UM-Duluth. However, would all the Minnesota schools have stayed or would they have gone with the lower-cost DII solution of the NSIC as well? In light of the current situation it appears that rather than moving as a group it is everyone for themselves. Each appears to be taking a different approach. Personally, I'd say the wise ones are following the reports of professional consultants (whether theirs or someone else's) on the issue. They say to establish (in order): Campus Consensus Finances and Revenue Streams Strategic Plan (for people and facilities) Conference Affiliation, Then Move to DIAA.

First, (sorry for barging into a good spat) DI is a National Collegiate Athletics Association measure. It has nothing to do with academics. For that, reference something like Princeton Review please. Secondly, ten thousand, eh? Just 30% behind.

Let's run "what if." Let's say UND sided with the "go DIAA" crowd at that NCC meeting. What would be the expected results? I'd postulate: SCSU and MSU-Mankato would jump to the NSIC.* UM-Duluth would stay in the NSIC.* UN-Omaha stated they'd join the MIAA (with NW Missouri, et al). Augustana most likely would join the NSIC as well. So what would have been left? UNC, NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UND. That is not even enough for a conference. Add to that that now there's even fewer regional "comparables" to select from to add a sixth, seventh, and eighth team for a workable number. This scenario would be any better for any concerned? If so, show me how. A more temperate approach by all (fewer precipitous moves, fewer positioning statements) would have allowed for more study (and possibly preparation) for a move as a unified group. I'd say UND should move, but only after following the advice given by Carr Sports Associates to both NDSU and SDSU: Campus concensus, fiscal resources in place, strategic plan for people and facilities engaged, "Secure an acceptable conference membership before making the decision to reclassify to I-AA" (note the quote marks), move. * I base that on the state of the State of Minnesota budget.

Now, tony, you're trying to speak for me. From the beginning of this (way back when) I said there was a "missing level." The NCAA acknowledges this with "IAA" in football. And, way back, I also pointed out that the NCC split right along the hockey line. Obviously Augie would be against it. They're cash-strapped. With Augie and the four schools with DI experience (hockey) the NCC went against the idea 5-4. Forgive me for believing the opinion of the schools with experience in DI competition. And you missed something: UND will be playing Boston College, Yale, and Minnesota before the calendar says "2004." As far as superconferences, their concern is revenue from TV from football and basketball. Who knows who and how they'd invite to play beyond that. But a team that fills an 11,406 seat hockey arena 23 nights a season has to be interesting to them. (It goes back to that "carry the load" and "money sharing" concept.)

Too bad the wealthy ladies in their large, feathered hats (the superconferences) already in that boat see those making the mad dash to "their boat" as 'riff-raff' and may just shove-off without them (and toss those already in overboard).

Pssst .... redwing77 .... you missed ScottM's point. FargoDome has flooded out twice due to natural run-off twice (eight and twelve feet on the field) in its past. Flood it, open the doors in January, and viola!

Sure, more "Newberry" type schools are coming into DII. So, some of the DIIs jump to DI. But using the same arguments that the DIIs used to move up, some of the DIs may just decide to do the same. Don't believe me? Read this: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/spo...ges/5988680.htm It's about revenue streams to keep the programs afloat. The superconferences pay the dues, carry the load, and have to revenue share with small schools. Apparently some of them may be tired of it, and, following the examples of NDSU and SDSU "move up," or in this case, move out. Remember, voluntary is their word. Don't think it's possible? Re-read the quote. It's on the mind of senior athletics adminstrators in a superconference. If it's at Duke, where else is it? That 2004 NCAA convention relooking at qualifications to play in a division should be really interesting. Who knows what'll shake out. (Re-read the quote.) Of course, I'm sure UND fans shouldn't be commenting on any of this either.

You forgot that in addition to setting the single season scoring mark you have to: - Center a 52 goal man (I believe it is still the single-season record), and - Win a National Championship over the defending champion in their home state, less than three hours from their campus, in a hostile rink.

A set of brothers (cousins?) playing for Harvard won it the year before and the year after. (1983 and 1986)

Hull came in the next year (1984-85). The 1984 Duluth team was lead by Tom Kurvers, Bill Watson and Norm MacIver. Both Kurvers and Watson left college with Hobey Baker awards (1984 and 1985).

I believe the most common six defenseman line-up will be: Schneider/Smaby Jones/Greene Fuher/Marvin As well as Lee Marvin played penalty kill at the end of last season, you need him dressed for those situations. Marvin would probably skate with Schneider on the PK.

No, we only count shutouts when the opponent's vaunted first-team offense can't get it done. We don't note if it's our second- or third-team that stiffs them.

Obviously, with any Blais team, if you don't like the lines you wait a period. They'll be changed up. If I were to guess to start the year: Parise-Bochenski-Murray Lundbohm-Massen-Stafford McMahon-Hale-Prpich Fylling-Canady-(Porter/Genoway) I'm putting two experienced guys with each of the freshmen I expect to see at the start of the season. By the end of the season I'd hope to see: Parise-Stafford-Murray Lundbohm-Bochenski-Fylling McMahon-Hale-Prpich Genoway-Massen-(Canady/Porter) In my end scenario, Stafford and Murray mature enough to allow them out there at the same time. Lundbohm/Bochenski created a lot of offense last Christmas. Fylling with them would still give Lundbohm someone to work and skate and go fast with in open ice. Massen moving down isn't a demotion; it is hopefully to give a power forward scorer to a "finally showing everything he has" Colby Genoway. I believe there are two scoring lines there. I'm hoping a third emerges. Maybe you flop Prpich with Canady/Porter in this scenario (even more scoring punch with Genoway) and have a true crash-line (McMahon/Hale/?). I want McMahon/Hale together because they penalty kill well together (you don't disrupt two lines that way). I'm wonder who the other "kill" pair of forwards will be with no Notes/Spie.

Forgive me Diggler, I was one calling to take the safety over the shutout. With so little time left, having just stopped UC-Davis from scoring, and having the ball that deep in your own end with a 14 point lead the strategy and mathematics made the most sense: 14-0 Eating as much clock as possible, give them 2 points Give them the free kick, cover well, and put them 70 yards from scoring a TD Play the defense you've played all day and run the game out Even if they get the TD and a 2 point conversion .... they're down 4, they'll have next to no time, and a FG doesn't beat you.

Borrowed from a USCHO page: Pages that explain the B-T method (in various levels of detail): http://uscollegehockey.com/FAQs/?data=krach http://www.mscs.dal.ca/~butler/krachexp.htm http://slack.net/~whelan/tbrw/tbrw.cgi?krach Some of those pages are better than Sominex.

What's that? Valdost... !?!?! ..... Oh dear God! I'm blind! Kidding. Trying to rate college football with this limited sample size (few games) and huge, mostly empty, matrix (10 games per team with ~700 teams) is a statistical nightmare. I can't imagine how long it would take to make a Bradley-Terry-type calculation stabilize. There are B-T and similar calculations done during the college hockey season (don't complain Bison fans, it's the Sioux board ) and I don't look at much less believe those until after the first of the year (mid-way through the season).

Hold it here. There are a couple of obvious questions: 1. How in the world is SCSU rated below three other NCC schools? 2. In 2002 there were 117 DIA schools and 123 DIAA schools for a total of 240. You're telling me that current DIIs UND and NDSU are rated ahead of roughly half of them?

What do you charge per seat? As much as you can get while keeping all the seats full. It's economic reality.

UM-C at UND box score: UND defense offside 5 yards UND defense US 10 yards (what's "US"?) UND special teams holding 36 yards (took away punt return for TD) UND defense holding 10 yards UND offense personal foul 15 yards UND special teams illegal block 38 yards UND offense holding 7 yards Seeing those two monster penalties makes the yards sound better; of course, one took away a punt return that went the distance. The offensive holding for seven yards looks strange. The play started at the 4, the hold happened at the 1; ten yards from the spot gives a seven yard penalty I guess.

There were two things in the UND box score I didn't like: UMC passed for more than 100 yards. UND had more than 100 yards in penalties.

Another dark omen for the UM-Crookston rivalry:

I'm left with three questions after the NDSU-Montana game, but first, you have to give credit to a road team that wins in that situation. NDSU could have folded up at halftime and they didn't. Now the questions: 1. Was Babich really that bad of a coach? Bohl just won with essentially Babich's players (albeit with a new QB). Credit Bohl. 2. Did everyone else get the feeling that Montana's defense wore out at the end and they went hyper-conservative offense after being picked off in the second half? The Griz looked like they were physically worn down. (That's a compliment to NDSU.) 3. Will NDSU have anything left in the emotional tank for UC-Davis Saturday? Of course, UC-Davis is coming off a tough loss. Anyone know who Grand Valley's only loss in that run is to? Hold it: GVSU beats UCD. Isn't that another DII over a IAA on the weekend?

Sioux fans not at the Sioux football game, and who don't have other commitments, promise to watch that .... only if you promise to watch every Sioux game on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network this season. If you don't get that on cable or satellite where you're at, suck it up and buy the broadband webcast. You promised.

Folks, we're under 30 days to the first drop of a puck. Does anyone have the inside news on who will have a 'C' or 'A' on their sweater? Does anyone know which new face will have which number on their sweater?