The Sicatoka

Don't you enjoy his profile pages.

This should put The 'Bad1 over the edge: http://www.ncaasports.com/icehockey/mens/story/6263459 They'll be watching it in Big Rapids, Michigan, home of Ferris State.

The team has 21 skaters. You can only dress 18 of them. When I heard Connelly is unavailable I figured the three to sit was easy: Connelly, Palmiscno, and Leinweber. Connelly is obvious and the other two haven't played in at least a month. Not knowing how David Hale would be in a game situation I figured you have to play both Ryan Hale and Marvin (because both can play either forward or D). Marvin played forward for a while at Mankato (after Canady's DQ) and looked more than capable. I figured Ryan Hale would move back up front and Marvin stay back. Either way gets the desired effect. They'll probably be down to four D and three lines by the middle of the second anyway. (Hey, it's the playoffs.)

Paddling through the link Jim provided above, the closest thing to D-IAA minimums that I found was the general DI minimums:

Other college football programs dropped this off-season: DII: UMass-Lowell DIAA: Fairfield, Canisius, St. John's

KFGO laid-off: - Afternoon host Steve Poitras - News reporter Jim Monk - Sports reporter Mick Farkas The first two are inconsequential from a UND broadcast contract perspective. Farkas was doing Sioux mens (?) basketball so they'll have to be some work done there.

- The Tech position is open. - A DIII job just opened up out east because that coach just took over Clarkson. - Some others will probably open around the country soon as well. Could one of the UND assistants be looking to become a head coach somewhere? Steve Johnson filling an assistant's role in Dean Blais' staff would set him up to become the head coach come the day that Dean does retire. (Blais' is currently negotiating for beyond his current contract which ends at the end of the 2004 season.)

jeffj: This is an NCAA tourney meaning the on-ice officials will be from a conference outside the CCHA or the WCHA. Most likely neither team will be familiar with the referee.

From The Herald: And on a completely unrelated note, David Hale recently returned to practices with the team. No, I don't know how it happened, but it sounds like the intensity is up. Too bad about Connelly. The speed would have been good on the glacier in Mariucci.

Handy, To capture her heart, you have to go through The Wookie! You just can't compete.

Oh great waffle-speak detector What I said was, it's becoming a choice of the less of two evils. The choice is this: Go into a situation where you know you'll have money and conference (and probationary period) issues or stay in a situation where you can see it's starting to melt down and be taken down with it. Great choices, eh? Still, I'd choose to not melt down, not fade away. I'd rather die trying (meaning not be able to do the budget) if it comes to that. Budget still is the primary concern, as well as those others mentioned. Concerns don't go away by me changing my opinion on the situation. They must be in the open and addressed, even if folks don't want to keep hearing them mentioned. But if you insist that (and my other post) was waffle speak, have at it.

Greyeagle look like this? Oh no, here's a shot of Greyeagle out of hockey gear. Note the faded maroon (almost orange appearing) shirt and gold undershirt and shoes. Dead giveaways. I'm not sure which letter of the M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A cheer he's attempting to form in that photo.

DamStrait, it is all about the Benjamins. And the NCAA should be really mad that this one is in Mariucci (10k) instead of The X (18k). There's some serious gate they missed out on.

And three D-IAA football programs have dropped since the end of the 2002 season: Fairfield, Canisius, and St. John's (yes, that's St. John's the basketball power). All were members of the MAAC. Michigan Tech is one. Who's the other DII?

Hey, Wantagh, pointing out the NHL CBA situation (the current one runs out at the end of the 2004 playoffs) and its potential impacts on decisions made by NCAAers is my schtick. Find your own.

Yes, I said that with a laugh, but I was serious. I'm not sure if you folks realize the money in 1997, 2000, and 2001 that UND left on the table by not being full DI, but making those Frozen Fours. Yes, move up. But, yes, I'm still afraid that it could well be fiscal suicide. In reality, the other choice (no move) isn't much better. That's the conclusion I've arrived at. It comes down to the question: Is it better to burn out or fade away? Or put another way, die, or die trying? Like you, tony, I've mellowed to the idea over time. (Remember, you wrote once that you didn't think the idea was a good one for NDSU at first either.) As I've mellowed, I've looked for mellowing from UND. That's why I locked onto that statement by Roger Thomas. That's the first thing that could even remotely be interpreted as mellowing in the official UND position (whether it was intended or not). The previous problems (money, conference, harsh probationary periods) still remain.

He said "one." PS: "didn't"

The rest, I have very few problems with so I won't comment, but, About point 3: No, the BCS schools can't move the world, but that's not the issue. (Remember to think about this outside the scope of football.) The "Ohio States" are the "NCC" of DI. They want the bigger numbers. It's what the "small budgets" decide is what moves things. With money getting tighter, and a growing number of small DIs, who knows. Could the "DII problem" replicate at the DI level? What would the "Ohio States" do then? No one knows. I say go DI for the Frozen Four money.

No, not really "apples and oranges." Think about this beyond the gridiron. Outside of football, Ohio State and NDSU will be competing "at the same level." How'd this problem develop in DII? An influx of schools with smaller budgets get there and, once there, and because they have numbers, start to change the rules. What's happening in DI? An influx of schools with smaller budgets. Don't think the "Ohio States" aren't noticing.

My point is money. It is what is really driving all of this conversation. NDSU is not happy with underfunded programs watering down DII. Fair enough. But the "Ohio States" (I'll pick them as an example) can't be happy about seeing the profit sharing check (from BB television primarily) keep getting smaller as low-budget programs keep popping up and taking a cut of the pie. NDSU made a move. What prevents the "Ohio States" from making a move to protect their fiscal positions? Now, let me make an argument why UND should go DI: Teams playing in hockey's Frozen Four get a cut of the profits .... if you are a DI in all sports. How much money did UND lose out on in 1997, 2000, and 2001?

Come on, any real Gopher fan would cheer for UND in the early west semi. Why? 1. WCHA (WCHA RS4 defeats CCHA RS champs? That helps the league in the future.) 2. Wouldn't they take more joy in ending the Sioux season versus Ferris' season? If they were brave and strong, they'd cheer for the Sioux on Friday.

Try looking here for starters: http://www.ncaasports.com/icehockey/mens/story/6263459 More info will probably come as the week moves along.

A bunch of schools join a division when they only have athletic budgets that are 20% of some of that division's powerhouses. The powerhouses don't like what they are seeing happening to their division. How long are they going to be bled, by folks spending 1/5 of what they are, on athletics? Now, am I talking about UM-Crookston joining DII (compared to NDSU) or Ohio State ($80 million on athletics) looking at the influx of comparatively small schools to DI? The big DIs are taking notice. That's what those NCAA articles show.

bisonguy: I know the date. I was doing some looking though what the NCAA was up to. Those were some eyecatching words no matter the date. My conclusion after reading some past issues of NCAA news? The NCAA has no idea what it is doing.

If UMD is fake, I don't want to see real.