The Sicatoka

More TDs Zavalney or Maag Smith or Hoosman Elijah Klein or Tyler Burian

On? I was thinking more ... up.

One college president sees the death of the autobid as a real possibility.

An assistant part of the prior regime gets the reigns. Think he'll be under a microscope?

I believe August will be under the postponed event's eligibility rules. And it's from scratch because Russia is not there (under sanction from IIHF). Latvia takes the RUS spot. Dec 2022/Jan 2023 will be under normal IIHF age rules (and I believe RUS will still be out).

Replay is part of the issue. Contracts are the other. When you have a dollar sign and nine digits tied up in a QB or catcher, you start to treat them as a Ming vase and not a player.

An objective look at the football spending and football salaries numbers. https://knightnewhousedata.org/reports/c3a9e548 Note: Of those five (UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, UNI), the +4.73% (percent change in dollars) from 2017-2021 by UND is the largest increase in football spending.

U of Michigan's Covid lies (based on the report findings, let's call 'em what they are, lies) may have cost UND a trip to the Frozen Four: Michigan gets sent home; UMD gets an afternoon no contest; UND plays regional night game; The next night a full rest UMD team beats UND in 5OT. Were it up to me, the next time Michigan qualifies for the NCAA tourney (autobid or PWR) they are automatically out of the field. The tourney slot goes to highest PWR not in. If that hoses the B1G out of their autobid for a year, blame your conference-mates.

The Engelstads are hockey fans. Their patriarch played ... < checks notes > ... HOCKEY at UND. Shockingly, their priority is the program dad played for. I'm sorry their priorities don't align to others'. Side note: I read the Engelstad Family Trust* Form 990 for 2019. They gave close to $20M to Catholic charities and over $10M to animal shelters and charities. That's beside what they gave to cancer research centers and small NV colleges and legal aid groups. If they were blowing the money on "hookers and blow" it'd be one thing, but, they are trying to do good works with the Engelstad money, and it might not always be through UND. *That's Ralph's estate and has nothing to do with the arena. The arena has separate legal entities set up that report their own 990s.

I wouldn't trade that for being on Comcast in MSP. Or potentially cable in the 'peg* ... or getting more TSN exposure.* *Someone re-read the RFP last night.

I’ve seen a badger attack a tractor tire, and the tire lost. That said, as UND fans we’re all required to say … Badgers? Badgers? We-don-nee-no stinkin’ badgers!

The Alerus should no longer have "catwalks" on the ends. It should have ... Hawk Perches ... giving a hawk's eye view.

@Teeder11, is the practice schedule posted anywhere? Do they practice tomorrow (Aug 7)?

Now imagine if UND was smart enough to call out retaining, at no cost under the contract, a number of advertising slots (:30 second commercials) per broadcast event. Spoiler Alert: Read the television RFP; it's in there.

Now that's bold.

Fenton runs the Summit. Viverito runs the MVFC.

Over.

Beware the man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Especially the low in the sky sun in late fall.

With the new scoreboards, where exactly would said windows go?

Welcome to Saturday Morning Philosophy, with coffee. I'm your host: The Sicatoka. Today's topic is: Bet on yourself or take the money? Media deals in the 2020s. UND went for infrastructure investments and "goodwill" (programming and air time) in lieu of a big media check. Then UND took advertising in house. Both of those moves say UND needs the tooling, not the cash flow, to keep "betting on self" and they found a way to get it. UND also has skin in the game -- UND needs to keep the value high, and raise it, to keep advertising returns high. NDSU took the check, the cash flow. If the value of what NDSU sold drops over the length of the deal, NDSU is out nothing. That's not betting on self. So who made the smartest move? And yes, that is smartest, not smarter. It's not two entities in play here but four. So let's explore. Midco: They lay out some capital and make some improvements to UND facilities. They guarantee some air time. But they're getting programming for their cable channels and subscription service. If UND is awesome they come out great, viewers; if UND teams slide, well, they still have programming. WDAY/ForumComm: They're writing big checks betting that NDSU stays a valuable quantity. Should NDSU get bigger, great bet for 'DAY. Should NDSU stumble, not so great of a bet. NDSU: They are locked in. Win or lose they cash the check. If they stumble, genius!, because the same check comes. If they explode and go even bigger, they shorted themselves. UND: They are getting exposure and a tangible improvements to facilities. And they are getting the exposure to announce what they are doing. If UND stumbles, they still have the stuff and the exposure. If they explode and go bigger, they have the returns of better ad revenue. Thinking about these from least to greatest risk, I'd say NDSU made the lowest risk move. They can "Amber Heard" the bed and still get the same check. That said, I'd say UND made a bold, risky, move. In lieu of cash today they are betting on future success. Midco is right there with them. Each have made moves that look forward and depend on improvements. Forum Comm is in the riskiest position. Should the value of the entity they've pre-paid for drop, for whatever reason, they're still on the hook. That said, if NDSU goes big, ForumComm reaps all the media reward, and NDSU shorted itself. I hope you've enjoyed the rambling stream of thoughts and finished your coffee. I'm The SIcatoka and this has been Saturday Morning Philosophy, with coffee.

What's the contracted structure? It could be flat fee from media to school but no slice of the ad revenues. <- low risk to school; high risk to media Another way is a media partner for broadcast and the school does all the ad sales and keeps all ad revenues. <- risk switches to school and what they can get for ad returns Those scenarios would be very different up front fiscal numbers from media company to athletic department.

Why which? Why not announced? We knew Midco won before the official statements. They were working out details. Same here I'd guess. Why did I want Tioga and Grand Rapids? Why not?

The MVFC commish on the changing landscape ... https://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state-pigskin/2022/08/veteran-missouri-valley-commissioner-i-have-never-witnessed-so-much-uncertainty-in-the-collegiate-landscape/