The Sicatoka

" ... students who want a traditional full-time college experience ... " Yes, but how much longer will that be the collegiate education model. I know a UND student who last year was taking N credits in the classroom in Grand Forks, plus another 3 credit UND class online.

The vessel to do that already exists, and it's called the WAC. If Idaho and Denver put their foot down and said, "We will rebuild" to NMSU and Seattle something might start to happen. As long as they (any of the WAC4) are shopping the WAC is unviable.

I did this analysis on another board last night: Denver fields a team in just 2 of 6 mens sports sponsored by the Big Sky; they field teams in 5 of the 8 womens sports sponsored by the Big Sky. Denver doesn't field cross country, indoor or outdoor track and field teams on either the mens or womens side. There are six BSC championships right there.

The decision to accept an invitation, or give an invitation, to a conference is not done by fans nor by athletic directors. It's done by university presidents. And they think far more about academic standing and reputations than fans do when it comes to conference alignments. You are the company you keep.

The way I see it, the South Dakota schools will from now on look south and east, toward the population centers in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, for conference affiliations. And I think you'll see the same out of Omaha going forward also. They all have Missouri Valley Conference dreams (as does SDSU's big rival ). Edit: Same for Northern Iowa; they will look more easterly than westerly. I think we'll see three tiers of Division I football shortly after the new playoff starts in 2014. I think it'll be today's top 64 (maybe up to 80) FBS teams at the top-most level. Next you'll have the rest of today's FBS and the top part of FCS (Big Sky, CAA, MVFC) at a new mid-level. Then you'll have the non-scholarships and the schools that don't do max allowable scholarships at a lowest level in DI. Given there are about 124 FBS and 122 FCS today, it'll probably split out about 64 to 72 at the highest, then 96 or so, then the rest (roughly about 80).

That's easy. Either ... (a) the world's greatest conference rope-a-dope is being played out masterfully by Hurd and the WAC, or (b) there's no one at the helm of the WACtanic and it's iceberg dead ahead.

If you're right it'll be the greatest rope-a-dope since Ali left the ring.

Seems the WAC is all but done as a football conference. http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_21355122/wac-drop-football-after-2012-season Additionally, if that was Hurd around Grand Forks with Faison last week it would lead me to believe Hurd was looking for a job (probably replacing Sean Johnson).

The 2013 schedule has a ridiculous run in it: SDSU, Montana, open, Montana State. Putting USD in the open slot would be murder's row. Based on that and already having 7 home games says UND is definitely looking at making a playoff run. Plus, not signing that USD home and home allows UND to look for a one-time "money game" in 2014 (where there is space for it). Projected UND FB schedules at: http://wiki.siouxsports.com/doku.php

... and indoor training facilities.

I just realized there is another team scrambling for 2013 and 2014 games: New Mexico State. USD home and home, or a potential game check?

OK, not to put a curse or hex on anything, but I'm going to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the corner of the room: Quarterback. If the nightmare scenario were to come to pass, namely, both of "my two sons" go down (Hanson, Hendrickson), what does Muss do? Here's my notion: If the third loss is already in the L column were it to happen, you bring in the third "son", Jake Hanson from Grafton, to finish out the season at QB. Why? You keep all of the eligibility on Bartels and Mollberg. I don't want to see this come to pass, but when's the last time UND had a QB take every snap in a season?

No, just publicly admitting and embracing your rodential side ... not that there's anything wrong with that*. *quote Jerry Seinfeld

I wonder ... I wonder ... I know of a team that needs home games in 2013. Yeah, they need FBS home games, but haven't scheduled an FCS school in the five home games yet. All they have for home games so far is Northern Illinois and NMSU. And it's awfully late to be looking for 2013 games. That school? Idaho. If I'm right, UND could be turning a home and home with USD into a paycheck at Idaho (leaving another date in 2014 open for another paycheck). Or, Idaho will need games when other teams are in conference. Think if UND goes there on Sept 21, 2013, Faison could get Idaho here on Oct 18, 2014?

No Teeder, that's our beloved "DaveK". Like I've said, he's just a "coming out of the closet Gopher fan".

The most important thing on that field ... is the home team.

Go back to post 335 in this thread. I'm guessing the webcam at The Alerus has stopped working.

The debut of the blacks is with jersey number 40, not jersey number 83 (as in 1883, the year of UND's founding). Interesting. I wonder if that isn't a quiet, tip-of-the-cap acknowledgement to someone, a UND guy who wore "40" until just recently. (Suddenly makes me wonder who bought the new uniforms.)

Cratter for the win here. Yesterday (Thursday, three weeks) is when the Idaho AD tweets out that they're going to EXPLORE the option of the Big Sky.

I noticed Spear's emphasis on "EXPLORE" also in his tweet. Is suspect that was spin control because you know there has to be lots of turmoil and dissention in his fan base right now.

The current WAC - Denver: Faison worked with them to form the NCHC and knows them from the WCHA. Idaho: GF Herald story today has Faison saying their AD Rob Spear is an old friend. New Mexico State: Faison was the AD there before coming here. Seattle: No know Faison connection. That the end of today's "Six Degrees of Brian Faison". Then again, Hurd could be on campus because he's a Minot guy, he was the WAC's media coordinator (a position Sean Johnson just left at UND) for a long time before being named WAC interim commissioner, and he may be out of a job soon (if the WAC folds).

Watch the language. Next time I have to remove posts I remove people. Signed, The Management

Forgive my insensity toward Idaho, but they are just delaying the inevitable: - they'll bleed fiscally trying to put together five home FBS games and ultimately end up going FCS, or - the NCAA will shove them down to FCS for not averaging the FBS minimum 15k per home game* The outcome is the same. *You must average 15k home attendance once every two years (on a rolling two-year basis). Idaho has averaged 15k once in the last six, and not in the last three.

Idaho under this plan (just Olympic sports, not FB in BSC) would make 12 for Olympic sports / 13 for football. Adding in Seattle U and DU, non-football schools, would make for 14 playing the Olympic sports. That seems a little unwieldy to me unless they come up with some creative scheduling for BB.

Let's summarize Idaho: no WAC money and trying to play FBS FB in a very small stadium. Not a formula for success in my eyes.