AJS

Might be worth it. They showed some fight tonight.

All Chaves has to do to make this a reality is inform Berry next week that his contract will not be extended, regardless of results next year. Next year will be his final year coaching at the University of North Dakota. Thank you, but we’re going a different direction at the end of next year. No maybe’s, no ifs. Too easy, @gfhockey, let’s pass this along.

I think the most likely scenario is Berry steps down after this year and becomes an assistant coach at some level (NHL, AHL). Makes sense on every level for Brad. Clearly, also the best case scenario for the university / program.

Could we be looking at a Matt Entz situation? Brian Jones? That would be a win / win for all.

This coaching staffs lack of foresight is so frightening. This is a lost year, with a bad Senior class (besides Berg). The 4th line should be 27-8-15. Kunz should be on the 3rd line. Take 15/29/8/27 off the power play. Not only is having 15 play in the top 6 / PP / PK a detriment this year, but does nothing for the future. Why I’m picking on 15, is it’s so frustrating to watch a bust from the portal come in and given and treated like he’s an all-timer that’s just on a slump. Berry’s quote about James was telling. How he finally “earned” power play time. What has 15 ever done to “earn“ pp time? This coaching staff is a complete joke. They should be selling hope for the future, putting players that can come back in the best situations possible.

So, why are non-P4 schools opting in? There has to be some sort of advantage. Not really worth the discussion, Chaves will follow whatever NDSU does, which very well could be the right call. Here's my point. Let's pretend these non-P4 schools that are opting in, are doing it for a reason. @nodak651 very accurately laid out why NDSU would not want to. It would be exciting to see Chaves go against the grain a bit here. Forcing NDSU's hand would be a bonus.

All CAA schools opting in. Montana / Montana State / Sac State, opted in. SIU leaning towards opting in. Missing a ton of schools, but really, appears that NDSU is the only one opting out at this time. Could change and I don't know the status of like 95% of schools. So much of it is optics, but what a curve ball Chaves could throw if UND opts in. NDSU would absolutely be scrambling. Perception matters. Opting out = Small time.

Right, more implying if everyone else is doing it, would be odd for UND not to.

#'s - 34 total offers, 33 Uncommitted. Aiden Wunderlich (Casselton, ND): UND, Montana, NDSU Deshon Jenkins (Ft. Myers, FL): Florida A&M, West Virginia, Toledo, UND Hakeim Smalls (Seattle, WA): Nevada, UND, Sac State, San Diego State, Montana State Henry Gabalis (Everett, WA): UND, Sac State, Montana, Idaho, Montana State, Arizona, Washington State Tristan Baker (Seattle, WA): UND Pierce Petersohn (Dodge Center, MN): UND, Minnesota, NDSU Luke Tetzlaff (Kaukauna, WI): UND Ben Wenzel (Appleton, WI): Eastern Michigan, UND, Lindenwood Nate Appleget (Lincoln, NE): NIU, UND, SDSU, Lindenwood Blake Buhr (Sheboygan, WI): UND, Cornell Noah Dietel (Litchfield, MN): UND Kobe Russell (Prescott, WI): NDSU, UND, NIU Pierce Decker (Fort Collins, CO): Montana, Wyoming, UND, NAU, UNC Bradley Esser (Harrisburg, SD): SDSU, UNI, UND Brayden Dozier (Maple Grove, MN): NDSU, UND Brooks Hendrickson (Mount Horeb, WI): UND Ethan Headings (Iowa City, IA): UND Will Vala (Downers Grove, IL): Illinois State, Ball State, ODU, UND, Lindenwood, Central Michigan, Arkansas State Jhace Woods (Sioux Falls, SD): SDSU, NDSU, UND Brandon Jenkins (Arlington Heights, IL): Murray State, Liberty, Toledo, Illinois State, Cincinnati, Ball State, UND, Ohio University, Miami of Ohio, Kansas State, ODU Jayden Brown (West Des Moines, IA): NDSU, UND Kaedyn Smith (Chandler, AZ): UND Xavier Rivera-Rogers (Phoenix, AZ): NAU, UND Jeremiah Daoud (Allen, TX): UND Michael Farr (Racine, WI): Eastern Michigan, Lindenwood, UND Noah Daniel (Fort Dodge, IA): UND Marquis Richardson (Chandler, AZ): Iowa State, Central Michigan, NAU, UND Bryson Williams (Omaha, NE): NDSU, SDSU, UND, Colorado State Keaton Reinke (Saint Charles, IL): Toledo, Penn, Miami of Ohio, NDSU, Northwestern, NIU, Stanford, UND, Iowa Myles Ellis (Flossmoor, IL): Akron, Miami of Ohio, Marshall, Kent State, UND MarQuan Brewster (Palatine, IL): UND Deron Russell (Minneapolis, MN): SDSU, NIU, UND Levon Morton (Mesquite, TX): Montana State, UTEP, UNT, Texas State, UND

One thing I'll point out, timing of the offers. This coaching staff has 30+ offers out now. My guess is, last year at this time, that number was less than 5. Clearly, there are other factors that will make recruiting the 2026 class different than 2025, I'm betting on night and day different. Timing, I think there's a real premium on how this current coaching staff is attacking recruiting.

Loss by Loss. This mantra worked in giving hope to the football program. It now needs to be employed for Hockey and W/M Basketball. Given everything that's going on right now in collegiate athletics, turning over the AD wouldn't be ideal. The one thing I'll say about Chaves and hiring. This applied for Football and applies for Hockey and W Basketball. They cannot do worse than they have right now. IMO, he nailed the Football hiring. Let's not let him hold this back. Loss by Loss!

Very interesting. @The Sicatoka what are you thinking here? Could this put enough weight on the scale for UND to end up opting in? Would seem to be quite the disadvantage if the majority of schools increase their scholarships to 26 and UND is stuck at 18.

I could not agree more. I've followed recruiting pretty closely over the years. The strategy is night and day different over previous years. They are targeting a higher level of athlete overall, being more aggressive, offering much earlier. They have 30+ offers and it's not even mid-February. You can just tell there's a confidence that wasn't there before. I believe this coaching staff believes they can win these battles. We'll see if they can seal the deal with some of these. I'm so excited for the future of this program.

If you want optimism, look no further than the similarities between the Football & Hockey program. Expectations, for Football it would be to be at the top tier of the FCS with its peers (Dakota, Montana schools) and for hockey it would be to be back in the top tier of college hockey with its peers (BIG schools, Denver). Optimism comes from the fact that everything is in place for those programs to accomplish those goals (Academics / Campus, Facilities, FCOA, Altson, NIL, Fan support). The only thing that has been holding those programs back is bad coaching / coaching & recruiting in the NIL era. Football has been fixed. We're one turnover in coaching staff for hockey to be back too. *I didn't include M/W Basketball, because although both badly need new coaching staffs, I'm not sure there's a guarantee both programs will be better under new leadership. Bubba / Berry are (were) so bad that it's a guarantee the programs are better under new leadership.

Look at the offers that Reinke has. There's a confidence and a belief with this new coaching staff, that has not been there before. You can feel it.

2026 Class - 30 Total offers, 29 Current Offers Aiden Wunderlich (Casselton, ND): UND, Montana, NDSU Deshon Jenkins (Ft. Myers, FL): Florida A&M, West Virginia, Toledo, UND Hakeim Smalls (Seattle, WA): Nevada, UND, Sac State, San Diego State, Montana State Henry Gabalis (Everett, WA): UND, Sac State, Montana, Idaho, Montana State, Arizona, Washington State Tristan Baker (Seattle, WA): UND Pierce Petersohn (Dodge Center, MN): UND, Minnesota, NDSU Luke Tetzlaff (Kaukauna, WI): UND Ben Wenzel (Appleton, WI): Eastern Michigan, UND, Lindenwood Nate Appleget (Lincoln, NE): NIU, UND, SDSU, Lindenwood Blake Buhr (Sheboygan, WI): UND, Cornell Noah Dietel (Litchfield, MN): UND Kobe Russell (Prescott, WI): NDSU, UND, NIU Pierce Decker (Fort Collins, CO): Montana, Wyoming, UND, NAU, UNC Bradley Esser (Harrisburg, SD): SDSU, UNI, UND Brayden Dozier (Maple Grove, MN): NDSU, UND Brooks Hendrickson (Mount Horeb, WI): UND Ethan Headings (Iowa City, IA): UND Will Vala (Downers Grove, IL): Illinois State, Ball State, ODU, UND, Lindenwood, Central Michigan, Arkansas State Jhace Woods (Sioux Falls, SD): SDSU, NDSU, UND Brandon Jenkins (Arlington Heights, IL): Murray State, Liberty, Toledo, Illinois State, Cincinnati, Ball State, UND, Ohio University, Miami of Ohio, Kansas State, ODU Jayden Brown (West Des Moines, IA): NDSU, UND Kaedyn Smith (Chandler, AZ): UND Xavier Rivera-Rogers (Phoenix, AZ): NAU, UND Jeremiah Daoud (Allen, TX): UND Michael Farr (Racine, WI): Eastern Michigan, Lindenwood, UND Noah Daniel (Fort Dodge, IA): UND Marquis Richardson (Chandler, AZ): Iowa State, Central Michigan, NAU, UND Bryson Williams (Omaha, NE): NDSU, SDSU, UND Keaton Reinke (Saint Charles, IL): Toledo, Penn, Miami of Ohio, NDSU, Northwestern, NIU, Stanford, UND