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Hey, I at least respect what your point of view is, because you're at least basing this on something, but I still don't really believe this. I hope you understand where this stuff is coming from though. Right now USD NEEDS something, because as things stand now, they are pretty much screwed. A legitimate argument can be made that the mid-con won't expand past 10, and if two members leave so that UND/USD are admitted before 2013, the conference is dead from its loss of core members. And even if those spots do open up in another couple of years, theres no promise that USD is going to get them over the increasing number of schools that it appears are going to be moving up. Likewise, the Gateway is very unlikely to have a spot or spots open to accommodate USD in the near future. I also definitely don't see NDSU being an advocate to getting UND into the conference for exactly the reason Nanobison stated (SDSU and NDSU would turn down the Gateway if they were concerned about the UXD's being in the same conference as them). I hope you're not expecting to hear this kind of analysis from an insider at the USD athletic department. I'm not trying to spread gloom and doom here, but USD is likely going to be in a very precarious position, and I think that Neilson and Abbot both know this, or at least I hope they understand this. I do agree with Star2City that the big sky is both UND and USD's best chance for conference affiliation, but I disagree on the chances of that actually occurring. The fact that UND and USD haven't yet publicly formed an "alliance" yet, indicates to me at least, that UND is thinking that there may only be one spot for a conference available (Read: Moving Big Sky to 10) in the near future, meaning that the indication they have is that the mid-con isn't going to move to 12. It would have been a more positive sign if only SDSU and NDSU were added to the mid con during the last round, leaving the conference at 9, and still in a possible expansion mode. If UND's goal (or what they thought was their best chance) was the mid-con, I think that them approaching the conference with USD would have been the priority. Anyway, this is just my uninformed analysis. As I've said before, I think the chances of UND getting into the big sky are pretty low, but the chances of a mid-con bid for either school are even lower. Maybe the conference will move to two divisions, but that certainly isn't what the current trend is in D-I mid-majors (Mo. Valley is at 10, Horizon adds Valpo to move to 10, Big sky going after Denver or another school to get to 10, Mid-con adding 3 schools to get to 10). In the off chance that UND is added to the big sky, I think it is going to be almost impossible for USD to get mid con admission (adds a second costly trip to the dakotas, screws up travel partners in the conference, etc.) This is an unfortunate situation for USD as they just have their athletic department moving in the right direction. Again, just my uninformed opinion.

Brilliant reading comprehension. Let me repeat what I've said at least three times above. THE BEST ASSUMPTION THAT CAN BE MADE IS THAT NDSU IS INDIFFERENT TO USD. Is that clear enough for you, since you obviously spend more time coming up with a sarcastic post than actually trying to understand what someone is saying? I think it would be fair to say that Florida st. is indifferent to USD, and that Minnesota was indifferent to NDSU before moving to D-I. Not that those comparisons are even valid, since Florida St. and USD WERE NEVER IN A CONFERENCE TOGETHER, DON"T HAVE THE SAME HISTORY, and ARE OVER 1000 MILES APART. I ALSO DON'T REMEMBER USD AND MINNESOTA BEING IN A CONFERENCE TOGETHER. AND UND AND MINNESOTA ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SAME CONFERENCE, SO GREAT JOB WITH THE VERY RELEVANT COMPARISONS. Really though, I hope in the future you can graze over more of what I say, and then make several nearly idiotic comparisons that have nothing to do with whats being discussed, in the future. Very helpful addition to the conversation!

This board format is outstanding, by far the best sports message board I've run across.

I guess I'm confused on what you want here? You need a news article specifically written to say that USD and NDSU are not getting along, or else they are? How much sense does that make? As stated above, my analysis is: 1. NDSU needed games. 2. USD could have provided games. 3. USD refused to provide games. I don't think its that big of a "conjecture" to say that the schools admins aren't best friends. No, there are no news articles saying otherwise, and no, I haven't discussed this with Nielson, Chapman etc. If you choose to say that my analysis is wrong with no evidence of why they are getting along so well, thats your prerogative, but I find it hard to believe that an unbiased observer would out of hand reject what I've said based on absolutely nothing besides the fact that I don't have undeniable proof of it. Lets try something different, tell me why you do think that NDSU and USD are getting along? What are your reasons for thinking this?

1. NDSU needed games. 2. USD could provide games. 3. USD didn't provide games. Whats so difficult here? If you want to believe that USD and NDSU are getting along like best friends fine, but that isn't the intelligent, unbiased, or reasonable conclusion. Like I said, the best "assumption" that can be made from this is that NDSU doesn't care either way. If you don't believe it and want to continue this conversation than GIVE A REASON OR SOME FORM OF EVIDENCE WHY (More than a nameless poster who claims they heard something from their mother's brother's best friends dog owner, who is a second cousin to Nielson) . In case you weren't aware, you don't disprove something another person says by merely saying that "There's a possibility" that it is incorrect, without laying out a single reason, piece of evidence, or even idea why it is wrong. If what you need to believe me is a direct quote from the University Presidents, than you're expectations are unreasonable. I've put out far more evidence to show that they aren't getting along than anybody has to show they are getting along, so the burden of proof is off of me. I don't come on this board to argue semantics with people I've never met, and I don't come here to have my intelligence questioned because you refuse to believe anything outside of your initial thoughts. I've laid out why I think the schools are not on good terms, so tell me what in my analysis is wrong, or SHOW ME the evidence why its wrong.

You're right, NDSU has had nothing but spectacular teams the last couple of years, and especially during that first year of the transition to play. Why would they want a home game with an old in-conference rival, some NAIA school is just as good.

I need proof now to show that two schools that haven't played each other in 5 years are not on good terms? I would think the burden of proof in that situation would be on the person trying to show they are on good terms. The obvious assumption is they are NOT on good terms.

Please, USD hasn't played NDSU in any sporting event for almost 5 years, and some of you want to say that USD is on good terms with either of the SU's? I've always thought that you find out who your true friends are when you see who comes when you're down. Well, USD hasn't been anywhere to be found for NDSU. Not when NDSU needed home games in basketball (mayville state etc.), not when NDSU needed home games in football the last couple of years (They can play central arkansas but not NDSU???), not in a single sport. Not baseball, not volleyball, not ANYTHING. I can promise you that somewhere along the line NDSU could have used a game in something from USD. If the schools where on good terms, USD would have delivered it, end of story. Thats what schools that are on "good" terms do for each other. For anybody to claim that USD and NDSU are on "good" terms is laughable. At best, the administrations are indifferent to each other, and thats being generous.

Thats all I was trying to say. I'm not saying that UND/USD are never going to be admitted, I'm saying if they are, it isn't going to happen in the manner being described here, and pretty much everything being discussed comes down to wild rumors.

Sorry, I don't know who you're sources are, but unless its David Chicoine, they don't know how SDSU feels about any of this, and they are either reporting peggy millers feelings, or they are making it up. I'll leave it at that. And if there is such a sparkling relationship between NDSU and USD, why haven't I seen USD appearing on any NDSU schedules since they moved up? That first year I'm sure they could have used the game in any sport......

I read what you wrote, it just doesn't make sense. Why would PR pressure force NDSU to support UND, but not force SDSU to support USD the same way? And tell me why NDSU would care either way for USD? There's no benefit for them either way for USD, so whats the point of being supportive for USD? What has USD done lately to help NDSU out during the transition? And the most important question, how would anybody know any of this information literally 4-5 years before the possibility of a vote on USD has even come up? USD is three years away from playing a D-I schedule, and your telling me that your source already knows what both SDSU and NDSU, along with the conference commissioner think about USD's bid to the mid-con? NDSU may not even have the same president by then, and SDSU's president hasn't even been in place for a full week! Nobody on this planet knows all of the information you have posted above. Chicoine at SDSU may think that having USD in the same conference as SDSU is a great idea, and may support it, and he may not. I doubt he's even considered that, but you're telling me that your source already knows what he's going to do? Come on, these are just rumors you're hearing, nobody knows the stuff you're claiming as true on here.

Are you crazy? Even in his article he uses the words "considered for admission in a couple of years". He NEVER said "USD already has a gentleman's agreement to gain admission to the mid-con". Its easy to see how you can come up with these theories glossing over "little" details like that. My God, he said that Nielson has probably contacted Douple about joining the conference, is that a shock? I bet that Oien and Taylor both did the same thing during this period of moving up. That doesn't mean that they are already in the conference. Seriously, how would a "gentlemen's agreement" actually work? Douple is going to promise that he'll make University Presidents vote for admission, no matter what the current situation is, in three years? How could Douple possibly promise that USD or UND will be admitted without a presidents vote? He works FOR the presidents, he isn't IN CHARGE of them, and he has no real power over them. A "Gentlemen's agreement" is part of your wild conspiracy theories. There really is no doubt that Nielson, and probably UND's athletic director have both had "back door" dealings with Douple, meaning they have contacted him about the possibility of admission to the conference, which WOULD BE THEIR JOB. That doesn't mean that anybody has been promised admission, doesn't mean they will never gain admission, doesn't mean that douple is some sort of dark underlord that rules over 10 institutions of higher learning and can bend them to his will whenever he pleases, and doesn't mean any conspiracy theory is true.

Sorry, but there's no way that NDSU doesn't have a problem with UND. If anything there's more bad blood between UND and NDSU than SDSU and USD. I don't know who your source is, but I highly doubt they have any information on whether or not SDSU will oppose USD's bid for the mid cont or support it, especially because SDSU has had a new president for three days now. That would be one amazing source to know what Chicoine's feelings about the situation are already. I would take any "information" with a grain of salt. Abbot and Neilson are the only guys who actually know what is going on down there, and I doubt even they know everything that you claimed in this post.

LOL. Thanks for providing the link, I have been absolutely DYING to donate, I just haven't been able to!

Who wrote that thing? Is that an informational page or something written by the same guy that did some of Lenin's work about the proletariat? Seriously: Seriously, it sounds like a cheer leader wrote that. My favorite part of the whole thing is that while there is amazing confidence in everything, not a single solid number is given for anything. Even the part about "How many scholarships will this require?", is responded to with a paragraph with out a single number. Whats the problem here, just say it, don't tell me about how "Many Division I schools aren't fully funded". What do other schools have to do with the question "HOW MANY SCHOLARSHIPS WILL UND FUND". Nothing. And what is the measure of "Top 100" in athletics? Thats really an interesting phrase, since you can't possibly count football as being in the top 100 while in DI-AA. If thats the goal, shouldn't UND be going D-IA in football? Seriously, thats a terrible page. All they need to complete it is a pop up asking for donations to the athletic department.

U of mary isn't a bad team to beat, I think they beat a ranked team last weekend at a tournament at Northern, Northwest Missouri State.

Seriously, I played there about 15 years ago in high school..... that facility is not impressive (that was before the new roof was added though). As I walked in the first thing one of my buddies said was "What a dump, I would rather be playing on our field". I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who thinks the dakota dome is a terrible facility. A scoreboard doesn't change that. Neither does getting a state bail out to pay for a collapsing roof. Don't worry though Mlpsbison, Tom Douple today said that USD and UND are in the mid-con, everybody has agreed on it. The new name is going to be "NCC" and there is going to be a huge party for everybody that refused to let go of the past, so I'm sure you'll be invited.

There is absolutely no comparison between the Fargo Dome and the Dakota Dome. Say what you want about NDSU, but Fargo built the Fargo Dome the right way. Fantastic facility.

Because no gopher fans ever post here or what? I've already explained this, I'm not going to do it again.

Playing pretty fast and loose with the facts lately, aren't we? I think I sense a little desperation about your imminent bid to the big sky with SDSU and NDSU, or I mean, NDSU and DU because of hockey, or I mean, UND by itself, or no, with a canadian school, and DU. Yeah, thats it, a school in canada, and Denver University. Because of... hockey. PERFECT. I don't show a disdain for UND or USD. I show a disdain for posters who put up ridiculous theories and then won't allow them selves to thing even remotely logically about "the real world". Apparently those same posters need to mask their own deficiencies by hiding and saying "So and So doesn't like UND, so that means I'm right, and hes being stupid because he hates UND".

Yes, UND, NDSU, and SDSU are all idiots for getting the Carr report, while USD is brilliant for not wasting the money on it. It's too bad the admins of all three of those universities were so stupid to get an outside study done. Too bad they can't match USD's administration.

UND may have done just what you said, and evaluated USD as a hinderance more than a help. But remember, neither school has even started the transition yet, so there is still plenty of time for them to team up.

Its funny how many incorrect predictions you forget about when talking about yourself.

Thank you for the refreshing common sense.

LOL. I don't know why, but reading posts from you just makes me laugh. Normally someone constantly saying something stupid would piss me off, but you're determination to get UND and USD into the mid-con no matter what, through the powerful tool of the internet message board, is pretty funny. I'm not even mocking you, it seriously just makes me laugh reading your comments.