bincitysioux

What's wrong with that? I think it is great to be associated with those programs, both athletically and academically. You're right. It was terrible. This year. Does that mean it will be next year, or 5 years from now? Did you know that 5 years ago it was normally finished higher in the RPI that the Summit? Denver was never invited to the Big Sky. But Southern Utah did leave the Summit for the awful, terrible Big Sky. For crying out loud, UMKC left the Summit for the freakin' WAC. Both NDSU & SDSU spent years courting the Big Sky and only considered joining the Summit after multiple rejections. UND had the choice between the two leagues and chose the Big Sky. The Big Sky champion got the same seed in this year's tournament that the Summit's did. The Big Sky has a more recent win in the tournament that the Summit does. In fact I believe the last Summit school to win a tournament game, is of course no longer in the league. It is not a perception that the Summit has had 21 former members in the last 22 years. That actually happened, and is continuing to happen. What happens if SDSU and/or USD get invited to the Horizon, or even MVC someday and NDSU does not? Or UNO foes to the WAC, they'd make a nice travel partner for UMKC? After all, every argument in favor of the Big Sky seems to come down to butGeography and butI-29.

I'm picking up the tab for it.........................

If North Dakota is to establish itself as one of the best FCS programs in the land, I think it is beneficial for them to be a member of the best FCS conference. I don't see what your problem with the Big Sky is anyways. Not only do we get to associate with great programs like UM, MSU, Weber, Idaho, EWU, Cal Poly, and UC Davis, all the time, but we still are playing your coveted 'I-29' schools in just about everything as well. So what's the big deal? It's really the best of both worlds.

I also heard Faison say that, and I am optimistic that it'll happen. It coincided with Altru's big gift IIRC. However, I've also heard with my own ears from Gene Taylor that construction would begin on the SHAC last spring, and the spring before so I try to temper my enthusiasm when Universities are talking about big construction projects like this. I've been hearing about the IPF for many years now. Looking forward to seeing some Earth moved this summer.............

There are 18 teams between the Summit and the Horizon. The A10, MVC, CAA, and OVC would have to take alot of them to kill either league. Both will do all they can to preserve their respective autobids to the basketball tournament. They will both stick around in some form. Look what the WAC did to preserve their autobid. It all depends basically on how many teams the A10 and the MVC pilfer from the Horizon. My guess is that it will be fewer than what we are all thinking at the moment. I still think Oral Roberts makes a ton of sense for the MVC, and that would likely quell alot of the potential flux that could be forthcoming for both the Horizon and the Summit. In the end, the ex-NCC Summit schools could end up aligned with UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee. If I was fan of one of those schools, I'd consider that a net gain over the current Summit, even without Denver................. I wouldn't be shocked if in 3-4 years, the Summit is made up of North Dakota St., South Dakota St., South Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Western Illinois, IPFW, IUPUI, UW-Green Bay, and UW-Milwaukee. That is better than today's Summit League............. Having said all that, I think we are in store for a lot of conference shuffling over the next 4-6 years, and the Big Sky will likely not be immune.

Well either the UWGB beat writer is way out in front or he is a complete fool for already putting an article about it in the Green Bay Gazette website. Pretty reckless reporting if it isn't true.......

I wouldn't think so, but the A10 could take multiple Horizon schools if they want.

PantherU.com tweet: Apparently the guy breaking the story about UIC and Oakland is the beat writer for UW-Green Bay. He says that the Horizon is also targeting UMKC and Denver. If virtually every Horizon school not in Wisconsin is looking for a way out, this could all just end in some type of merger between the Summit and the Horizon. One autobid to the NCAA Tourney would be lost, but the conferences that are doing the plundering like the A10, MVC, Big East, would all like that because it would open up one more at-large berth for these types of leagues.

Dom Izzo tweeting that that Illinois-Chicago is going to the MVC, and Oakland is going to the Horizon.....................

Perhaps he just has a desire to become a head coach.

Tough loss for Weber. Reminded me of our loss to SDSU this year. They played a great game other than their FT shooting. I think they were 9-19 from the charity stripe. Great atmosphere at the DEE..............

I hope at the very least that UND provided shovels to the players and didn't make them bring their own. I agree this is embarrassing. Didn't they already remove snow from Kraft Field, which I believe also partly turf?

Personally, I think it is beyond foolish to ridicule NDSU for ONLY winning the Summit tourney once in five attempts. I'm awfully high on North Dakota basketball right now, but I'm not confident enough to assume that UND will do any better in the next 4 years. Forget about the Summit or the Big Sky................. it has been a hell of a long time since either school won the NCC tournament. The fact that the MVC would even remotely consider UMKC is evidence enough that recent Win-Loss records are probably a miniscule factor when a conference considers expansion.

Weber took down UNI tonight. They should be hosting the CIT title game now I believe. Very nice win for the Big Sky.......

Ben Peters is the punter?

Idaho going back to Sun Belt in football Sounds to me like we can count on Idaho's administration to be continually whispering "FBS" into the ears of Big Sky presidents for the foreseeable future...............

I think it probably would be more like, "Brown-er" or "Brown-ie"...................

As I said, I'm disappointed by the fact that Idaho found an FBS home for football. For two main reasons: 1) It leaves the Big Sky with 13 football teams so we can't go to divisions. 2) It maintains a western FBS presence that potentially leaves the door cracked open to the possibility of a move up by the Montana schools. #1 is really not that big a deal since there would be no conference championship game in FCS. But it would have guaranteed the same 6 opponents every year versus the guaranteed same 2 that we have now. #2 is a remote possibility, but it is still there. On the other hand, I suppose the Sun Belt maintaining a western presence could be a good thing as well if the 3 tier DI system does come to fruition. It could very well be where North Dakota and the Montanas end up one day. As far as telling Idaho to take a hike because they won't be a football member, have to remember that they still add a lot of value to the conference. It'll give the Big Sky 12 members for basketball and the rest of the non-revenue sports, allowing for divisional play in basketball and maybe volleyball too? Travel will be much more efficient, and the "lone wolf" scheduling model can be discarded. I assume travel partners starting in 2014 will be: UND-UNC UM-MSU UI-EWU PSU-Sac Weber-ISU NAU-SUU Now, yes, this all could have been accomplished with Denver. At the time Idaho was invited, Denver had just joined the WAC which looked better then than it does now. Idaho's football prospects were dismal, so the Big Sky was rolling the dice that if they invited them for everything else, football may land here eventually. It didn't work out. I think Idaho is still a better fit for the Big Sky than Denver, if you have to have a non-football member. They are a public, research intensive, state-named, flagship school. They fit better geographically too, as they will be a bus ride for half the conference. Academically, they are very similar in mission to Montana, Montana St., and North Dakota. I think these four schools will wind up as the anchors of the conference. And if a Big Sky break-up ever occurs, these four schools are all similar enough that they may want to remain together.

If I recall correctly, Jablonski and Kennedy were dismissed by Coach Mussman shortly after the season ended......

Congrats to Huff! The Sioux were 13-9 with him in the lineup, and 3-8 without him. MVP of this team for sure. Can't wait until next year!!!!!!!

I think it sucks about Idaho. I really felt that if their football program would have landed in the Big Sky in the next few years, that it would have solidified stability among the conference's membership for many moons to come.

Damon Andrews had pretty good year as a freshman. Bummer to see him depart. Wasn't the Oliver kid at WR supposed to be pretty good also?

Would be interesting to see a Weber v. UNI matchup........

Dom Izzo tweeted that both App St. and Georgia Southern will now be ineligible for the FCS playoffs this season. I think the field is expanding to 24 this year also..............

Looks like Idaho and New Mexico St. will be invited to the Sun Belt for football only. That's a bummer. Was hoping Idaho would be forced to drop football down to FCS. New Mexico State, Idaho and Georgia Southern now in play for Sun Belt