bincitysioux

That's really the only plausible explanation.

Let preface the following by saying that I'm formulating my opinion under the assumption that UND games could have continued to be carried by Fox College Sports if not for the exclusivity of the CBS deal. Perhaps Fox informed UND that they wouldn't pick up the games after this season anyways, but since we've never been told otherwise, I'm assuming the status quo would have continued. One of my biggest problems with the CBS deal is the lack of commitment for carriage. Here's the release: NCHC Gets Deal With CBS Sports Network Seriously, 18 games, including the tournament on a national cable channel. That's it. Last season, FCS televised at least 16 WCHA games, including playoffs, nationally. And they were all played in Grand Forks. Fox College Sports is available in 54 million homes, while CBSSN is available in 44 million homes. So, basically, if the NCHC had no national TV contract at all, and UND had the same one that's been in place for the last 4 years, every other NCHC team would likely play on national television roughly the same number of times on FCS that they will on CBSSN, and those games would have been available to more households than the conference deal can offer. So somebody please try to put some lipstick on that pig for me................. The only possible benefit of the deal with CBSSN could be monetary. As far as I know, FCS pays little or nothing to the air our games. I'm hoping like hell, that the NCHC is getting some revenue from this deal.

I'm gonna submit the names of a couple guys who will be upper classmen: Jake Miller & Ben Peters I think Miller looked too good as a freshman and sophomore to have two seasons as a non-factor. He did average nearly 6 yards per carry last season. Better play calling and improved line play can help him. Even get him the ball as a reciever, he's just so quick. Peters was sure and steady last season. He should only get better over the next two seasons.

This is all true, but as we all know, there is alot of moving and shaking going on right now in college athletics, and there are few conferences that are going to be immune from it.

Yeah, games can be sporadic in the non conference season, but now with conference affiliaton, almost all games starting in mid December are Thursdays and Saturdays.

Personally, I'd only support that if the Sioux Center were sold out for 6 to 8 years straight, and there was a hockey-like waiting list for season tickets. The REA is only good for basketball when there is at least 7,000 in there. However, I admit I've never been to basketball at the Alerus so I can't comment. I'll take 3,000 in the Sioux Center vs. 5,000 in the Ralph every time though. From an atmosphere standpoint that is. I understand there would financial aspects to consider if demand ever got to that point. But there would have to be a major surge in interest in basketball from where it is at now. EDIT: I do recall dakotadan having an intriguing idea about placing the basketball court at one of the ends of REA to make it more conducive to preserving high energy atmosphere with smaller crowds. If I remember right it had some merits.

I don't disagree. But honestly, I feel that the Sioux Center is not far off from being an elite game facility. Small upgrades like video boards, sound system, lighting, electronic scorers table, and some sort of solution to the ugly bleachers at at least one end would go along way IMO. I have been to sold out games at the Sioux Center, and the atmosphere is magnificent when it is full. When one flips through the player bios in the media guides, when players were asked why they chose to come to UND, a common response is the facilities, and I'd assume that means both game and practice.

You never know these days though. Air Force exploring conference options

That sounds fine to me.

This is true, but I've been told for years that the biggest need of the athletic department is for a practice facility for the football players. If practice facilities are so important, I'm not sure how beneficial it would be to effectively downgrade the Sioux Center's practice capabilities, when it is considered an elite practice facility for basketball and volleyball as far as the Big Sky goes.

I don't think they can give up all that practice court space.

I'd like to see a smaller version of the moveable risers that are in the Fargodome put into the North end of the Sioux Center. I don't really think they could do anything different at the South end where the overhead doors are and because they need that space for concessions due to the lack of a concourse. I also think there is room above all 4 restrooms to put a small luxury suite in each corner.

I used to poo-pooh the idea that a video board was needed. But I now think it would help, and so would a better sound system in the Sioux Center. Even Portland St. and Sac St. have large video screens at the end of their arenas. And their facilities are worse than most North Dakota Class A gyms..............

I have no inside knowledge of course, but I'll speculate that the CBSSN menu will include a somewhat heavy diet of UND and Denver games. Probably not quite how Root has a Montana school participating in every single telecast, but these are the two "name" programs in the conference and have followings that set themselves apart from the rest of the league. Still, we'll be going from 20 or so nationally televised games, to maybe 6 to 8?

The conference's deal with CBS is exclusive on a national scale, meaning that no games between NCHC teams can be on another "national" network. FCS is a "national" network. Midco can is "regional", so they can sell their production to the small cable companies in the area, but not to a network like FCS, NBCSN, ESPNU, NHLN, etc............ I suppose UND could still try to get Midco produced games against non-conference opponents on a different national netwok.

I wonder if the women's hockey program has gotten enough of a "boost" from the Lamarouexs to continue to be successful going forward after their departure.

Here is a link to a pdf file that the Forum did comparing coaching salaries between NDSU and UND a couple years ago. It is a couple years old, but at the time every Fargo coach was paid more than their UND counterpart with the exception of Volleyball.

I assume that Denver will be able to keep their deal with Root Sports in place, because that is "regional" network rather than "national" like FCS. The best case scenario is that the Big Ten Network takes all the Gopher games to bolster their programming, leaving Fox North with a need for new content. Then they would likely look at covering Sioux games, and it would be "regional" network so CBSSN couldn't complain. But I think they've already said that a good amount of Gopher games will remain on Fox North for the foreseeable future.

It'll be interesting to see who the MVC replaces Creighton with. I would think that Oral Roberts would be the top candidate. If Creighton is their only defection, they could easily replace them with ORU (good fit geographically, basketball and baseball intensive, private school) and their would be little chaos. They could also go to 12 to protect against future unrest by adding Denver and Air Force (although I don't know what the Falcons would do with football) at the same time as ORU. Those would be three good basketball additions to the MVC. What the A-10 does is going to be the most consequential though.

Understatement of the year.................. By all accounts, UND has chosen to "take one for the team" allowing the NCHC to broker the TV deal with apparently little input from UND. UND is going to move forward relying heavily on web-based platforms for broadcasting hockey. It seems equally dumb that Cable One and Midco can't work something out to get Midco Sports Net on Cable One's lineup though.

I also wanted them to go for the FG at that point. However, if Zeb would have missed the 51 yarder, how many of us would have been saying they should have went for it, they only needed one yard? My guess is alot of us, probably me included.

It's just sad it's come to that. Average attendance is now half what it was 10 years ago. And the team we have had the last 3 seasons is easily the best we've had since the teams that Beasley played on. I would guess that next season's average will get a bump because the NDSU game should be in GF, but I fear that 1,500-2,000 fans are going to be the norm going forward. The Sioux Center should be nearly full for every conference game.

But if the players hadn't turned it over 4 times in that game, never would have been in that position................

UND will have a handful of games nationally televised on CBS Sports network. The rest of the home games will continue to be televised by Midco Sports Network. If Cable One carries those two channels, you'll be in good shape.

Thanks. Looks like a nice arena. Hope to visit it some day! I continue to be perturbed by the fact that UND is drawing under 1,700 per game.