bincitysioux

Exciting news! I like to consider figuring out future schedules one of my pet projects, but my internet has been down since noon today, and I'm logged in on dial-up now. Glad to hear about the scheduling news that came about this afternoon! Regarding, the Potato Bowl opponent, I think there is a still a possiblilty that it could be a sub-DI team. But, in addition to Sac St. and Morgan St. as Hammersmith suggested, I believe that UND has been in contact with Stony Brook and Drake as well. Personally, I'd love to see Drake as a semi-regular early season opponent for the Sioux. Regional school with some name recognition (although more for basketball than for football).

This may be a dumb question, so please forgive me..................... What does it take to get into the club lounges at the Ralph? I'm a season ticketholder for the last couple years now, but before that I used to just buy single game Club seats because they were usually available when I wanted them (at a premium, of course) and were the best seats available outside of the lower-bowl. I'm just wondering if anyone holding a game ticket can come and go from the Club Lounge as they please? When you buy a Club lounge ticket, are you buying the right to SIT in the Club, or just to ENTER the Club? I'm just wondering if I can enter the Club Lounge between periods to have a drink and mingle even I have a regular lower-bowl ticket, or do I need a ticket that says "NC1/2" or "SC1/2".

Overall Record: 11-10 Last Action: 83-60 loss to Seattle North Dakota Website North Dakota Schedule North Dakota Stats North Dakota Audio--Fighting Sioux.com KSNR Audio--No registration required Overall Record: 11-15 Conference Record: 6-6 Big Sky Last Action: 68-55 win over Johnson & Wales Northern Colorado Website Northern Colorado Schedule Northern Colorado Stats Northern Colorado Audio--Free/No Registration Required Big Sky TV Video--Free/Registration Required Northern Colorado Message Board KEY PLAYERS Jabril Banks: 6'7" Sr. F, 13 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .638 FG% Devon Bietzel: 6' So. G, 12ppg, .420 3-PT % Will Figures: 5'9" Jr. G, 11.4 ppg -UND and UNC have played one common opponent, Montana. Montana defeated UND 83-63. UM defeated UNC 68-59. -Northern Colorado starts two 6'7" post players -UNC is 2nd in the Big Sky in scoring offense and 1st in the conference in 3-Point FG % -Bears Forward Jabril Banks is 6th in Big Sky in scoring and rebounding, and 2nd in FG % -Northern Colorado's RPI is 283

Wayne Nelson blogs about a potential Potato Bowl opponent.

I really don't care one way or another when or even if the two schools start playing football against each other again. Both schools set attendance records last season, so other than an extra televised game for each school, and I suppose an extremely easy road game to get to for either schools fans, there isn't a whole lot to be gained for either school financially. Sure, we are having trouble putting together a home football schedule this season, but that is because of problems at Iona and Idaho St., not UND. Where the schools could BOTH really benefit is if they were playing in basketball, volleyball, and every other sport. It seems a bit silly to me that there is this huge controversy over the football game, but nobody cares (the legislature, I mean) much about the other sports at both schools. The smaller revenue-sports (basketball/volleyball) an all of the non-revenue sports have the most to gain by the two schools playing one another. If/when the football game does start up again, I admit I am in the camp that feel it should be played every year, rotating the location, whether or not they are in the same conference or not. Pretty much everything Taylor has said has indicated that he has no interest in sending NDSU up to Grand Forks, ever. However, Taylor has had a track-record of contradicting himself, expecially over the last month and a half. He has constantly reiterated his stance that in an 11 game season he only has 3 OOC games to schedule, and one has to be an FBS money game and he wants the other two to be home games. I find it interesting that Taylor has publicly targeted 2012 as the renewal date, because the following two seasons (2013,2014) are years where 12 games are allowed. He's targeting 2012 because he can send his team to GF one of those two seasons and still have 6 home games. Wonder if he plans on pulling the plug on the games in 2015?

Quote from his blog: 2012

Yes, I believe the language in the NCAA manual says "not more than 2 non-DI opponents in a given year".

If the schedule they have posted in that thread is correct, SIU's schedule is aready complete with 11 games, including 6 road games.

Oops that's what I meant to say.

At this point, we may be looking at yet another 10 game schedule. I'm sure UND is doing everything possible to find an opponent for the Sept. 12 Potato Bowl date. If they can't fill it, the season opener won't come until October 3, which is also homecoming. They probably don't care who it is or which division they come from, just as long as it is a warm body. It doesn't sound like it will be Incarnate Word, though. IMO, the only chance we have for an 11 game schedule is if by some miracle they can get a DI team in for the Potato Bowl. Then we could bring in any willing DII, DIII, NAIA school for one more game in either October or November. If the Potato Bowl opponent is a non-DI team (most likely), I'd say it's a 95% chance that we'll only have 10 games, with just 4 at home. If I'm interpreting the NCAA Manual correctly, FCS teams cannot play more than two non-DI teams in a season (last year was an exception because it was transition year #1).

I can confirm the Central Arkansas game as it was first reported. That's a really good game to get. UCA was 10-2 overall last year, 6-1 in the Southland, and finished the season ranked #12 in the nation. They would have been crowned conference champs if they were eligible for the playoffs. They will be entering thier last year of transition this upcoming season. I've updated the Schedule Wiki.

Posts over at AnyGivenSaturday and at UCAFANS.COM indicate that we will be playing at Central Arkansas on November 28. That would seem unlikely since that is the day of the opening round of the playoffs, but UCA is in its last year of transition and also ineligible for the playoffs. Perhaps they worked something out for that late of date. I don't know if even the NCAA will allow that though. From quickly glancing at the posts, it sounds like their coach mentioned at their signing day press conference.

31 North Dakota 31 Southwest Minnesota Half

Overall Record: 11-8 Last Action: 75-86 loss to South Dakota North Dakota Website North Dakota Schedule North Dakota Stats North Dakota Audio--Fighting Sioux.com KSNR Audio--No registration required Game Notes Overall Record: 17-5 Conference Record: 10-3 Northern Sun Last Action: 66-54 win over Bemidji St. Mustangs Website Mustangs Schedule Mustangs Audio Live Stats Northern Sun TV Video--Free Game Notes--SMSU KEY PLAYERS Jon DeRock: 6'1" Jr. Guard, 9.1 ppg, Ross DeMasi: 6'8" Sr. Forward, 9 ppg, 9.8 rpg, leads NSIC in rebounding Kevin Andrews: 6'4" Jr. Guard, 9 ppg -Southwest is currently tied for 1st place atop the NSIC with Winona St. -They are currently ranked 5th in the North Central Region Rankings -Although SMSU doesn't have anyone averaging double figures in scoring, they have six players that average over 7 ppg -Southwest defeated North Dakota 78-73 in Grand Forks on November 18

Looking for 3-4 tickets together for the Saturday game against Mankato. Offering $35/ticket for lower bowl seats. pm or email jci@invisimax.com

As of 2/2/09 MEN'S BASKETBALL South Dakota 18-5 (2-0) Chicago St. 12-11 (1-1) North Dakota 11-8 (0-2) Utah Valley 10-9 (1-1) Texas PanAm 5-14 Houston Baptist 2-20 (1-0) New Jersey Tech 1-21 (0-1) WOMEN'S BASKETBALL South Dakota 13-6 (0-3) North Dakota 12-10 (3-0) Texas PanAm 12-11 (3-1) Chicago St. 11-10 (1-2) Utah Valley 10-8 (1-1) Houston Baptist 7-15 (1-2) New Jersey Tech 5-14 (1-1) (*) indicates record vs. Great West opponents MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE Utah Valley: 2,226 North Dakota: 1,376 South Dakota: 1,231 Houston Baptist: 1,084 Chicago St.: 940 New Jersey Tech: 490 Texas PanAm: 481 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE North Dakota: 1,377 South Dakota: 952 New Jersey Tech: 637 Utah Valley: 522 Chicago St.: 334 Houston Baptist: 274 Texas PanAm: 224 OTHER NOTES -Chicago State's David Holston is 3rd in the nation in scoring averaging 26.4 ppg -Utah Valley's Ryan Toolson is 6th in the nation in scoring averaging 24.5 ppg -Utah Valley's Ryan Toolson scored 63 points in a game last week against GWC foe Chicago St. It is the highest point total this season in DI basketball -Toolson was named "Dick Vitale's Player of the Week" on ESPN for is effort against CSU -North Dakota's Travis Bledsoe leads the nation in 3-Point FG% (.534) -USD's Tyler Cain is 8th in the nation in rebounding averaging 11.3/game

My thoughts as well.

Well, it doesn't say who is considering dropping football. But if it is NAU, one has to keep in mind that they are the biggest proponent of adding Southern Utah to the conference. It would be a blow to SUU's Big Sky aspirations if they lost their biggest advocate. Also, NAU is one of the Big Sky's 3 geographic outliers that were probably against expanding to the Dakota's 5 years ago. Also have to consider though, that the Big Sky requires football. If NAU drops it, are they going to be forced to find a new conference for all sports? Where would they look to? The Great West? Would the Big Sky make an exeption for NAU? Interesting indeed. Could be Portland St. too. I believe I read an article a couple years ago about how they put language in their football contracts releasing them from any liability should they drop their football program.

I don't think either one of those posters had much to do with it. My 12 year old daughter is in the same class with them, and from what I understand, neither of them pull all that much weight in the 6th grade.

Game Notes I Think USD lost quite a bit from last season, and this is not nearly as talented a 'Yote squad. I'm expecting a pretty comfortable win for the Sioux.

Game Notes

UND men's basketball: Program-changing performance

Yeah, I wonder about that too. No shock that Utah Valley will get the Basketball tournaments. They are the only school in the conference that is drawing well at all now, ~2,300 I think. They have a very nice facility as well. Chicago St. has the best facility in the conference, and being in a central Hub city is easiest to get to for all schools, but they can't draw squat. Was really hoping that UND would have gotten the bid to host the volleyball tourney. By far and away best facility for that sport in the conference. Potentially could draw a few fans to an event like that.

I firmly believe that Taylor has absolutely no input whatsover when it comes to scheduling North Dakota in ANY type of athletic event.

Let me preface this post by saying that I do think it is foolish for the legislature to get involved with mandating a football game between these two schools. But.................. If the legislature really wants to get involved they are going about it the wrong way. When this goes to committee and to the House floor, there are going to be arguments about the economic impact of this game for each school, both direct impact via gate revenue minus travel costs, and indirect impact via retail sales in whichever city the games are played each year, and how it would be fiscally responsible for each school to play due to the proximity of one another. Along with debates about how it will hurt NDSU, only help UND, and in general how the people of the state long for this game. That is all fine and dandy, but it will go nowhere on those arguments. Yearning for the good old days of the rivalry aside, if the state legislature wants to throw themselves into this on the basis that it would be fiscally positive for both universities, they should have left the football game alone and instead introduced a bill that would have required Noth Dakota and NDSU to compete in every sport OTHER than football. Football is fine at both schools. Both schools set new attendance records last year. There is little to be gained for either university other than bragging rights by playing on the grid-iron. The only possible benefit I can see is one extra televised game for the schools. If the state feels they need to act for the betterment of both schools they should require basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, and softball games between the two schools. That is where the real economic impact would be felt. Men's basketball attendance at UND is in dire straights this season. Women's basketball attendance at NDSU is in dire straights this season. NDSU men's basketball had a home-and-home with Northern Arizona this season. Would it not be more prudent to have a home-and-home with North Dakota just 70 miles away? North Dakota women's basketball has a home-and-home with Seatte this season. Would it not be more prudent to have a home-and-home with NDSU just 70 miles away? The last two basetball games between the two played in GF drew 8,900 and 7,200. In Fargo the last two drew 6,500 and 5,000. At this point, a North Dakota-NDSU basketball doubleheader in the Ralph would probably draw close to 10,000. It would surely fill the 6,000 seat BSA in Fargo. Who knows what it would draw in Fargo if they threw the hardwood down in the Fargodome? Then don't get me started on the "non-revenue" sports.................I can understand a state mandate for every sport EXCEPT football. Having said all that, the more I hear Gene Taylor speak over the last month, it would put a bit of a smile on my face to see this legislation regarding a football game pass. He continues to search for reasons not to play North Dakota. Twice today on the radio he reiterated the Summit League stance of not scheduling North Dakota due to the nickname and how the legislature is not taking that into consideration, apparently unaware that his school's football team is not a member of the Summit League, and despite the fact that several Summit schools continue to schedule North Dakota in a variety of sports. IMO, he has lost alot of credibility over the last few weeks, and it is apparent that it is not his decision when it comes to scheduling any type of contest with North Dakota. Also, I don't think this legislation will pass this time, but it could in 2011 if the schools don't come to an agreement by then. As several posters have indicated, this is not unprecedented. Iowa, Kenucky, South Carolina, etc., etc. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe in Iowa that the state mandate requires all DI institutions play each other in basketball, including Drake which is private?