bincitysioux

Me too!

No, there is no concern here. UND played the best they've played this season since the UNI game. After Manke went down and Belmore started filling in, the team played better in every week leading up to this game, and even better yesterday with Manke back at the helm. UND was #1 in the region and UNO was #2. We lost by one point due to a 4th quarter comback to the #2 team in the region that we always seem to have trouble with regardless of the year we are having and in a place where we haven't won a game in 10 years. Regarding the FGs instead of going for it, I think you have to do that in an important game like this when points may be at a premium. Our defense showed no signs during the first half that they could stop UNO's offense at all, regardless of where UNO was starting their drive from. Regarding some of the play-calling, I think that always has been and always will be an issue with Mussman as OC.

This team is so much different with Manke leading them. He has looked good. The interception was overthrown but was also an unbelievable catch by the DB. I'd like to see them get Chappel involved more.

My opinion is that if Manke plays, and is healthy, this is a very special UND team. With Belmore at the helm, we are the same as we have been for several years, solid defense, efficient offense that trys not to lose the game offensively. UNO has been a thorn in UND's side for many years, but like PCM says, we're due. Manke getting the start gives UND a dimension that they haven't had the past few weeks. I think Belmore is talented and has done alot of good things for UND football in the past, but the other players on the team seem to respond better to Manke, he is more of a leader. Dare I say, kind of along the same lines as Kelby Klosterman. I know that UNO has a system that has been successful, but they lost alot of key offensive players from last year. I like our linebackers chances against their running game, which has been dominating. But they too have solid linebackers, and I think that UND's running game will be kept in check in this game. All the more reason for Manke to get the start and play well. And I think he will. UND 21 UNO 17

Still looking for 4 tickets for the following Saturday hockey game. Sat. Dec. 9 vs. Wisconsin I'd prefer to find seats in the lower-bowl. Offering $30/ticket for seats in rows A-K of the lower bowl. pm or email: jci@invisimax.com

Yeah, Winona at number 4 makes me laugh my aff off. After seeing them play, I expect USD, Northwood, Augustana, and Duluth to finish the season ahead of them in the Regional Rankings. I doubt there will be any "earned access" for an NSIC team this year.

Attendance was 11,463. Average so far this year is 10,268. I don't like Belmore.

That's what the press release said

I don't know how significant the audience for such a game in SD would be. I assume alot of South Dakota sports fans are like me, and when I watch college sports on the weekend, I am intrigued by matchups between teams that are close or local to me. Notre Dame is on TV every weekend and I like to watch major college ball, but if they are playing the same time the Gophers have a TV game, I'll generally watch the Gopher game just because they are from Minnesota, which is right next to me (even though I hate the Gophers). I watch either or both Montana or Montana St. football games nearly every weekend, regardless of who they play. Not because I'm a fan of either school, just because they're on, and their schools from our region of the country. That makes it more entertaining than a game that is usually on ESPN74 between San Jose St. and Louisiana Tech.

I agree with that. Belmore has skills, but he seems to buckle under the pressure of big games or close games. I remember before the 2005 season I desperately wanted Belmore over Manke, shows how much I know. But Belmore is experienced so he is an asset to this team when our #1 is out. But I would like to see Freund inserted into several series per game. One, it would get him some valuable game experience. If he doesn't see any action, we'll be heading into 2007 with zero experience at the qb position, and I don't like that. Two, it could actually motivate Belmore to play better, which needs to happen. It was the entire team that played poorly for the better part of 3 quarters yesterday, but it was really Belmore alone who let Auggie back in the game in the final minutes.

Fact is that NDSU probably will surpass UND in enrollment in a few years and that is fine, actually it's a good thing. It is good for the state of ND, that means that more in-state and out-state students are choosing to attend college in ND. I think in most states that the largest metro areas usually have the largest university. Someone brought up Notre Dame.......it is not the largest university in Indiana, but it is certainly the most visible, just like UND is in North Dakota. Nothing wrong with that!

I think the Big Sky worries less about geography than people think. Look at how spread out it is. The Big Sky wants to be known as THE conference, outside of the major conferences of course (i.e. Big Ten, Big East, SEC, what-have-you) It wants to separate itself from the "Mid-Major" stereotype, or at least be known as the top "mid-major". If it really worried so much about geography then Sac St., Cal State-Northridge, and to a lesser extent Portland St. wouldn't have been added when they were. They were added because of the potential markets and audience that those schools could bring the conference, not because they were easy places to travel to for the core of the conference which is still Montana, Montana St., Weber St., and Idaho St. Think of the combined media market that a combo addition of UND and Denver could offer!

Don't forget about football playoffs! Last year there were a total of 4 football games (2 playoff games), in '04 there were 5 football games including 3 playoff games. Only 2 basketball broadcasts this year, but they are doubleheaders so 4 games total. Last year there were six games total. IIRC the FSSN broadcast 32 UND games last year: 22 hockey, 4 football, and 6 basketball. I agree totally with that comment. Especially "overshadow Sioux hockey for a time(measured in months, not years).". It would be huge and this state would go absolutely nuts if either NDSU or UND made the NCAA tourney at some point down the road. But, unfortunately, I don't think it will ever be done consistently and neither school will probably ever be a real threat in March Madness. But UND hockey will always be a legitimate contender for National Championships and will always regularily compete against and beat big-time name schools like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Boston College, etc. etc.

You are in the right place and pointed in the right direction, but you will need to do another blind scan about a 15-20 minutes before game time. That is when the feed is up. You'll only need to do it once, then it will be stored for the rest of the season.

Still looking for 2 or 4 tickets for the following Saturday hockey games. Sat. Nov. 25 vs. Colorado College Sat. Dec. 9 vs. Wisconsin I'd prefer to find seats in the lower-bowl or in the first 2 rows of the upper bowl. Offering $30/ticket for seats in rows A-K of the lower bowl. pm or email: jci@invisimax.com

This year, all the games are scheduled on FSSN only. I don't know if Midco Cable is in Canada or not. In the past there has normally been a couple hockey games a year simulcast on FSSN and DAZ (3 last year), and football playoff games are usually the same way. If it is on WDAZ, it can viewed in Winnipeg.

Basically, the FSSN is the largest reaching sports network in the Upper Midwest after Fox Sports Net-North. I'd think any conference would take into consideration the opportunity to have its games showcased on the second biggest sports network in the region. Don't forget about FSSN's recent history of simulcasting some of its games on ESPNU either. Could make for cheap and easy access to a "I-AA Game of the Week" or Big Sky/Mid-Con basketball matchup. Let's also not forget that any games aired on WDAZ (like football playoff games normally are) are available in over 300,000 homes in ND, Minnesota, and Manitoba as it is the ABC affiliate for Winnipeg.

Covers every major city in North Dakota and South Dakota, and parts of NW Minnesota to boot. Sounds like an asset to me!

UND and NDSU share every market in ND except GF. One certainly may have a bigger following than the other in a given market depending on that market. The difference is there is little NDSU media presence in every ND market except Fargo while UND has a regular television audience in virtually every major city in ND and many of the small towns as well.

AAAAHHHHH ya beat me to it!

I count 42 towns in SD that get it or should be able to including Aberdeen, Pierre, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls. I've also heard on USD's message board that many of their members get it in their area and are looking forward to watching the UND-USD football game on the FSSN this year. In addition to Midcontintinent systems, other cable carriers pick up the FSSN like in Detroit Lakes, Jamestown, and Fargo and elsewhere. Also there are a growing number of fans like myself who for a one-time investment of about $200 bucks can get the equipment to receive the FSSN anywhere in the country, out in the boonies, or simply just where one doesn't receive or chooses not to get cable service from Midcontinent. UND 2006/2007 Broadcast Schedule

The Fargo market is split between NDSU and UND. The Grand Forks market is solely UND's. NDSU could only offer a portion of the Fargo market while UND can deliver both markets to the Big Sky, or any conference for that matter, as well as other markets across the region.

I am not in the camp that "UND is in the Big Sky". But S2C has valid points. Why did they expand to Sacramento, Portland, and Northern Colorado? To get the television markets of those areas. NDSU and SDSU offered virtually no television market at all. UND offers a three-state television market in which the BSC currently has no presence at all. On the other hand, UND also offers a three-state television market in which the Mid-Con currently has no presence at all. And they are now moving into the market, but still, no television exposure.....Hmmmm.......

The FSSN isn't ESPN of course, and yes it is currently primarily for hockey. But a successful I-AA football program in GF could warrant telecasts of all of its games, just like Montana & Montana St. do. Throw in 4-5 basketball games a year, and it sweetens the pot. The FSSN could potentially offer television for 10-12 additionaly Big Sky football games per year, across three states and into Canada. NDSU nor SDSU never brought such a proposition to the table. If it was so easy to duplicate, NDSU would have done it by now.

Don't know if it reaches Montana. Maybe just across the border. Whether it does or not, is of little consequence, as the Big Sky already has the Montana market. What is important is that UND's media contracts, both television and radio, covers at minimum three states and two Canadian provinces that the Big Sky doesn't have access to now.