bincitysioux

NO.

No TV for this game anywhere in ND or Iowa for that matter.

Last year, www.wdaz.com had a link to watch the coaches show, but there wasn't one this week.

If you go to the website for the Ralph, and click on the Video Webcast link, it brings up only the television schedule for the FSSN this year. Same page as the Cable TV link. It doesn't mention anything about internet webcasts or Dataflix. I wonder if they are dropping the video webcasting, or better yet, working a deal with a new video provider?

That would certainly be nice. But since it is looking more and more everyday like UND's decision to jump to DI is possibly going to be what ultimately causes RT to lose his job as a commissioner of an athletic conference I won't hold my breath. I don't see him doing any favors for Mr. Buning.

Hey Iceberg, Montana St. also broadcast almost all of their games last year on AMC 5. The coordinates on their website are the same as last year. If you find the coordinates for their games or happen to stumble across the game on Saturday, let us know if ya don't mind. I'll post them if I come across them too!

Found this at the USD Message Board. From the same article, it looks like Roger Thomas may be losing touch with reality. If he is talking about the entire conference, I think that ship has sailed, RT. Yankton Press & Dakotan

Promise? I'll I know is, I expect the UND/NJIT rivalry to really heat up in 2008.

I say UNI by 19. They have a soft non-conference schedule (including UND) leading up to their big game with Iowa State. My guess is the only game they've been thinking of since May is the Iowa St. game. They'll overlook the Sioux. They are much faster, deeper, and more talented than UND. But I think that UND is one of the most well-coached teams in all of NCAA football. Dale Lennon has been asking for a game like this for the last few years. This is his chance to prove that UND belongs in I-AA.

I know you can't get anywhere from comparing common opponents between two teams, but just for the heck of it I looked back at UNI's schedule from 2004 & 2005. In 2004 the Panthers finished the season 7-4. They played Mankato that year and shut them out 40-0. Last year they played Duluth and won by 35. It should be noted that they started last year 4-3 before rattling off 7 straight wins before they fell to Appalachian St. in the title game. I hate to predict a Sioux loss , but I'm going to say UNI by 19. UND keeps it within a touchdown until midway through the third quarter.

Just out of curiosity, in which conference do you think that UC Davis would play IA football in? I don't see the Pac-10 or the Mountain West extending them an invitation ever. And I'd think that riding a bus up and down the California coast for Big West games is alot more appealing than flying from Hawaii to Louisiana for WAC games. If the GWFC can grow to and maintain 6-8 members, UC Davis and Cal-Poly would have ideal situations with Big West/GWFC affiliations.

Cal-Poly and UC-Davis are two members that want nothing more than to see the GWFC endure for many many years. They have an ideal situation in the Big West, and currently aren't looking for another opportunity to present itself.

Well, I'm also looking forward to this game but I am really hoping that we are not on the wrong end of a blowout. UNI is obviously a great team, ranked #4 in I-AA and last years national runner-up, and playing in their house. Here is how I think we can keep it close and be competetive: Special teams. Weston Dressler and Ryan Chappell need to bust off a few long runs on kick returns, and keep giving us good field position. Our kick return game is one of the strongest parts of our team. And Hellevang needs to make field goals when given the chance. We can't leave points on the field against UNI. Offensive Line. It needs to get healthy this week and it needs to get some push for the running game. UNI's D-line is young and inexperienced. If we don't run the ball better than we did last week, we have no chance. And we need to effectively run between the tackles, because our backs aren't fast enough to run around UNI's linebackers. Front 7. Our front seven needs to at least get in the backfield and knock around UNI's quarterback and get him rattled. He is too good to just allow him to sit back and make clean throws. And I don't think our secondary is good enough to allow him to do that either. UND has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this game. If we lose we were supposed to. UND has had this game circled on the calender, UNI has not. We are to them what Ferris St. is to us. They just rolled past non-scholarship Drake last week, so they are confident. Perhaps over-confident and looking past UND. They see just a DII warm-up game on their schedule. The following week they have SDSU who just lost to a DIII program, perhaps they are even looking past them to Iowa State which they feel will likely be their first true test of the season. I hope UND can be their first true test of the season. Ya never know!

I saw one of those on bisonville once, and I looked for one for UND but could never find it. It sure would be nice.

I never said they were a land-grant school, just a flagship school. UND is not a land-grant either, but they are a flagship school. Idaho St. is the second largest university in Idaho with a larger enrollment than any of the four Dakota schools. All I meant was they're one of the largest, state-named schools in Idaho. Since UND is also, I think casual fans will be more interested if they play someone like Idaho St. than they would when they play a school named IUPUI, or Oakland.

There are! I don't think we should really be talking about USD just yet, because we don't know what they're going to do. Personally I am really hoping they go DI with us. It would be a big help to UND, especially during those independent years to know we'll at least have one game to excited for in all the sports. But they could just as easily decide to stay DII. They've struggled for many years and are now getting to the point where they've become an upper echelon DII program, they might like to stay there. Of course there would be no bigger draw in basketball or football than NDSU. But games against Montana and Montana St. would nearly always draw more interest than either South Dakota school. There is also Idaho St. (flagship school) which is the original idea/opponent behind UND's Potato Bowl. And of course Northern Colorado who UND and our fans are very familiar with. Discounting the SU's, the only Mid-Con school that the majority of UND fans are probably familiar with is Oral Roberts, a recognizable school, but one UND has no history with.

Also from the blog: I'm sure that NDSU probably will make overtures to get into the Gateway, it is a wonderful football conference. But related to this is what Hallstrom said on the radio the day of the Mid-Con announcement. His comments that day showed what a great sports mind he truly is . To paraphrase he said the GWFC was not a long term answer because of few numbers and no autobid, but most of the schools in the Mid-Con that have football played in the Gateway so he figured that down the road Taylor and Chapman would work that angle. Western Illinois is in fact the only Mid-Con member that plays football in the Gateway. With the SU's now in, there are three Mid-Con schools in the GWFC. The Mid-Con controls, governs, and administrates the GWFC. It is essentially their football conference. I would think that Tom Douple and the Mid-Con will be more active in pursuing other members to join their football conference (the Great West), rather than brokering deals or doing favors to help schools get out of their football conference (the Great West), and into a different one. IMO, the future of the GWFC is in far better condition this week than it was a week ago.

Yeah there really isn't much to it. And really it isn't too difficult to set up yourself, especially if all you're interested in is getting the FSSN, you don't need a motor (which is a little more work). Pretty inexpensive too. A couple hundred bucks or less and no subscription fees!

The QB controversy is over. George was cut today.

I think all along that SDSU was more in favor of the Mid-Con than the Big Sky, but when they moved in 2003 the BSC was talking expansion and the Mid-Con was not. You're correct, basketball is far more important/popular at SDSU and USD than is football.

They can have one men's sport and one women's sport other than football or basketball. I'd assume that men's hockey would be the obvious choice for the men's sport. They do have women's hockey as well.

I don't think that there is a huge difference between the Big Sky and the Mid-Con. Both have their pros and cons. The reason I have been such an adamant backer of DI at UND is mostly because I don't like the direction the NCC is going. Personally, I think the Mid-Con just got alot more attractive this past week, but even before the additions of the SU's, I think it was really a toss up. Obviously the biggest draw of the BSC is the Montana schools. Those two schools are true peers of the Dakota schools in almost every area, academically, athletically, and demographically. Athletically, I think they are the model that the SU's tried to follow in their move up and the model that UND will try to acheive. There is also a history/rivalry with those schools from the college division days before the Divisional classifications were implemented that the Dakota schools would like to renew. The GWFC has been successful since it started, but there is no autobid, and even if membership grows to meed the requirements to be granted one, there is no guarantee that it will receive one. So the Big Sky is more attractive there. Contrary to popular belief, the BSC is a better basketball conferene than the Mid-Con. The Mid-Con had the third worst conference RPI last year. With Valparaiso leaving, the gap will only widen. On the other hand, that could mean that the autobid to the big dance from the Mid-Con is more up for grabs year after year. The Mid-Con sports offerings fits UND better than the Big Sky. BSC doesn't sponsor baseball or softball (although it has been debated whether or not these sports will survive the UND move to DI). More importantly, the BSC doesn't sponsor Swimming and Diving. These two sports are very important and successful at UND. Travel is better in the Mid-Con. Even before the additions of the SU's it was better. Timezone changes would have a larger effect on our athletes in the BSC as well as playing at altitude could be disadvantage. I think it is a real big "if" that UND winds up in either of these conferences in a timely fashion. Which ever one invites us (assuming one of them will at some point , that is the one that I think is the most attractive. I am thinking that the Mid-Con is gonna be our home around 2010-2012, somewhere in that area. The additions of the SU's places us within the Mid-Con footprint. The Mid-Con will be down to only six members that sponsor swimming & diving after this season. UND should designate these two sports as their "early qualifiers" and use the strength and quality of these programs to lobby for affiliate membership in 2009. We most likely will join the MidCon-governed GWFC in 2009. These three things will help establish ties to the conference and make UND a familar and known commodity the next time that expansion comes around. Hammersmith is correct that any conference is better than no conference. I'm sure we will find that out soon enough.

Perhaps it is not the Big Sky which UBC has their sights set on. UBC tantalizingly close to NCAA nod

Yeah I think it is a slam dunk. Cal-Poly and UC Davis have wanted the GWFC to be permanent and stable thing from the beginning, they would love to see it grow and will probably jump at the chance to have a quality program like UND join. With NDSU and SDSU joining the Mid-Con, that means their near-term future also lies in the GWFC. They may have Gateway aspirations, but that is many many years down the road, if at all. SUU, to my knowledge, has trouble getting quality programs to come play at their place. Plus, SUU has the Big Sky on speed-dial, so the other four members will need to guard against losing them, however unlikely it may be. I think UND will likely get a unanimous invitation when the time comes. The only hang-up is, I think alot of Sioux fans are expecting us to be in the GWFC in our first year in 2008. I think it is pretty likely it won't be until 2009. In 2008, we will still count to opponents as a DII. In that same year all five members of the GWFC will be eligible for the playoffs (only Poly and SUU are now). With no autobid, none of these schools are going to want to hurt their chances of getting an at-large bid by playing against a "non-counter". I think 2008 is going to be a really ugly year scheduling wise. I shouldn't say I think.....I know it will. Think of NDSU's schedules in 2004-05.