bincitysioux

Im well aware of SDSUs football pedigree. Perhaps doormat was a strong word. My point is nobody used to care when they came to town because here were always so so. Now they are a Top 15 FCS program every year and I bet most casual fans are unaware of that.

I bet that the casual football fan has next to no idea what or where UNI is. I bet the casual football fan probably assumes that SDSU is still the perennial doormat just like they were in the NCC.

Apparently a home schedule like this: Texas A&M Kingsville St Cloud St. Wisconsin-LaCrosse Western Washington Southern Utah Those are the teams that visited the Alerus Center when UND set its all time season attendance record. I wonder if being arguably the best football program in our division for something like 7 straight years prior to that season had anything to do with it. Win and they will come.

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Hypothetical question.................... If NDSU were to trade places with UNC as the only former NCC school in the Big Sky, and everything else being equal with SDSU, USD, UNO, UNC, and Denver all in in the Summit/MVFC, the Summit Tourney in Sioux Falls, which conference would you prefer UND to be in? My guess is that everyone here pining for the Summit/MVFC would be in favor of the Big Sky in that instance. Am I wrong?

I think most people don't care who we play, just that we are winning. We have not been winning lately, hence attendance suffers.

I'm in the camp that a big reason we go is because it is an excuse to get to the Twin Cities and take advantage of what the big city offers. My wife and I and another couple have done it the last two years and plan on continuing to do so. No way could I see us making a weekend trip to Sioux Falls. I think attendance would be pretty poor there. Wasn't attendance at the Target Center over 11,000 both days this past weekend? That's up quite a bit from last year from what I can tell. 11,000 in an old and crappy 18,000 seat arena is better than 4,000 in a shiny new 10,000 seat arena IMO.

I believe they would be the same presuming the NDSU game was on the road like it is already in 2015.

I am not as infatuated with NDSU as most Sioux fans apparently are, so I don't feel the need to be in the same conference with them. We already play them in about every sport anyways, now football included. That should be enough for the growing faction of UND fans that have stated in recent weeks that they would prefer to have the Bison be their only win of the season rather than lose to them but still make the playoffs. We played every single former NCC school that is DI in various sports this season except Creighton. Next year we will probably do the same or close to it. Plus we play Montana, Montana St, Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Weber St. If we were in the Summit, games against the top Big Sky schools would be few and far between. NDSU is in fact killing UND in the PR department, but it is not because of who they play it is because of what they do to their opponents. Yes, NDSU, SDSU, USD, UNI, and Omaha are all drivable locations for many Sioux fans. We played games for various sports at all those places this year. Raise your hand if anyone attended any of them. My guess is the basketball game in Fargo and the hockey game in Omaha are the only ones that had more than 50 UND fans in attendance. About the same as was at the Northern Arizona basketball game. I call BS on anyone who says UND fans will travel better if we join the Summit/MVFC. I have been attending football games on the road for over a decade, and for the most part it has always been about the same number of UND fans in attendance, whether the game was in St. Cloud, MN or in Davis, CA. The truth is, UND fans travel great for Hockey, and that is about it. As far as basketball goes, anybody who claims droves of Sioux fans would head to Sioux Falls for the Summit Tourney, they should probably check out the seats at the Sioux Center. People won't travel a few blocks for basketball right now, they certainly aren't going to drive a few hundred miles. Denver is a huge alumni base. We play them in hockey already. DU doesn't have football, but UNC just a 45 minute drive away does. We will forever be linked to NDSU, as well as to SDSU and USD. That will never change. We will always play them. Will always recruit against them, both for athletes and regular students. Regardless of our athletic affiliation. But the Big Sky offers relationships with more peer schools than does the Summit. Yes, I realize both leagues have about the same number of "peer" schools to UND. But if we are members of the Summit, the relationship with the top Big Sky schools disappears. I can't understand why anyone would not want to be associated with both. If we are in the Summit, we are linked with 3 peer schools: NDSU, SDSU, and USD. There is history with UNO, but nobody cares about playing UNO in basketball or volleyball, only hockey, and we are already covered there. Same goes for Denver. Nobody is going to say, "man I can't wait until the basketball game with Denver, that is going to be so intense!". Nobody thinks that, it all about hockey with them, and already covered. As Big Sky members we are linked with 7 peer schools: NDSU, SDSU, USD, Montana, Montana St., Idaho, and UC Davis. Then, on top of still having Denver and UNO ties for hockey, you throw in UNC which has NCC history and doubles our presence in the Denver area. Lastly we're rubbing shoulders with Weber St., a legit mid-major basketball power, and Eastern Washington which is a premier FCS football power. And then there is non-conference scheduling. You think our non-conference schedules are lame right now for basketball, especially the home games? Just think how bad it would be if you cut NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UNO from the pool of potential candidates. There is so much more to college athletics than playing NDSU twice a year instead of once a year, which let's be honest, is what this is really all about. I wish so many UND fans could see the bigger picture, recognize the unique opportunity that Big Sky membership presents, and embrace it. Rant over..........................

I would hate to see the 3rd place game go away. I probably wouldn't make the trip anymore. We decided to start going last year when they said they would have a 3rd place game, because we knew we were guaranteed to see the Sioux play twice. As it turns out, we would have only saw them play once the past two years without that game. I believe the 3rd place game was pretty crucial to UND getting into the NCAA's last year as well wasn't it? I agree the SCSU turnout was weak. I was expecting much more. The planned renovations to the Target Center.................. are any of those expected to improve the buildings Hockey ammenities?

I would hope not. That would be like a B1G school leaving for the Big 12. Actually maybe more like the Mountain West.

Stefan was done mid season I believe.....

At the Final Five, didn't they used to bring a PA announcer from one or more of the league schools? They should do this at the Frozen Faceoff, because the PA announcer is pretty weak. I remember thinking the same thing last year and I'm pretty sure it was the same guy.

OK. I don't get to many arenas other than REA. Just thought it was odd they were worried about me chucking a bottle cap, but not the bottle, cheese-curds, Mikes Lemonade can, popcorn, and everything else I had on my person.

One last comment on the Target Center experience.................... I buy a bottle of water at a concession stand. The guy grabs it, opens it and hands it to me. I say, "I'd like to keep the bottle cap". He replies, "I can't give you the cap". I ask "why is that"? He responds, "because people will throw the bottle caps on the ice". I look at him and say, "but what if I decide to throw the entire bottle on the ice"? He shrugs and throws my bottle cap in the trash.

I personally like the downtown Minneapolis location better. I never went to the Final Five but I went to the Frozen Four at the X in 2009 and have now been the Frozen Faceoff both years. Obviously the venue is far superior in St. Paul, but you would think that NCHC and TC staff could get their poop in a group and make the logistics of this way better. I'm just a casual hockey guy so I don't notice things like plexiglass and ice conditions so much. But it was a joke getting both in and out on Friday. The PA announcer is terrible. Do want they did at the Final Five and bring an announcer from the teams, somebody that knows what is going on. The temperature difference between both days was ridiculous, as they were trying to correct the apparent ice problems. If the TC doesn't know how to maintain the ice, the conference, which is full of hockey schools, certainly must have somebody they could suggest to help the TC out with these aspects. I agree if we could win there we would probably find less to complain about. Just the perspective of a casual hockey fan.

How long is the contract with Target Center? I thought it was like 5 years.

Regardless of how bad the Target Center is for hosting hockey, the hockey being played in it right now is way worse.........

It was ridiculous getting in the doors and past the security pat down. Is that how it is getting into a Twolves game? I thougt the atmosphere was great though both inside and outside the arena. I never went to the Final Five, so I have no point of reference.

He does play football and Bubba was recently the featured speaker at an event that their community held about faith and athletics. You are correct that that the Pinkes are from the same area as Bubba. Hunter's mother is also a UND grad and grew up in in GF.......

Leaving early Friday morning, staying near Mall of America and taking the Light Rail to the Target Center. Plan on spending entire drive attempting to talk Mrs. Bincitysioux out of having to go to IKEA while we are there. Probably won't be successful. IKEA means lots of work for Mr. Bincitysioux.......................

Hunter Pinke Video This is Fred Lukens' grandson..........

MSU-Moorhead is going to the DII Elite 8. Safe to say that UND is at the very most, just the 3rd best college basketball program in the Red River Valley......

I think jdub27's point on the budget is probably that George Mason spends big money on basketball like we do on hockey, and they expect the same results as a Return on Investment.

I sure hope their coach is still a Moorhead employee at the end of next season.