FargoBison

UMKC or UNC not sure what the difference is. I'd love to grab NMSU but that seems unlikely.

There was a massive gap between JMU/NDSU and the rest of the FCS. You could have flipped them in the playoff bracket and I don't think the end result would change, both teams would still be playing each other in Frisco. It is what it is. SHSU and Wofford aren't cupcakes or sisters of the poor, they just match up very poorly with a physical team like NDSU.

If the AD's, coaches and players called the shots they would but the elitist snobs that run the universities(mainly Harvard) will not lower themselves to compete in the FCS playoffs.

The Big North concept is solid on paper but in reality you have a school like Montana that is extremely conservative when it comes to realignment. They have had opportunities to leave, yet they stick around. That gives me doubt since they are the big piece that you would need to get to make it work. I'm not sure who is panic stricken in the Summit, IPFW maybe since they are out on the island now but they don't really have anywhere to go. People like to talk about the Horizon or MVC getting bigger but neither of those leagues make bold moves. The MVC especially has been pretty small-time in their realignment philosophy. Maybe that changes but both of them made the most predictable and safe choice in who they just added.

I still think the Horizon adds 1, you don't go to 12 unless you are making a push to strengthen the league and everything I've seen shows them looking at a bunch of mediocre schools.

The new arena had nothing to do with impressing the MVC. It was something that had to get done, the BSA was one of the 10 worst facilities in the nation. The coaches were embarrassed to even show it to recruits. Since the school can't bond because the state is run by idiots with zero vision, it is hard to build anything that is ambitious or best meets the needs of the school without the city or a donor like Ralph. The only facility FB lacks is an IPF, that can be built and is probably next on the facility agenda. The bubble meets that need for the time being and it was a pretty good temporary solution while more pressing issues were addressed.

Yeah, I think they would take a look at the Indiana schools but I guess my point is those schools won't do a lot for GB. If the Summit could trade the Indiana schools for GB and UMKC that would be a nice swap.

It might but losing Milwaukee and Valpo are two pretty big blows for that league. Leaving GB kind of isolated.

I think Milwaukee will be the 12th, I don't know what school in the MVC would even push for Omaha. UNI is the closest public school and I think they would prefer Milwaukee since Wisconsin is a big recruiting area for them. If the Horizon loses Valpo and Milwaukee could the Summit make a run at GB?

The WAC idea had way too many moving pieces. The Summit/Big North idea is somewhat simpler but still requires a lot of things happening.

I'm pretty sure they want this wrapped up the middle of May at the latest.

My plan with NMSU was to bring them in for Olympic sports and keep them as an option if the FBS landscape changes. Their basketball is just too good and they are a land grant. If they wanted to join for FB, it would be worth it to make 10 work.

The thing that makes me leery of it ever happening is that Montana is not exactly progressive when it comes to realignment and to make the whole thing work they would be the lynchpin.

It would be basically the same. Outside of the Dakota schools, NDSU only buses to Omaha.

Omaha gets them about as much of the Omaha market as UMKC gives them the KC market. It makes no sense for a basketball driven league to add a hockey school that has never been anything more than above average at basketball. Milwaukee makes some sense but that athletic department is a mess. They did win with Ryan and Pearl though, the potential is at least there and Wisconsin would be a nice state to get into. A lot more basketball talent there then Nebraska.

A league with the Montana's and Idaho sounds great but I imagine the hard part would be selling it to Montana and getting them on board. NDSU-UND SDSU-USD Omaha-Denver Montana-Montana State Idaho-EWU NMSU-Weber State You could quickly build a mid-major basketball conference that would easily rival the MVC and of course be a premiere FCS league with FBS potential.

Yeah, seems like it will be just those two. Probably not a big impact on the Summit unless the Horizon does something unexpected.

Mankato should look at DI, mid major hoops could be their niche. But they would need to pull an Omaha to make it work and that isn't an easy undertaking. WIU will never be in the Horizon, that league covets big markets and Macomb makes Brookings look like Chicago. The OVC is really the only place I could see them going to and I am not sure either party has a lot of interest in that move.

One guy was a walk on, two of the others were not going to play(some of it was out their control with injuries), Khy is the real surprise.

The Summit would be better off trading it's eastern flank for a western flank but I'm not sure how that all goes down. You can't even approach the topic of football until you have 8-10 schools committed. I don't know if the Montana schools would want to bolt even though they would be better off. The Big Sky has so much dead weight.

The arena is undergoing a massive renovation, it should be more than adequate. The NCAA has basically stopped putting regional finals in domes, they now prefer to have them in NBA arenas.

For now none of the schools are going anywhere, too much NCAA tournament money sitting on the table. It could happen down the road depending on what happens with the MVC.

Looking at what is going on with the SD schools, the day is coming soon where the basketball coach will be making in the same ballpark as the football coach no matter what league NDSU is in. Unless the football program goes FBS, which I don't see happening anytime soon.

If NDSU got an invite to the MVC, I don't think there would be much to think about but I'm still very skeptical to say the least about it happening.

NDSU did have some decent crowds in SF for 2 of the title games, the other three SDSU fans bought up most of the tickets. The Summit tournament is really setup poorly for traveling fans, I wish the conference did it more like Arch Madness but that would require changing some things on the TV side.