FargoBison

I think that is JBB, best to ignore him.

I agree Douple lacks vision in pretty much every area. He has pretty much lucked into being in the right time and situation with the Dakota schools and he is milking it for all it is worth. Going along with this Augie farce is taking it to far.

I wouldn't mind bringing in Mankato, at least they would bring a MN school into the fold. Augie is nothing but a parasite.

I don't think Augie was targeting this year, they seem to be gearing up more for next year or a bit later based on what Kelby is talking about.

I'm sure Boise is great but it isn't easy to get to from eastern ND. Only thing making SF tough is the stretch of I94 from the ND border to Watertown. My only issue with the Summit tournament is that the title game should be on a Sunday, should follow a similar format as the MVC.

It's one thing giving $10-20 million to stick your name on a building of a flagship state university, it is something else to give a small private school $100 million to move up a division.

Why would Sanford give Augie $100 million? Are they going to rename the school Sanford University?

No idea really, it seems odd though that a reporter would state it so bluntly if there wasn't. Augie probably wouldn't mind playing football against a bunch of small private schools in the Pioneer. What I don't get is why would the SD schools want this?

Pioneer League would be their only move or I guess they could go the Omaha route.

He also tweeted this out today.....

Honestly, it would be ideal if IPFW left and we brought in both UNC and UMKC. The Summit would basically be a true great plains league at that point.

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.