FargoBison

Legend- The NDSU game could bring alot of NDSU fans to the MetroDome that is why the U of MN will play NDSU in Football. 35,000 usual Gopher fans + the 10-15,000 Bison fans would be a pretty good crowd for the Gophers. NDSU would then schedule with an area D2 team to balance out the schedule. And NDSU Would play 4 or 5 games against IAA teams at home. Thats a 5 or 6 game home schedule so NDSU would not be playing all road games. And Montana is not our prodidgy school, unless your talking football.

Bohl will leave if he can get a solid head coaching job in D1A, and if that happens fine. Like I said when your coaches move on to bigger and better things it really speaks to the quality of your program. And when Bohl leaves there will be many coahes waiting in line for the NDSU job. Who wouldn't want to coach a program that is as well supported and funded as the NDSU football team. The only way I see Chapman leaving is either by retirement or getting fired, but I'm pretty sure he will see NDSU through the transition and years later, and Taylor may as well I haven't heard anything otherwise. As long as the budget stays balanced or near balanced things will be fine. If NDSU can't get any movement out of the Mid-Con or Big Sky this summer I think they will form a conference with the other indy schools just to keep costs down. Also as long as NDSU fans keep on coming to watch their teams play the program will be fine. Football attendance was solid, basketball attendance is about as good as you can expect for the schedule the teams are playing. Both teams could potentially make some money next year because of more D1 teams on the schedule, teams people actually want to see. And in 2007 look for the U of MN to play the bison in football and bring along with it a $200-250,000 for playing the game. The U of MN is being really helpful to NDSU by trying to get games in all sports whenever possible.

SDSU is better then any of those other D2 schools listed and is proving to be a solid D1 team. Minnesota has agreed to play NDSU and will come to Fargo in 2006-2007 season. Pat Summit gave Amy Ruley a verable agreement to come to Fargo and it was later reported during an NDSU womens game that they will be coming to Fargo next year. Alabama is playing NDSU becuase of the NDSU/SDSU scheduling partnership and will most likely come to Fargo next year or in two years. NDSU is playing TCU this year and I think TCU will return the favor in either of the two years,Cincinnati may also be coming to Fargo as well. And NDSU beat a real D1 school just the other day, Cincinnati. Cincy made the WNIT in 2004 and made the NCAA tourney in 2002 and 2003 - in 2003, they were the 10th seed and hosted the first two rounds.They have made the postseason each of the last seven years. Real enough for you?

How about SDSU, Tennesse, Alabama, TCU, and Minnesota. All these teams will be coming to Fargo to play against Amy Ruley and the Bison in the upcoming two years. Or would you still rather play UMC, Bemidji, USD, Augie, and Mankato.

I never said the football program was all that matters, I was refering to the fact that a successful football team may keep teamakers and others happy while NDSU finds a conference. And the bison football team is in a conference and willl have a full plate of 63 scholarships so I don't know what bohl is going to be frustrated. "Coaches come and go. Established programs get the best coaches, who then get the best recruits...it goes without saying that the best recruits generally make the best teams and the best teams attract the most attention and alumni dollars." I think that quote basically sums up NDSU football. An established program, with quality coaches. I don't think NDSU would have a problem finding a quality coach to replace Bohl, if he ever left. And NDSU won't go back to D2 because this was a step-up to put the athletic department on par with the rest of the university and to put a athletic dept. in place were it should have been a while ago. NDSU will have enough succes in D1 to shut down the go back to D2 talks.Also I think NDSU will form a D1 indy conference if the Mid-Con or Big Sky don't budge soon, just to keep the costs down.

Supertex- Those schools are U of Minn and Wisconsin, they are the schools in those states, they share the limelight with no one. And the teammakers will be satisfied as long as NDSU is succesful in football, and they will be successful. And if Bohl left to coach the U of MN that would only speak to the quality that is NDSU football and would leave behind numerous of other deserving canidates that could fill his shoes. NDSU will find a conference by 2009 when the Big East splits it will leave many conferences in need of more schools, but I think NDSU will be in a conference before that time. NDSU will not be an indy forever.

If you want to compare hockey to basketball then fine, but subcategory or not D1 hockey compares way better to IAA then it does and ever will to D1 hoops. UND is no where near Duke. Duke is like a pro franchise they have fans that support them even though they never went to that college or lived in that region of the country. The next time I see UND on CBS or ABC every saturday I will start calling you the Duke of hockey. I'm sure they sell just as many UND hockey shirts in Durham NC as they do for NDSU football. NDSU is still not at full strength for football even with 50 scholarships, give NDSU some time maybe 3 years at 63 sholarships or even two before taking about wins and losses. And I said Geography and Media Markets were a big factor in the BSC decsion. But with UNC being added there aren't many teams that can fit that description so NDSU/SDSU become the most favorable schools for expansion if they would want to do so. Also UND got a letter but that was about all the consideration they got from the Big Sky, like I said, "D2 school no D1 commitment, forget about it." And if you think that a D1 team like Gonzaga in this region would recieve less attention from the region then the UND hockey team you are crazy. ND is a basketball state and would choose a gonzaga like team or UND hockey everytime. But of course to Grand Forks and Sioux fans hockey will be forever the biggest thing around.

Those schools are THE schools for those states, UND shares the limelight with NDSU and North Dakota is a basketball state and will support a succesful D1 basketball much more then it will a D1 hockey team, no matter who it is. The media will cover whatever it's veiwers/subscribers want or appeals to most, and I would bet that a succesful D1 hoops team would appeal to most people in this region outside the city of Grand Forks more then it would for D1 hockey, and in my last post I did say UND was one of the greatest hockey programs ever and I have admitted that many times.

I said it was 6-2 vote(according to wday) so yes Sac was not alone in going against NDSU. Fulerton said NDSU recieved the most support excpet UNC and was supported very strongly by some schools. If there wasn't a unaminous vote there would be Big Sky reps looking at NDSU right now.

I'll respond to each and everyone of your posts individually. first off Sioux goo. You are correct time will tell and we'll find out if NDSU made the right choice. But you have to give it time don't start in on the conference records and dumb things like NDSU playing an abudance of D2 teams in basketball and Mont Tech in football.(I know you didn't say anything about Mont Tech or our schedule but alot of Sioux fans do.) Now CoteauRinkR the region wide media would probably give NDSU extensive coverage if they ever were a Gonzaga or Creighton in D1 hoops, not just the forum. UND-1- NDSU didn't get into the Big Sky because Sac St didn't want us in the Big Sky. Cal Davis, Cal Poly, and So Utah have no problem with traveling to the Dakotas for football, UNA has to fly every where else for Big Sky play whats the differece to go to Fargo, not much. NDSU didn't get in because the Big Sky loves big markets, wants to be a rockey mountain conference, and some schools don't want to add a power like NDSU to the conference. Who knows if that will change, but as long as Montana and Montana St support NDSU, we will always have a chance. The Sicatoka- Never is a big word but as long as UND is D2 they will never get serious consideration from the Big Sky. And yes they are only looking at UNC but things could change fast and NDSU and SDSU are sitting next in line if the confernce wants to expand. Also the person I replied to talked about the entire athletic dept. being throw under the bus, not just the revenue sports, and only one of those sports is struggling at the moment and yes things will be clearer in 3 years. NDSU was at 36 scholarships when they beat Montana, 27 more will only stregthen the program even more. NDSU can now give out lots of full rides and attract even more quality athletes to Fargo. Look at what NDSU is doing know while being hadicapped with a lower scholarship level, just think what will happen when NDSU is at full strength. And please never compare D1 hoops to hockey ever again, more people know about those two D1 schools then they do about St. Lawerance or even one of the greatest hockey programs out there UND. Maybe I should start calling UND hockey the Georgia Southern(IAA football power) of hockey since D1 hockey compares much more favorably to IAA football then it does to D1 hoops or football. UND92- I never said NDSU would become a mid-major power I said if they would that is what would happen. Gonzaga didn't become a mid-major power overnight, it took lots of hard work and years of dedication for them to do so. I can tell you NDSU will be dedicated to having a successful athletic program and the coaches and admins will work hard to accomplish their goals.

First Sioux goo if Sac leaves the Big Sky that would change the 6-2(according to Fulerton) vote into a 7-1 or 6-1 vote with the two power programs(montana and montana st.) supporting NDSU strongly. I think they like the NDSU/UND combo but it will never happen since UND will never leave D2 and the Big Sky will never consider a D2 for membership. Here is basically what the Big Sky said about adding UND, "D2 school with no D1 commitment, forget about it." And if a UND/NDSU combo ever occured it only be because UND is riding on NDSU's coatails, UND wouldn't have a chance to be in the Big Sky if NDSU wasn't in D1 and actively pursueing membership and changing D1 rules. UND could never get in alone or with SDSU. NDSU can. Supertex have you been following the SDSU womens team this year? If you haven't they are playing and beating D1 teams everyday, they barley lost to #20 Purdue by a point, if SDSU can have success so can Amy Ruley and the Bison. The Softball team and Wrestling teams will also have success in D1 since they have been playing and beating D1 teams for years now. The wrestling team is 3-0 against ACC teams and beat the defending ACC champ NCSU on their home floor. The only programs were I see some suffering are the mens team and the baseball team. The baseball team could never compete in D2 and needs alot of work, and the basketball team is terrible right now but they should be better in the upcoming years with the two great recruiting classes they have had. The football team can compete in IAA and probably do better in a division that doesn't want to force it's teams into a level of mediocrity, the extra 27 scholarships will make a huge difference and NDSU will be a IAA power. So I don't know what you mean by throwing the sports programs under a bus, most of these teams will get more media coverage and will get a chance to compete at the highest level and win at that level. It looks to me like the NDSU sports program is moving on to bigger and better things. If NDSU is ever succesful like Gonzaga or Creighton in D1 mens basketball, the area media will throw the UND hockey team under a bus.

Star2city-Well actually I believe it was the MVC and Horizen that publically denied interest and the Mid-Con didn't say much of anything and they still aren't. The Big Sky will probably continue to flirt with the idea of adding NDSU and it will take Sac St leaving or a miracle that would make Sac change their mind for entery. And I'll I said was take a look, I didn't say anything about a gentleman's agreement. The only conference completely out of reach is the MVC, they said join a conference and became solid in mens basketball and maybe you will get looked at in 10 years. NDSU will be in a conference by the end of the transition, I think the Mid-Con will want to expand into a 12 team league so they can be ensured of stablilty when the Big East spilt occurs.

Star2city- As you've probably been told 100 times already by now that the Mid-Con, Horizen, and especially the Big Sky told NDSU to go D1 and then look for a conference invite 4 or 5 years down the road. And as of now NDSU hasn't even finished year two of the transition, there is still plent of time. The Mid-Con may give us a better look this summer and hopefully give NDSU an invite. Who knows Sac St could leave the Big Sky and NDSU would basically be a shoe-in for conference admission. NDSU will get into a conference some where, they are just too strong of a school not to be in a conference. As for staying in D2 and waiting for a conference, NDSU waddled around in D2 for far too long it was time to leave, NDSU should have left in the early 80's or 90's and the program(football) eventually paid the price by staying in D2 for too long by years of scholarship cuts and D2's constant lets lower the elite down to the level of everybody else attitude. NDSU had basically outgrown D2 and it was time to leave and look for new challanges. Maybe UND will outgrow D2 some day and can to move onto bigger and better challanges.

Those two D2 schools were all in better shape in finding a conference since they were all located near D1 conferences looking at adding teams. NDSU is miles away from most D1 conferences and needs to prove itself before gaining entry into one. And if D2 cuts schollies tommarrow what is the green and white turtle to do, if a huge mass of teams decides to leave D2 there is no garuantee that the NCAA will let them jump divisions since they don't want to add anymore auto-bids for basketball. And also NDSU will most likely be in a conference by 2009-10, the mid con will eventually add them or another cofernce will panic since they may be picked apart by other conferences looking to replace teams. Even if NDSU isn't in a conference by then they will look much more attractive then UND since they will be tournement eligable for every sport and will have established it's program in D1, so they will be ready right away. NDSU was patient and pobably waited too long in making the D1 move, this should have happened in the early 80's or 90's. As for planning NDSU spent 2 years planning their D1 move and by no means rushed into the decision like UND may have to do if schollies are cut.