Bison101

Hopefully 2 Horizon teams are taken and they take Fort Wayne and IUPUI off our hands. Adding the Montana's, Idaho, EWU, and Seattle could make this a really interesting conference. I like the Big North idea.

I like College Hockey and respect that UND is "blue blood" in that sport, but why in the Hell would the B1G pay UND 6 million a year. Instead, they could take half that money and if membership agrees, put together an incentive package of let's say 30 million over 10 years to help start a Hockey program within their current membership. Make it a matching deal, but surely one of Iowa, Nebraska, or Illinois would jump at it. Personally, I would think the Big Red would be a perfect fit. They have the facilities and aren't a basketball school in any way shape or form. They also have a dedicated fan base that will travel.

Five years, plug was pulled in 2012

Double Post

If they find 5 million fake pledges, let alone 30 million, it will turn into a sh*t show.

Tell me more about these DI entitlements and how that effects things.

So Morehead needed 35 million to endow a men's and women's hockey program, but UND needs 60 million just for women's? Somebody is embellishing just a bit. UND made the right call, but throwing insane BS numbers around will only make things worse. #herecometheHeitkamps

Hadn't thought about that one. But if the Horizon wanted UNO and Denver, they might have enough pull to bring UND with them. You would probably be booted from the MVFC and would need to stay in the Big Sky for Football but they would probably work that out. You could probably get Minnesota State to drop football and Come with you.

Master baiter? The good thing is that we will be able to settle it on the field/court from now on....Well at least until we go FBS that is.

Lol, so bringing in a Hockey school instantly makes them the new top dog in the Summit? Better than SDSU, a basketball school, with national success in the woman's program and national championships on the men's side in D2 along with four appearances in the NCAA tournament? Better than NDSU who has been 3 times to the NCAA's and is the only current Summit program to have one a game there? Sioux fans never cease to amaze me with their arrogance.

As an ND taxpayer, it makes sense to me that UND and NDSU differentiate themselves as much as possible. What would be great for both schools is if UND dropped M/W Tennis, M/W Golf W Soccer and Softball. This would allow NDSU to continue and better recruit for those sports. On the flip side, after dropping those sports, UND should put in place a goal to have men's and women's Lacrosse as a varsity sports by 2020. The Alerus would be perfect for it and if you use the NDSU style roll up turf, you could have one set of turf for football, the other with Lacrosse lines only. It would actually be pretty bad ass. That would allow UND to have legit shots of winning a national championship's in 5 sports. (M/W Hockey, M/W Lacrosse, Football.) Of course, the negative from my perspective is that it really doesn't enhance NDSU in M/W Golf, Softball or W Soccer enough to make an impact on a national scale, it might on a conference level though. That leaves NDSU with a chance at a national championship in basically 2 sports, kinda. Football and individual National Championship in Wrestling.) If NDSU ever did go FBS as the rubes on Bisonville are calling for, that would leave us with zero sports we could win a Natty at. F'n zero. Kind of depressing really.

It generally warms my heart to see any sioux fan revel in pain caused by the failure of its administration, (Kupchelle comes to mind) or another blowout loss to GVSU or Boston College. However, what happened today is not one of those cherished moments. There are a few fans on Bisonville that are dancing with glee but they are idiots who don't see the big picture. When a group of 8 people can overide the will of a solid majority "because they know whats best," Democracy has lost. I am sorry Sioux fans, you were wronged. Just be UND, don't pick up some stupid new nickname like the fighting Northers' or something. It will make the process even more ridiculous.

Two things... 1) I feel like the NDSU run to the big Dance has brought UND and NDSU closer than it has been in any time before the now infamous "press conference." This is a good thing. Perhaps, if NDSU can win a game in the NCAA followed by a Sioux national championship in Hockey, the relationship can be further repaired. I have found it odd that the two schools bicker like brothers, but if one school does something that causes national attention (good or bad) the other school stands up for their North Dakota brethern. 2) The only way a Summit Football style conference happens is if a new coference is born. Stick with me here.... Lets say Minnesota State goes DI and is added to the Summit eventually. (assuming UND and USD are shoe ins at this point) I believe the current rule is that a league gets an auto bid to the Dance if 7 core members have played together in the same league for two years. Once Minnesota State become a core member, the five schools band together in a league vote to add Montana State and Montana. After two years, the 7 schools break away and form the Big North and add Northern Iowa. These would all be non commuter flagship schools and would be a conference that could last the next 100 years. Will it ever happen? No, but it is fun to speculate. Big North (aka the league that makes to much sense to ever happen) NDSU UND SDSU USD Montana Montana State Minnesota State Northern Iowa "schools that could be considered at some point" UNC Denver St Cloud Any Wisconsin school that moves up to play Football in FCS UNO

The whole point is that from a fans perspective it is hard to tell a DI Lacrosse game from a JC Lacrosse game. What is so special about a bunch of in shape guys that don't posses any unique skills other than being in shape. You are trying to make the same argument that people use when trying to promote womens basktaball as it is a "purer sport" that is more "funamentally sound." Maybe that is true but it still sucks and is boring to watch. Don't get me wrong, I think Lacrosse is a great sport and I would encourage my kids to play it for the very reason's you outlined above, anyone can play it and excel at it. From a fans perspective...gag me. Sorry, I hate to burst your bubble.

I watched the entire Army v Navy Lacrosse game on ESPNU the other day and found myself extremely bored for one reason. The athletes on the field did not posess any unique skill sets that made the game enjoyabel to watch. You could take a true athlete off the Basketball team, Football team, baseball, Hockey team etc and they could play Lacrosse. However, the opposite is not necessarily true as they would likley not have the God given gifts that true DI athletes have. Young men that excel at controlling the puck or manuevering on skates, or have the hand eye coordination to hit a 90 mph fastball, or have the ability to crossover dribble and drain 3's, or even Football players who have God given size or the ability to chuck a Football 90 yards....Some Lacrosse players may have these skills but there are no special skills a Lacrosse player must posess other than being a good athlete. What makes the other sports enjoyable to watch is that these guys have a skill level that is above the average person and fan in their sport. Their unique, gifted and fun to watch. Lacrosse is to much like soccer, a bunch of in shape dudes running up and down the field, whats unique about that?

I hope he works out for you guys but having the ex athletic director at Indiana State during its decade of indominance at the helm would make me a touch nervous.... I would be curious to see what the ISU fans over at Valleytalk.net would say.

If UND doesn't want Rob Bollinger I am sure NDSU could find a place on the staff for him to replace mean Gene when the day comes. It would be tough having an ex sue as our leader but everything you here about the guy is fantastic. Who wouldn't want a guy who sells out to the cause as their AD? For Rob's sake I hope he gets the job, for the Bison's sake I hope he doesn't.

Long live the memory of Beaver Hockey!

This message is not smack and is not intended to start a smack thread. The Forum reported this morning that the UND Foundation has used all of its original doantions and is still about $150,000 short in its debt to the Utah Law firm. I know that you have donors waiting in the wings to cover this next round of bills. However, around $350,000 has been billed and this has yet to go to trial. When it is all said and done would we could be looking at a million dollar tab here. The move to DI is expensive, but isn't the fight to keep the "Sioux" name more important? I know that UND alumns have deep pockets, but do you think there is a chance that the Sioux will either push DI back one more year or perhaps not fully fund football until the lawsuit is settled.

The NAIA is tost. It might take 15 years but the NCAA has the money and the power. The speculation of what would happen could be a whole new thread.

Ya, womens wrestling, thats the ticket to DI success!

It is the MIAA not MIAC. This isn't a smack thread why bust out the word Idiot? Anyways, good luck in the Frozen Four bring back the national champiionship for NoDak.

The only possible one I could think of is Minnesota State. They are applying to get into the DII NSIC but it is far from a slam dunk. If they don't get into it then look for them to make the move as well. We should know within a few weeks what their status is.

Per info from the AGS board, Samford is leaving the OVC for the southern conference. This leaves them with 9 Football teams and 10 for basketball. Dos this open up a spot for SIUE? If so, that is good news for the Sioux and their quest for the Mid-Con. The only negative is that 10 basketball and 9 football makes for perfect round robin scheduling. However, I think this opens the door for SIUE to the OVC. Samford to join Southern Conference in 2008 Thursday, March 15, 2007, at 10:27 a.m. By Wesley Rucker Staff Writer Samford has accepted an invitation to leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the Southern Conference beginning in the 2008-09 academic year, SoCon commissioner John Iamarino said Thursday morning. The league's presidents met via teleconference Thursday morning and unanimously voted in favor of inviting Samford into the SoCon, according to Iamarino. Iamarino said a formal announcement was coming later this afternoon. Read Friday's Times Free Press for more information

Interesting take. Had this been UND's thought process I am sure they would have just stayed in the NCC. However, I think your right about the Great West. UC-Davis will eventually go FBS, there is no doubt about it, although it still may be a while before they get there. They have built a new stadium but it will only seat around 11,000 this year. If I remember right, this is phase one of their three phase build out. It is going to take some time for them to get their ducks in a row. I really wish Minnesota State was going DI right now with UND and USD so as to help create enough teams in the area to schedule more DI bus games. Poly is a long ways off from being able to upgrade their football to FBS. What I am saying is that UND and USD will be in the Great Way for all of their transition. UC-Davis and Cal Poly won't be going anywhere for a while and SUU only gets into the big Sky if Montana or Sac state go to the WAC which is only possible if LA-Tech leaves the WAC and goes to the CUSA which is only possible if the Big East splits, which will probably happen if they add another football team, which is only possible if UMASS goes FBS or Central Florida continues to upgrade to their athletic facility which is only possible if.... Well, you get the point, by the time UND is through probation, who knows what the conference scene will look like. So just relax, and enjoy the speculation and bumpy ride.