SDSUFAN

Purplemav: I dont know what the precise reaction has been, but by and large there is skeptism and maybe rightfully so. What the AD and President at SDSU are looking at in what appears as a risky move is the the long term affects on athletic programs. Fred for some time has been concerned with the changing membership in Division 2 with new members coming that barely have any program and now wanting to be on the same level as the NCC which they can not do instantly. All members of D2 have a vote at the NCAA convention, where football scholarships could be cut from 36 to 30 or even 20, even if they dont offer the sport. The current NCC, Gulf South and MIAA have supported keeping the current level, but the next time this comes up they will be out voted by the new members. Moving to D1 does not mean instant competition with Duke or even U of Minnesota. The competition is with the lower tier, programs, some who overall are not even D2 but have gone D1 for the basketball revenue. SDSU is really in between a rock and hard place. Reaction has been pretty much as described in the Argus Leader and the Brookings Register. If SDSU Foundation can raise in the excess of 50 million for other purpose, such building additions, academic scholarships etc, I would think we could also do a lesser amount for athletics. Most of the Foundation board members seem to see the positives here so I am optimistic that the extra money will be raised some how. So much of the foundation activities are not openly discussed or covered by the media, so its hard to tell exactly what is going on. SDSU has gotten less and less state support so the foundation has become a big way of getting things done on campus. My understanding that no money from this move will come from the legislature. Janklow allowed the Legislature appropriate 4 million of the tobacco settlement money go towards the new dome roof at USD, so they owe SDSU some how but judging from the Board of Regents reaction, now is not a big time to make this an issue.

Regarding Lollar, I went back and read DMB post that indicates he left and was struggling in the class room. SDSU lost Mike Peek for the same reason. We have everyone back except Andy Cone and Peek. Schantz, Cervny, Hansen, and about four others are seniors, and you hope they can stay focused for one more season. But I would expect both UND, USD and SCSU to give us the most competition. I hate to see the NCC go up in smoke as in basketball its competition from January to March. Out women lost Jamie Nelson and Cherrie Johnson, all our freshmen are back. Next SDSU in the mens program will have a bunch of Juco's it appears.I just hope they have some academic skills to match the basketball skills.

DMB: Looks like Rich is loading up here. I dread another season of Jerome Beasley and Lollar. Both very good. Jerome probably would be playing with the U of Texas Longhorns or some other D1 school had he not had enough credits of of JUCO to graduate. From what I understand a requirement in order to transfer to a D1 school. Networking at UND no doubt landed the prize Beasley. Definitely one of the best in the NCC for long time. I am a little surprised that SDSU has not inked anyone yet, with 7 or 8 seniors on this years team, its going to be a major rebuild next year.

PCM: No hard feelings, maybe I was properly handled when I brought up preceptions and appearences about UND that are not correct atleast from your prespective. Since you live there and I don't who would know more? I have made a number of trips to Grand Forks for football and basketball since 1986. UND is a class university. Despite the controversy over the use of Fighting Sioux, leads the upper midwest in Indian Studies Since UND has Norwegian Studies, uffda its not all that bad. I appreciate how Sicakota and you have set me straight on a number of things including the ethnicity of Terry Wanless. I read on another thread, that he was not too close to the hockey program, and that may have been his poison pill at UND. That being said, I dont like to be at odds with another SDSU alum and to have Mike Rounds as a high classmate, you could end up moving back to Pierre in January.

Yes money and demographics are very much a question mark, and that where the risk in this move lies. I think no one will disagree with me on that one. I think the best thing SDSU has going for itself is Frost Arena and good programs in men's and women's basketball. SDSU also set an attendence record for Volleyball against the NDSU bison Saturday night. Attendence was about 1200 which is better than some non-conference basketball games. I had heard rumors of more permanent back chair seating was planned and I dont know what the status is. Both our basketball coaches Scott Nagy and Aaron Johnston have publicly supported the move to D1. Nagy applied for the head job at Bradley and was one of the 11 finalists. If you visit the Peoria Newspaper website, you find out how wild that town is about basketball, and Scott never got an interview so if nothing else by going D1, we keep a great basketball coach. Even though its 13 years before you can compete for the big dance, I dont think it excludes members from the revenue sharing for all D1 memberships. NE Illinois who dropped their basketball program drew only 500 people for most games. Two former Jack players transferred from there. Wallace and Mike Schott. Mike Schott is an assistant to Morganthaler at Mankato. Obviously NE Illionis was in it for the money and got enough to fund the other minimum required sports. But having lived in surburban Chicago, DePaul is the only school that has been able to draw a crowd and even lately they have had their problems. So I think SDSU would average a little better than 500 per game going D1. With a competitive program, Frost could be filled more than twice like we are now, USD and Augie. With the Nodaks we probably have our next best crowds, but they have been no more than 5000. With the Big 10 and Big 12 and the right promotion, I think we could fill frost more than once. The road games with Big 10 and 12 would immediately put money in the coffers, since they would get a very reasonable guarentee. Our football program needs a major transfusion in terms of financial resources and facility. Any Sioux fan who has made the trip to Brookings can see that. The Wellness Center has been planned since about 1994 but a host of other Campus projects such as additions to the Journalism and Engineering buildings, repairing the Campanile, the new performing Arts Center and student scholarships. The SDSU foundation raised in excess of 50 million between 1993-1998 for these projects. No one has dared breach the thought of doing something like this for our football program. Some of the old alums are still walking around with a bad taste from the Staduim for State program that took place in the late 1950's and explains why there is only one side of permanent seating at Coughlin Alumni. So raising money for athletics has not been a popular idea for old farts my age. I personally like Coach Stiegelimeier, he is a real personable coach and the kids by in large like him. He once had Dale Lennon working for him when Dale was at Northern so both are very good friends, from what I understand. Stieg seems to have found a few good recruits, and even though we are only 4-3 this year, he does have a bunch coming back. Stieg's assistants are getting better in coaching, Etter, Eidness and Stienbach, plus the most recent Karl Ballard, has improved the defense this year and so the program is going in the right direction. The bottom line in football we need resources financially for additional scholarships, facilities and salaries. Our assistants are working very cheap and its amazing they have hung in there this long. When they get something like 25 to 35 grand and got kids going in and coming out of the oven, they often have to look for more finanical rewarding jobs. After examining the Carr Report in full, all 400 pages, I find that maybe the big difference between SDSU and the Big Sky budgets is that SDSU and all state employes are underpaid. If the salaries of coaches and faculty at SDSU were on the same scale as Montana and Idaho, they would have a budget of 5.1 million. This was one of the eye openers that Carr found. They could not believe that SDSU had 20 sports and had fielded that many sports with a 3.8 million dollar budget.

I guess we need some new developments in order to liven up this thread. I do know Fred Oien was in Rapid City monday and Tuesday and will be in Yankton tomorrow (October 30). When speaking to the Yankton Quarterback Club, you are talking to more USD alums then SDSU alums. I doubt that they will pass the hat for Fred.

Thanks dad.

How do I know you are not hard of hearing?

YES OF COURSE IT WOULD, BUT I AM JUST A MORON FROM SDSU SO DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, CHECK IT OR HAVE PCM CHECK IT OUT.

PCM: Once again you are probably right and I will no longer embarrass you on this board. Apparently you are held in high esteem in Grand Forks. As an uninformed moron, you have put me in my place. Good night.

PCM: When I read articles about the Fighting Sioux Logo and how Wanless was trying to work out a solution, I vaguely recall the mention of his native american hertiage. Your UND Football program dated Sept 21, 1991 says the following: "He graduated from High School at Todd County High School in Mission S.D." I believe that is where the kids from Rosebud attend. I know you said he was from Highmore, and what I find in locking at the UND programs where Lee Bohnet has changed the details about Wanless background from year to year and maybe Lee had his reasons. From his facial features it always appear that Terry was at a half or a quarter Native America, but I could be wrong again. You tell me since your folks know the Wanlesses from Highmore. What do I know I am just a moron from Nebraska that claims to be a SDSU graduate.

PCM: I thought Wanless had a masters from SDSU but I guess I was wrong. He was one of the finalists for the AD in 1990 when Fred Oien was selected. Yes I know he is a South Dakota native and also a memeber of the Rosebud tribe. So maybe he might feel some sensitivity about the use Fighting Sioux. THANKS FOR THE LECTURE.

PCM: This an open forum, I dont have to have a reason to be here. Maybe I am interested in whats going on at UND. I used to have a great deal of respect for UND until Ralph and his funny money showed up a few years back. As I said I can't imagine SDSU allowing anyone to do what UND has allowed Ralph to do but that their choice. At least Sicokata explained how the working arrangement is going based on law etc. I supose it could work out good for UND if there is a profit on REA, but with the ALerius and REA competing for the same shows and revenue that could be a problem. The circus comes to town once a summer and both places could be competing for the same concerts and conventions along with the FargoDome 75 miles down the road. Oh well, I will let you folks worry about.

Sicakota: Finally some one from UND is explaining what going on up there. Yes I will enjoy my ice cream cone, knowing that the purchase price will be applied to the cost of operating a Dairy Science program at a cow college, the image we are trying to shead.

Sicatoka: Your fellow poster from UND, PCM, who claims to be an SDSU alum brought up the topic of hockey schools and President Miller. I really dont have a quarrel with UND, or any other NCC hockey schools. That being said, I see no reason SDSU should stay D2 so that the other NCC schools can preserve their hockey programs. SDSU has no need for a hockey program. If we want to take a risk in moving up, let us do so and dont blame us for the NCC falling apart. The NCC is not a sacred cow. I think all the current members have special concerns and different goals and that diversity, is causing the conference to go up in smoke.

PCM: No SDSU would not turn down a 100 million donation. In accepting that donation, the acceptence would be on the terms and conditions of the institution and not the individual donor. In other words, that individual donor would not be able to pressure a firing of a president nor a AD, such as Terry Wanless, another SDSU grad, I might add. In appearence, Ralph Englestad was able to give President Baker and Wanless their walking papers because they were trying to find a workable solution to the mascot issue and the objectionable name "The Fighting Sioux". This is an issue thats not going to go away judging from reading another thread on here. The UND alums are not correct in saying that this is tradition. I believe the Fighting Sioux was adopted by UND in 1931 or there abouts. So 70 years is hardly tradition when you consider the Lakota have been on the plains of the upper midwest for centuries. Being called the Flickertails is not all the bad. A nice prarie name for athletics. As far as President Miller and the hockey schools, well they failed to see her arguements for various reasons. My guess and its a guess, is that at Mankato and St Cloud, the hockey costs are cutting into the budgets of other sports. Mankato has been reported funding only 30 of 36 football scholarships. At St Cloud, and I learned this from a assistant at SDSU who is out competing against St Cloud in recruiting, the number they have been able to fund is 27.5. So as enjoyable as hockey is to you and others at UND, its a very expensive sport for these two schools. Of course they would not want to go D1AA. With Morris and Crookston going back to D3, and Dultuth joining the NCC for a while, the NSIC becomes attractive at SCSU and MSU-Mankato. Don't rule out that movement as possible future scenario. UNO is in a bind in that just before Pat Behrn, a former UND coach took over at UNO, and had a season where few games were won, the Nebraska Board of Regents was about to do away with all sports at UNO. Some of the regents felt a commuter school should not have athletics period. Winning the NCC in 1996 and losing to NWMSU in the playoffs that year saved the entire sports program at UNO. I dont think they would get the approval and support to move despite being in a population center of over 300,000. In addition, over half of the UNO student body is made up of old gizzers like myself, they are to busy doing other things to watch a football game. UNO hockey came about because of people in Omaha wanted the sport, not because its a student choice. So far even with empty paid seats, UNO is making it as far as hockey is concerned. But without a national championship the novelty of Hockey is proabably wearing off in Omaha. Also the article talks about Plan B which apparently has got everyone Grand Forks parnoid along with our so called rivals in Sioux Falls and Vermillion. My good friend Fred is out speaking by invitation and as a recommendation in the Carr Report. The support for the move is growing so I will let nature takes its course and not worry about whats happening at UND. That article states that the Board of Regents may shoot the SDSU move to D1AA down. Of course the current board is made up of enough votes with USD ties to shoot it down. The problem is that 5 of the 6 are Jankalow appointees. "Wild Bill" Janklow leaves office this January. If the polls are correct, Mike Rounds a SDSU grad will be the next governor. Mike was sitting next to President Miller on Hobo day so I think in the long run the move will be approved by the Board of Regents. If not in December than in next year. I was very skeptical of the move at first, but if we were willing to study the move which we have and have the results to proceed in a responsible manner than why not support the move. It can be done and I am not about to pull in my contributions that have been more than $2000 last year.

POST MENUSTRAL SYNDROME AKA PCM So you played club hockey (BFD) A moron, not me. What has Dakotonics have to do with UND other than they sold a few scoreboards to uncle Ralphy. SDSU does not take money from people involved in gambling and if they were offered the the terms of the gift would ensure that the University had not sold their soul. Now if you don like it put it where the moon dont shine. HAVE A BEER SLOSHING GOOD TIME AT ENGLESTAD.

PCM: Since my grammar did not pass your standards in other posts, I thought would be important to point out an error in my prior post. I meant to say "dollars", plural and not "dollar" Could the reason for UND not going D1 is that Hockey that "whore sport" is taking all the revenue away from the other sports? Just a clueless question here. I know this is a UND board, but who really cares? I dont.

PCM: Yes I am a grad. Yes I can write a coherent sentence. Yes I bet I support SDSU hell of lot more with my pocket book than you do. What year did you graduate from SDSU? Are you saying that there was no donation of 100 million to UND by Ralph Englestad? Are you saying UND has the deed to his ice palace? Are you denying that Ralph's company does not run the Ice palace or what ever you call that monster up in the frozen tundra? Facts? Since you are so much a hockey fan can you clue me in how the funds are being handled? Whose pocket do they flow to? To uncle Ralph? Or do they really go to the university? Since one of your other UND fans accused me of being clueless, why not educated me by answering my questions. Maybe a lot of beer sloshing UND Hockey fans are clueless and have no idea whats going on right in front of their blood thirsty eyes. Is that why there is hockey? So some one one can beat the sh$t out another guy? Lovely sport I might say. Gee why hasnt SDSU added that sport? The answer to that is that PCM has kept all his hard earned dollar in Grand Forks AND GOT SLOSHING DRUNK AT THE ENGLESTAD ENTERPRISE ICE ARENA. By the way I do go to Ram Pub when I am in Brookings. They do serve good meals the Ram Pub. I have no need for alchohol spirits. So I did not spent too much time there last evening.

The article said that Doyle is from the same high school as Andy Moller from SDSU. If he is any thing like Andy, UND got a very good recruit.

I dont need to read up on UND your stupidity in buying in Ralph Englestad and his so called 100 million dollar donations speaks for itself, I guess the taxpayers of North Dakota just sold off their prize Univerisity. Good luck under the new ownership Of Ralph Englestad Enterprises.

PCM: yeh I bet you send tons of dollars down to Brookings. SO be offically embarassed. I am offically embarrassed to admit that I am a Norwegian which I am, and that there is a mafia member named Ralph Englestad who has captured the entire campus of UND and is holding it hostage. Now thats something to be embarrassed about. I for one could give a darn about hockey. Its a an expensive sport. I could give darn about Ralph's ice arena. Does UND own the Ice Arena? I dont think so. We still sell good ice cream cones at the Dairy science building in Brookings. That beats THE ENGLESTAD ICE ARENA, at least the Dairy Science Department is still owned by the SDSU and not some private individual. So we dont have to worry about the ice cream sales receipts down at Brookings like you UND folks have to work about the hockey receipts and where all those dollars are going. Obviously there are no dollars to move the other sports up to D1. Maybe UND and its owner Ralph will end up with one sport, and you guessed it- it will be hockey.

Too the UND Fans: The fun is just beginning. Keep that whislting in the dark attitude and you will soon have a fund drive to save your beloved hockey program.

President Miller is the driver on this move. She is an outsider and spent a few bucks to read up on South Dakota when she got thejob a few years back. That being said, I think she is a very smart lady and is not one to be swallowed in the South Dakota typical stuck in the mud attitude. She see where the University can do better without a D1 hockey program. We have no Norwegian mafia amongst our alums like the Ralph Englestad and his almighty Imperial Palance and now his on campus Ice Arena. We will stick to selling Ice Cream cones at SDSU. We have no enterprises that can not be controlled on campus such as an Ice Arena at UND. Will UND ever see the deed for that monster? Probably never. We are also are sympathic towards Native Americans and if some how the mascot Jackrabbits was offensive to Native Americans we would change it. Land of the Sioux, HOW RACIST, when ninety percent of you up there are either polocks or norskies. So yes the move to D1 looks risky, but thank god we have an outsider like President Miller willing to stick her neck on the chopping block. Take it easy on Fred, he is my friend and is only doing his job.