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No surprise here, but Fargo USHL Franchise Membership Officially Approved

St Cloud Times: Sioux still hungry after late-season stumbles

Stadium-hotel had ugly death but Ledohowski keeps building One wonders what improvements Ledohowski might have for the Alerus Center development down the round. Would he be involved with a College Hockey Hall of Fame? Sports, folk, or art festivals?

Obviously, the Gateway and Summit felt that NDSU (and SDSU?) were at risk for leaving. Otherwise, they never would have each imposed a $500,000 exit fee if either leave within 10 years. Most conferences charge entrance fees, but little in the way of exit fees unless the school leaves on short notice. These Summit and Gateway conferences effectively reversed the fees. How did IPFW avoid exit fees? What did the Gateway charge Western Kentucky as an exit fee? Effectively Zip. What fees did the Summit impose on Valpo and Chicago State for leaving? Anything at all? Here are three potential answers: 1. Chapman's public wooing of the Big Sky made the Summit presidents leary of NDSU's long-term commitment. From a Summit president thinking, if NDSU wanted in the BSC so bad, what assurance could they get that NDSU won't jump a few years down the road if a spot in the BSC became available. Answer: huge exit fee. 2. Chapman and Taylor had actually both talked about IA football with at least one IA commissioner, Wright Waters of the Sunbelt. This had been reported in the media. Gateway and Summit Presidents knew a IA NDSU would be incompatible with their conferences. How could NDSU show sincerity: huge exit fee. 3. Combination of #1 and #2. Comissioner Fullerton has actually been talking about IA Big Sky football: Bozeman Chronicle: BSC to IA football?. Maybe his talk is just to placate Montana from jumping to the WAC, but WAC like payouts to BSC members would almost pay for the move up. By offering associate memberships to schools like UC-Davis and Cal Poly (like the Sunbelt did for La-Monroe, FIU, FAU, and even Troy for a time while keeping WKy as a IAA member), IA BSC football could be possible early next decade. The Gateway and Summit leadership had to have heard this Big Sky info, too. Chapman had to tie NDSU's future to the Summit/Gateway with the exit fee guarantee in order for NDSU to get those conference bids. Even with the $500,000 exit fees, NDSU was approved by bare minimum in each conference. Could one have imagined the uproar if SDSU was voted into those conferences and not NDSU?

Broncos cash in: Fiesta Bowl a big part of BSU's $5.2 million payday Interesting financials as a result of Boise St's BCS appearance, as all non-BCS IA conferences benefitted. Of the $100M annual BCS pot, the non-BCS conferences received $18 mill rather than $9 million because of Boise State's appearance. Boise State made off with $4.5 mill as a direct result of its Fiesta Bowl game. Each WAC school gained $319,000 by watching Boise State play. WAC Conference Revenue to be distributed: Year-end distribution (NCAA BB tourney, TV, WAC tournies): $5.3M BCS guarantee money, to WAC: $0.922M BCS quarantee based on performance, to WAC: $1.228M BCS money with Boise State qualifying: $6.00 M WAC Distribution to schools: Boise State: $5,222,400 Fresno, Hawaii, LaTech, Nevada, SanJose: $1,247,400 Newcomers: Idaho, NMxSt, UtahSt: $947,400 By comparison, a Big Sky school receives ~100-150 k, while the SEC distributes around $10M to each member. With the WAC only charging $600,000 per school for admittance, it does make one question why both the Gateway and the Summit charged both NDSU and SDSU $100,000 for admittance and $500,000 for an exit fee. The Summit/Gateway fees are exorbinant relative to what those conferences pay out. If NDSU left both conferences for the Big Sky (as an example), they'd have to pay a cool million (500k to each conference), and then have to pay an entrance fee to the Sky. Both the Summit and Gateway must have had a perception that one or both of the SU's would bolt for bluer skies, if the opportunity presented itself.

Perhaps the most acclaimed president in UND's history, Thomas Clifford, "managed" with only an MBA. There's been a number of precedents for former politicians/statesmen to enter academia at a President's level without a PhD: former Oklahoma Senator David Boren at OU.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/i...mp;section=News

I was disappointed in the finalists, but in retrospect, the job was probably Jones' all along.

Fan Experience, Comfort, & Lighting in Stadium Design At the Ralph, the bar seats would probably be considered loge seating.

Seems some may have missed the point, from AreaVoices:

Even after Craig Smith took Mayville State to the NAIA Division II finals, why didn't he get a head coaching offer from any DII school, even a low level one like Bemidji? With his CSU assistant spot and if he get's his Master's there, he will now have a shot at a head coach position at the DII level, or maybe even low DI like UND. Face it, Craig Smith was at least two slots below what UND needed to have credibility with conferences and other coaches for scheduling, and for recruiting (his previous position would have been used against him). The unwrittens rules are, a head coach at NAIA Div 2 < NAIA Div 1 < NCAA DII < NCAA DI transition, with each being a jump up.

Auburn University Announces Plans To Build New Basketball Arena What's interesting about Auburn's arena is how the design emphasizes loge box seating and reduces the suites. The loge boxes can still be rented to businesses, with the clients feeling less separate from the game atmosphere. It also gives students bench seating, so they can stand and stomp. The overall design is intended to help foster a university village atmosphere, with adjacent housing, etc: A 6000 seat version of this arena would fit nicely on the Bronson property. There has been a curious lull in development there, especially after media reports had indicated a hotel deal was imminent. East View: North View Interior:

Two institutions that are still independents after Transition (In Savannah St's case, 5 years after DI move was completed) Savannah Morning News: Flaws with Savannah State's jump to NCAA Division I Longwood (Va) Conference Quest - The DI Transition is Otherwise Complete

Although unrelated to UAV's, Cirrus' announcement yesterday of a "family" jet, could have implications for an emerging aerospace industry in GF: CIRRUS Unveils ''The-Jet'' Star&Sickle: Cirrus plans a family-size jet

MSU football is looking more and more like a bad parody of a Seinfeld episode.

The SWC is no more because the UT and AM were better off financially with the Big12. Big Sky schools have no where to go, with one or two exceptionis.

Some of the posters in this form who have been complaining about Buning are exactly the type of issues that Foley at Florida and Jurich at Louisville faced. BTW, I'm not comparing UND to Florida or Louisvile or Buning to those two AD's. People have a right to complain, but rarely is it done constructively.

If this is a problem at UND, shouldn't it be addressed, regardless of the timing? At other schools, the people who are predisposed to become "alienated" or "disenchanted" are predominately locals who lose influence that often was never proportionate to the benefits that they brought to the table (i.e. whiners). Perhaps this is just my conjecture, the new DI funding sources may very well be outstate alumni who have much less vested concern in the current status quo. What is needed by everyone is the maturity and patience to hear all sides of an issue.

The last two Athletic Directors of the year have been from Florida (Jeremy Foley) and from Louisville (Tom Jurich). Interesting reads on the emerging importance of an athletic directors that don't kowtow to boosters: Florida's Foley a model AD Would it be unreasonable to speculate that one of UND's adminstrational intents is to move the athletic program from a "good ole boy" model, to something more professional? Louisville's AD gets national honor Jurich badly shook up the old boys when he got rid of Crum:

Money biggest obstacle for Oklahoma City U returning to NCAA Division I Schools moving up from NAIA ranks to DI (like OCU and Houston Baptsits ) face a seven year probation period, rather than five. Houston Baptist is hoping for the transition period to be reduced.

So the Big Sky's multiple rejections of the Bison still brings out the emotions? Current Bison fan decrees on this board, to protect the known gullibility of Sioux fans: quit speculating on UND to the Sky, will neven happen quit speculating on a new outdoor stadium quit speculating on UND adding lacrosse quit speculating that UND will win the lawsuit against the NCAA quit speculating on recruits that are comparable to Bison recruits quit speculating on Sioux football teams chances against a Bison team quit speculating on a new BB arena quit speculating on UND to the Summit quit speculating on UND football to IA These were earlier Bison declarations: UND will never go DI, not even worth speculating on UND won't have the finances to go DI, not even worth discussing

Right now there is really only one other option. With all the issues that the Big Sky is facing, they will be forced to reform their ways, much as the SEC and former SWC schools did. The Sky will have a brighter day.

Rather inspirational reading: Oregonian: There is only one "team" left in Omaha

Good to know you have solid internal contacts with UND's administration. BTW, what's your scoop on the Buning situation. It is not possible that Kupchella watched the DI lacrosse championship on TV and said "UND should have lacrosse"?

The past year has been a ethical disaster for the Big Sky: Montana State - criminal implications, scholarship losses, coaching changes Northern Arizona - major scholarship losses Weber State - scholarship losses Sac State - scholarship losses Northern Colorado - punter incident, other issues Idaho State - academic warning E Washington - basketball program issues Montana - criminal issues, possible implication on coaches The only program that may have had a clean year, is, unbelievably, Portland State with its large numbers of JC transfers, and they didn't have an AD for most of the year and had to hire Glanville to keep the football program afloat. Without question, the Big Sky has lost some its luster. But, when it adds schools in the future, running a clean program, especially in football and basektball, will most assuredly be a major criteria. We know where it can look: East.