star2city

Greeley Tribune: Big Sky brings Bears into fold This link clearly shows that: UND is still a Big Sky possibility. Denver U, even without football (and contrary to conventional message board group thought), is also a possibility, especially for travel reasons. Will DU be an ally to UND? The BSC needs DU and its DI core membership status more than DU needs the BSC. DU needs rivals (it has none in the SunBelt) and UND fits that bill possibly more than any other BSC school, even UNC. Denver has attractive travel costs with Southwest Airlines now flying into DIA Fullerton is talking up the Montana and Montana State alumni base in the Denver metro area. Who else has a decent alumni base there, that actually show up for DU hockey and UNC football games, and possibly BSC championship events? Hmm, video streaming conference games must be an important initiative. Who already has in-house capability to do this? Others schools specifically mentioned by Fullerton: NDSU - a school "envious" of UNC's membership - (would NDSU pay an entry fee to the MidCon for the 2007-8 season, and then pay an exit fee and then an entry fee to the Big Sky for the next? - one year in the MidCon could get expensive ) .. and of course there's ..... SDSU (taking either NDSU or SDSU would likely cause the MidCon to take another school, is this why USD will announce a DI decision in November, right after the BSC meetings so if NDSU is gone, USD becomes SDSU's travel partner in the MidCon?) - Southern Utah "has always been hanging around" (would force the MidCon to add another DI core school) Utah Valley State gets mentioned (for the first time in my recollection) One school not mentioned that could get a lot of attention from conferences in October if the NCAA approves its membership: University of British Columbia (presumably wouldn't move football to the NCAA) Would Portland St, Sac St, and E Wash, as a political compromise, push for another Pacific Time Zone school? UBC doesn't fit the private-school WCC profile and its athletic profile may not be high enough (yet) for the WAC. Hockey would be its marquee sport, which might entice DU to also lobby for UBC as a precondition of membership. Would the WCHA take in UBC? Still hold firm on October prediction: UND, NDSU, and DU get invited for campus visits. BSC gets the UND/NDSU combo in 2008-9. MidCon gets the SDSU/USD combo in 2008-9.

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/0...ing/336884.html Wouldn't bet on this being approved, but if approval occurs, UND's appeal to a conference would increase furtgher. The eligibility for men's basketball has already been reduced from 13 years to 5 years if there is a conference affiliation. UCA is going from 36 to 63 scholarships in one year? Rather impressive. No other school has been able to match that from my understanding. Here's where the article is in error: UC-Davis, Presbyterian, Kennesaw St, SC-Upstate, Florida Gulf Coast, and North Florida all have been able to move directly to a DI conference from DII.

North Dakota-nice, non-aggressive icons, just like this one:

An example of conventional thinking.

At the DIAA level, UND is going to need more speed. If there are two states that are underrecruited for IAA football, Michigan (0 teams) and California (2 teams) would have to qualify. NDSU chose to move into Florida, Mississippi and Texas to satisfy their needs.

The above quote, while not from this thread, seems especially prescient now. What is sorry is that John Q. Paulsen will now preside over the NDUS board. What is truly sad is that so many individuals and institutions in this state, including the NDUS board, the Fargo Forum (as much as I can't stand Jacobs' logic sometimes, at least Jacobs isn't vindictive ), most NDSU backers, and Hoeven have chosen to embrace style over substance and pretense over truthfulness. A true test of leadership will be if the leader leaves a legacy. Potts has left principles to aspire to. Basic spiritual principles would confidently predict that Chapman's legacy, unless his character miraculously changes soon, will cause anquish for the state and NDSU.

Dare say the article in the Cedar City paper was the most informed piece on MidCon expansion to hit the press. The writer and his sources in the SUU athletic department almost certainly has better access to MidCon Commissioner Douple than anyone. Why would a Cedar City paper be concerned about UND to the Big Sky? This was not a fluff piece. Don't believe the "conventional" wisdom on message boards. The next most logical candidates for the MidCon are SIU-Edwardsville and/or a DI core member. UND will not be in the next round of MidCon expansions. The Big Sky is really the only option for UND - it is going to happen - otherwise UND will be in major trouble with the DI move.

Hasn't Dennis Miller already played at the Ralph? Seriously though, with Miller being hired as Associate rather then Assistant Coach, would think that would give some hope to this program.

Still believe that before the end of this year the Big Sky will go after UND, NDSU, and Denver to make 12 teams. After the Big Sky announces its expansion plans, the MidCon will have to scramble to add that 10th team. This would be the best chance for USD, Augies, or UNO. SIU-E is likely to declare DI intentions this fall, and they are an ideal candidate (close to St. Louis and fill a geographic hole). Doubt UALR would jump from the Sunbelt unless Arkansas State left for CUSA. Oklahoma City U would also get consideration.

So where's your research? BTW, an indoor football league disagress with your half-assessment. This research says Grand Forks (excluding Sioux fan support in Fargo as well as the rest of North Dakota and Minnesota) is just as capable to support a DI school as the markets that support DIA Arkansas State, DIA Louisiana-Monroe, and Montana. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe have very little state-wide support whereas UND does . So your idle speculation and hearsay fail due to lack of facts. How cities rate for sports expansion UND hockey gets a good fraction of its ticket and suite sales from Fargo, including Bison fans. If UND hockey hurts any school's athletic budget, its actually NDSU's, as UND hockey takes a large fraction of the Fargo-Moorhead entertainment dollars, while NDSU's penetration of the Grand Forks market is practically nill.

So by that twisted logic, football at NDSU is a detriment to their MidContinent move. The University of Florida is never going to be anything but a football school. In basketball, they've been a basket case - always have been, always will be. (heard this from a Florida fan years ago).

Strange how a topic that gets AFF so ornery on this board turns '89' into a crazed rabbit on another board. As examples, when Wyobisonman trashed the MidContinent conference on this board, AFF responded quickly here, and within fifteen minutes 89rabbit started a thread on bisonville about Bison fans needing to be respectful of his dearly beloved MidCOn conference. Or how 89rabbit was in a tirade on bisonville about unfair perceptions of the SDSU athletes charged with rape were echoed by AFF by equal feracity on this board. Aff has already shown a propensity to hide from truth (First denying any connection to South Dakota or SDSU, then when confronted with evidence from years ago, admits he 'attended' USDSU. ) You are 'both' placed on ignore, as your cheerleading and defense of SDSU and the denouncements of UND are absolutely not worth the time reading. BTW, I take heart that UND is being blasted on boards by the likes of anti-prophets 89rabbit and AFF. There's some blessings coming UND's way and 89rabbit and AFF can sense it through their jealosy.

[url=http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=132078&section=Opinion]UND, NDSU on path to the

Our dear friend, 89rabbit, has mysteriously morphed back into an AFF-like personality: The folks up in Grand Forks crack me up. Their hatred of NDSU knows no bounds. Are persons with dual personalities allowed post with two names?

From the Denver Broncos website: Kuper: 'Like Walking on Eggshells' Also, a story on Chad Mustard: A Switch Back Interesting quote:

The autobid requirements for men's basketball and other sports are different. The NCAA regulation quoted is for all sports but men's basketball, which are more stringent (requires seven core members + 6 core members together for five years). My interpretation: There are two different requirements: a minimum number of DI "core" members and continuity of conference membership by the DI "core" members. It takes five years to gain DI membership for any sport (unless one uses the two-sport exemption). It takes eight years beyond that to gain "core" DI status, which is maintained no matter what conference the school is in. So for NDSU and SDSU, they will be eligible in all sports in 2008-9 (even in basketball if they are in an auto-bid conference). But they won't become DI "core" members until 2016-17. The five years (for active DI status) + eight additional years (for DI "core" status) is why it would take 13 years for the NCC to move to DI and gain autobids. Centenary has been a DI member for more than a few decades (Robert Parrish of the Celtics went there), so Centenary is a DI core member. After 2007, Centenary will be the 7th MidCon member to qualify for the continuity-of-membership criteria, so, at that time, the MidCOn would need to lose two members to lose its autobids. With IPFW joining the conference as an 8th core member in 2007-8, in 2009-10 the MidCon would have 8 core members satisfying continuity of membership requirements for all sports but men's basketball. In 2012, IPFW would also satisfy continuity of membership requirements for men's basketball. (At least this is my interpretation . ) By accepting non-core members, the MidCon is really giving a boost to NDSU and SDSU. It would be interesting to know what sort of exit fees may be imposed on NDSU and SDSU relative to IPFW if they should leave before 2016, as NDSU and SDSU do not help the MidCon whatsoever maintain its autobid until that year. Because of DI core status, a school like UC-Davis would be much less valuable to the WAC, relative to Sac St, until 2015. Because of the DI core membership issue, I personally thought UTPA would get MidCon membership, even though NDSU and SDSU are much stronger academic and athletic institutions. The NCAA has imposed scarlet-letter type status on DI transitioning schools, which makes positioning oneself for conference membership before the DI move all the more critical.

Actually agree with you, aff. If one core member goes, UTPA has to be invited. UTPA is looked at as the option of last resort. With the Southland not taking them, the MidCon is just keeping them as a reserve option. So yes, UND is not likely headed for the MidCon soon. So that begs the rhetorical (to me, anyway) question: where is UND going? There is no way that Kupchella, as conservative as he is, would have authorized a move to DI without a conference and without financial backing. IMO, we will know what this option is before the MidCon invites NDSU and SDSU this fall.

President Gamble of Montana State has now called into question the recruiting practices at MSU, I didn't. Personally, I believe we all have potential of causing ethical issues at our university or place of work. The answer to me is more about leadership at the institutions and having a spiritual center to know when things are amiss. Striving for excellence is alot more than striving for a win. I am far from a Duke fan, but that whole prosecution IMHO was a parody of justice caused by a DA looking for points among a constituency for his re-election. BTW, Duke lacrosse players made very poor behavior judgements even before the rape allegations, but they didn't 'deserve' what happened to them, IMO. As far as the SDSU players, I have not pronounced them guilty, aff. So I'm happy about this, aff? Where'd you get that? Shows what thoughts are in your heart, aff. I pray that it doesn't. I also happen to know that UND coaches like Dale Lennon do not let athletes get away with even minor stuff. Minor stuff turns into major stuff. Lennon has dropped athletes that other coaches would have kept.

From Oklahoma City Oklahoman: Mid-Continent Conference woes Any conference can be resuscitated over time, but the new NCAA rules on membership continuity make a makeover of the MidCon a fifteen year challenge, which would be an exercise in futility if more than one core member leaves.

Western Illinois would have to be insane to leave the Gateway, which is comprised mostly of Mo Valley teams. WIU is a football school and the Gateway gives it natural rivalries with Ill St and S Ill, which it doesn't have in basketball. For NDSU or SDSU fans to even think either Western or Eastern Illinois would consider the Great West is beyond laughable.

Montana State: ESPN: Montana State vows to re-examine policies after murder MSU athletics steeped in case South Dakota State: SI: South Dakota State players indicted on rape charges

Most students would qualify: With the increasing diversity and strengths of UND's and NDSU's academic programs that attract large numbers of Minnesota residents, had often wondered if there would be some type of backlash from Minnesota government. Every state is concerned about out-leakage of its college students. NDSU ranks number one in the number of Minnesota residents enrolled outside Minnesota and UND is either 2nd or 3rd. UND and NDSU are practically second-tier universities in Minnesota behind UMTC, while UMD, SCSU etc are third-tier. If Minnesota can keep these students in state for two years at schools like MSU-Moorhead, UM-Crookston, Bemidji, or St. Cloud, they are much less likely to transfer later. If this legislation goes through, UND and NDSU could both conceivably see enrollment losses of 2000 each in four years.

Pawlenty wants free tuition for good students With 35% (?) of UND's students from Minnesota, UND could be one of several schools hit hard by this proposal. The students Pawlenty's proposal is targeting are the exact students UND wants to enroll. With existing reciprocity agreements and UND program quality superior to secondary Minnesota schools like UMD, MSU-M, and SCSU, UND has greatly benefitted from Minnesota students. If this proposal goes through, which seems likely, UND needs some type to response. The major winners if this bill passes would be Minnesota four year schools, other than UMTC. Those hurt the most would be UND, NDSU, and private Minnesota schools. The impact on NDSU might even be more severe, especially with its larger number of engineering students.

Aff: Don't deceive yourself into believing the MidCon has any degree of stability to it. Oakland wants in the Horizon, and received strong consideration when Valpo got in IUPUI, when it gets its new on-campus arena, will be a strong candidate for the Horizon and would be a shoe-in if Butler leaves Western Illinois, which is in the talking stages of a new arena, want in the Mo Valley with its Gateway brethren UMKC wants in the Mo Valley ORU wants in the Mo Valley - article just this week on that Centenary wants in the Southland - if Texas St goes DIA, they would be a candidate SUU wants in the Big Sky Everybody wants out and only the desperate want in. Not exactly a recipe for stability (or for keeping an autobid).