star2city

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/business/energy-environment/in-north-dakota-wasted-natural-gas-flickers-against-the-sky.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune: Buffalo may have major donor to help start program

A conditional commitment (and an oxymoron).

Housing slump forces cuts but no layoffs in Minnesota company town

MLive: Hockey madness fault of NCHC, not Big Ten Huntsville Times: Interview with WCHA's McLeod on Sept 12th Alabama-Huntsville hockey frozen "Think about the unhappy softball parents." I'm sure they are concerned about the softball players relative to football players at Jacksonville St, Troy, UAB, Auburn, and Alabama. A program without a conference can't be successful and can't make any money. If the WCHA comes through, that all changes.

With the BTHC planning to schedule hockey for Friday, Sunday, Monday, and possibly Tuesday (to help fill BTN programming gaps), college hockey is heading down the same route as college football, where non-traditional game days are common on ESPN. Hopefully, the NCHC will stay traditional in its scheduling approach, as a high portion of UND's fans are from out of town.

Back to regular postings: Rapid City Journal: Black Hills to start new RB due to injury

Coming from a moderator of Bisonville - which has already gained a reputation within FCS as having the most delusional fans - Montana, N Iowa, and Appy State all are in agreement on that - I'm actually flattered by that personal attack. Also nice to know that Bisonville posters observe and extensively discuss every single word written here. Also thanks for the vote on Bisonville for being the being the biggest Sioux douche - that's quite an honor too. Considering that you've been one of the voices of Bisonville conventional "wisdom", could understand why you've especially taken offense at my postings lately: That post caused a lot of consternation among the birdbrain trust at Bisonville. The younger, smugger parrots were taken aback that their elder statesmen could be in constant error. At least now they know their leaders are not only naked of wisdom, but full of sh*t.

Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune: AHA-4, Air Force, and BG may join WCHA as a group Looks like Bowling Green, if it goes into the WCHA, wants to establish an eastern division with the AHA schools. That would allow travel to Minnesota and Alaska to be cut way back.

Canisius Griffin (college newspaper): CCHA likely not an option unless new CCHA offers stability It's actually possible that hockey realignment could allow three more programs to be added in the east: Buffalo, Rhode Island, and Navy, if the AHA commissioner is to be believed. (Moorhead could be another.) With 12 members, the AHA is "full" and can't easily add new schools. By losing four schools, the AHA could easily add more. Rhode Island, Navy, and Buffalo have had to express some interest in membership for a conference commissioner to speak in those terms.

WGRZ-TV Buffalo: SUNY-Buffalo considering adding DI hockey team Canisius and NHL Sabres discuss joint multirink project BG fans: From despair to hope

SCSU backers: move to new league a boon

Rumors of Buffalo starting a program Bruce Ciskie tweets: That would give three programs in the Buffalo area.

Kind of interesting Youtube clip from last year: Simon Fraser hoping to take hockey to NCAA varsity Since Simon Fraser is now a DII team, any Simon Fraser NCAA team would have to go DI to have NCAA competition. The Alaska schools would love to have them aboard - not so sure about the new WCHA. Simon Fraser current club team plays in the BCIHL, which includes some varsity BC colleges as well as the Eastern Washington club team, which wanted to upgrade from the weaker US club teams it is playing. The BCIHL doesn't allow players from major junior ranks, so an NCAA upgrade could begin with mostly the same players. Eastern Washington faces the same issue in the Spokane area that UN-Omaha faced in Omaha: EWU has to deal with Gonzaga basketball as well as Washington State Pac12 sports. UNO chose hockey to distinguish itself from Creighton basketball and Nebraska B1G sports. Even EWU's FCS national championship didn't give EWU that big a shot in the arm in the Spokane market. Since EWU has a small rink on campus and a large arena is available in Spokane (a city with actual hockey fans), maybe one day it's possible EWU could start hockey and partner with Simon Fraser. Probably all just wishful thinking, but one never knows.

Strange then, that you are yapping on this board about the Potato Bowl, and not jetting off to the Super Bowl.

Bowling Green has nothing in common with the new WCHA. Moreover, joining the WCHA would entail a travel budget that is nearly as expensive if it could get into the NCHC. BGSU's AD has got to be working overtime to patch together a conference with the AHA-4, UAH, and maybe Lindenwood (which wants to start men's hockey with its DII move). With that type conference, there might even be a prayer of a chance that Wright State (has a rink on campus), Cleveland State, Toledo could start hockey, or Ohio or Kent St could restart. If it can just get the AHA-4 and UAH to agree to a conference, Bowling Green would dominate that type conference, at least for a time, and reestablish its hockey credentials. The WCHA will do everything it can to bring BGSU in, as it needs a DI school to allow itself representation at DI hockey rules meetings.

Maybe we'll know this week what ND's plans are. Ironically, if Bowling Green accepts the WCHA bid, Notre Dame will be the only remaining member of the CCHA, could theoretically invite anyone it wanted, and would have an immediate autobid.

A bad game against NMSU. New Mexico State typically is worse than 50 or more FCS schools in Massey Ratings.

That might not be far off. Floated the idea that Notre Dame may start a mostly Catholic conference of Snow White and five dwarves (Canisius, Niagara, Mercyhurst, Holy Cross, and Robert Morris.) Notre Dame needs to have a conference where the playoffs would be in South Bend, so they can use that tournament for their TV network. Those five schools might just jump at an opportunity to associate a bit with ND, and still leave ND with all kinds of open slots to play Big Ten and Hockey East schools.

By adding St Cloud, the Nat killed the potential for any other "name" school to join. There is absolutely no way Notre Dame ever joins now - that door is slammed. The rationale behind adding St Cloud is probably that it increases the MSP media interest and thereby helps (minimally) a media contract, has decent attendance, and is close to the MSP airport for cheaper travel. That National also wanted eight teams, so that all schools have a first round opponent with a good gate. If a NCHC tournament is at the Exel, clown fans would buy some tickets. Agree with you that this really hurts college hockey. With St Cloud in the WCHA, the Minnesota schools at least had an anchor. Now Bemidji and Mankato are looking at a league that is dominated by Upper Michigan schools. Where's the WCHA going to have their tournament? There's no natural place for a tournament. Not sure that MSU-Moorhead would even want to join the WCHA now. By the NCHC taking Western Michigan, that kills the shot of the CCHA reforming with WMU, BGSU, UAH, and the four AHA schools. Now UAH will need a WCHA invitation, and that might not even save them. Bowling Green's only option appears to be the WCHA, with which Bowling Green has absolutely nothing in common with. Bowling Green might even throw in the towel.

It's always University Presidents that have the first and last word on conference expansion. A commissioner is no different than a consultant: they can suggest. So in other words, send your emails to Robert Kelley, if you want to protest. Kelley and most of his administration probably view St Cloud's Saigo, Potter, and their stands with UND as heroic, anyway.

Beer can be sold at Target Field, but not at TCF. TCF also isn't winterized. Not sure about Target. To really work, the game would almost have to be the Gophers vs Sioux.

+++ Here we've been told by bison posters forever that they are a power in FCS and have name recognition. So much name recognition that coaches don't even know NDSU's name.

It's a lot of work to get those numbers, so thanks! Did that include women's hockey (24,000) and volleyball (7 k) for UND. Some of the schools have relatively significant attendance in baseball, gymnastics, volleyball, and lacrosse, and sometimes that info is hard to obtain.

That would be so awesome. Bet we could get 25,000 Sioux fans there!