star2city

Not intending to pry, but does this mean Maria stays at UND rather than moving to Flagstaff?

The Forum had another editorial on UND and DI today - seems they are intent on UND validating NDSU's decision - as well as continually smearing of UND's reputation. So I guess the consultants that said NDSU must have a conference lined up prior to their move must be anti-bison, as well as Gene Taylor himself who said that he should be fired if he didn't have a conference by 2004-5. If the Forum was really interested in helping NDSU's cause, they would editorialize against all the garbage and Sioux-hate on Bisonville.com, which makes NDSU look like of collection of sorry individuals.

Seems Tibesar had responsibility for Wisconsin recruting, as he was heading to Wisconsin when he received the job offer from Kansas State. Hope this change doesn't hurt Wisco recruiting.

I am much more optimistic about the future of this program now than last spring, when the Sioux fizzled out with what should have been a team that at least makes the regionals and yet Glas still was able to keep his position. Every game now is one game closer to the end of the Glas era and one game closer to a hopeful new era. It seems UND needs to experience an absolutely horrible season in order to shake up the adminstration and galvanize what's left of men's BB boosters behind a new coach. With the new Betty, Glas had more recruiting potential for getting the right players on the court than ever. While injuries are not predictable, past performance, lack of passion, and JC departures are. The future of this program is in the hands of Buning, Harmeson, and Kup.

That is true. Since DII does not offer a championship in hockey, the M&W's DI hockey status does not count against the limit of one men's and one women's sport competing at DI. Half seriously, maybe UND should consider sponsoring DI men’s and women’s Lacrosse using the Alerus - a spring indoor spectator sport might bring in some decent revenue. Understand that the conference Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Denver are in is looking for another Midwestern member.

Doubtful that much of that money would get committed to athletics permanently. Each college and department have their own pet projects - its kind of a carrot to keep interest and performance and morale high. Also, a portion of it would be used to attract big-name guest lecturers - which would help UND's reputation. Almost all IAA schools struggle with athletic finances. Only one school has gone broke in part because of a DI move - Morris Brown in Atlanta, which is now only a shell of its former self. If Florida A&M had been a private school, it might not still be open after its fiasco with attempting to move to IA football (from IAA). Over the past 30 years or so, a number of schools have dropped from DI to DII, NAIA, or dropped sports entirely, because of finances. Almost all are private schools. Public schools don't normally drop levels, but they drop sports. Here's a partial list of DI dropouts: Augusta Armstrong State Houston Baptist W Texas A&M (actually was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference but forced to drop out) Hardin-Simmons Oklahoma City U Oral Roberts (later returned to DI) Denver U (later returned to DI) U of Tampa NE Illinois Seattle Cal State- LA U. S. International Morris Brown

Comments and further questions: SCSU offers 23 sports by DI definition and it only needs to sponsor 14 (6 men’s and 8 women’s) if it were to move to DI. Dropping seven or even nine sports, like M&W swimming, M&W skiing, wrestling, baseball, softball, M&W tennis, would free up coaches salaries and some scholarship dollars that could be diverted elsewhere. St Cloud is more and more looked at as being part of the Twin Cities metro area. The MidCon, maybe the Missouri Valley, and certainly the Horizon League are covetous of that media market. St. Cloud St. could be to the Horizon League like Northern Colorado is to the Big Sky - accepted into membership almost entirely because of media and travel considerations. Would SCSU students support a $100-$200 annual DI activity fee increase ala UC-Davis, Cal Poly, and Northern Colorado? Would the Horizon add SCSU and then one Dakota school? Would the MidCon find the Minneapolis TV market too enthralling and accept SCSU by itself, or go to two divisions with SCSU, NDSU, and SDSU? IF SCSU President Saigo ever become becomes a man of influence in a DI expansion situation, that would not be good to UND. The idea of a DI NCC is rubbish. Any individual school that receives a membership offer from an auto-bid conference would be long gone prior to the NCC’s 13-year wait for an autobid. A mid-major DI schools in Minnesota would not be good for UND (or NDSU/SDSU) recruiting in Minnesota. The only way it would benefit UND is if somehow UND could get a conference bid in tandem with SCSU.

Over the next couple of years, it will be interesting to see how well NDSU performs at the DI level. By moving to DI, it seems they may have assembled the best young team in the school's history, largely because they now can attract mid-level DI Minnesota/Wisconsin recruits that previously were turned off by the DII label. If NDSU can attract those type of players, certainly UND could. I would agree that UND fans love to root for local kids, but they would adopt anyone who has a passion for the game. That is the bigger issue, now, IMO.

Actually, IMO, this says that UND will be going IAA in football: if it gets the exception (0.0001% chance), otherwise its moving to DI. A political benefit of this letter is that Kupchella can say that he did everything possible to keep the NCC together for non-football sports. UND would not be spending money on a DI consultant if they were not serious about a DI move. Ironically, contrary to public perceptions, Kupchella's last act before retiring will probably be annoucing a move to DI, with a conference bid and financing in tow.

Today, the New York Times had an article on the Sioux nickname: A Dispute of Great Spirit Rages On

Southern Utah is not attractive for a number of reasons: academics, travel, low fan interest, limited upside, there's already a BSC school in Utah, no natural travel partner (NAU to SUU travel is a nightmare, and Weber St / Idaho St. already make a great pair). Denver was approached by the Big Sky and repeatedly said no. UNC was accepted primarily because of its TV market and the promise of BSC games on the Altitude network. Sac St., NAU, and Portland St. all supposedly have DIA aspirations. When the WAC loses La Tech, and/or Boise St., and/or Fresno St, or if San Jose St drops football, those three BSC teams (plus Davis and/or Cal Poly as well as Denver) would be the pool from which the WAC chooses its replacement schools. The pecking order for schools likely admission to the BSC (Subject to major fluctuations depending on circumstances and timing) are: SDSU NDSU UND Western Wash (if one Pacific team leaves) USD Central Wash SUU. The Big Sky seems intent on gradually reshaping itself into a sort of Great Northwest conference.

Nothing more than a coke? Accepted. Remember, the offer stays good until spring of 2007 (in time for 2008-9 season). Chances they will receive an offer by 2008-2009 IMO: SDSU: 80% (Big Sky wants to upgrade their basketball RPI - basketball, not football, is how the Big SKy will expand its revenue: changing current meager interest to minor interest will be worth a few $'s) NDSU: 70% (men's basketball is their weak link and doesn't upgrade the BSC, other schools are exactly thrilled with NDSU's potential for success in football) UND: 65% (TV camera ready facilities, most UND supporters actually underestimate the capability of the Betty/Ralph to recruit mid-major basketball players, current DII status not that big of a deal) Travel Partners SDSU-UNC NDSU-UND Mont-MT St Idaho St- Weber NAU - Sac St PSU - EWU Valdosta State and North Alabama have DI aspirations in the near term, but nothing official yet. Not exactly DII powers, but look for Tarleton St., West Texas A&M (actually used to be in the Missouri Valley), and Central Oklahoma to move up if they could find a conference.

Getting into a DI conference reduces expenses, increases income, and makes a move much less severe in that there would actually be a conference championship to play for. Kupchella has stated: "if the restrictions on schools making the move were made less severe" DI would receive more consideration. So you are still embittered about a few petty legislators (some of whom were NDSU grads)? Let the anger go, Tony, it's not good for your heart. But again, being an independent causes expenses and revenue and the whole athletic program to suffer - not a difficult concept to comprehend there. Does everything have to be stated so explicitly? Even Jeff Kolpack has stated that something to the effect that if NDSU fails to find a conference within a few years, the Division I move will have to be considered a failure. So the concept that UND already has an informal Big Sky bid in hand irritates you that much, Tony? BTW, I would bet even money that UND (as well as NDSU and SDSU) will be in the Big Sky for the 2008-2009 season. (I like those odds.) You mean like Chapman stating "competition is good" after duplicating UND programs but then closing down UND-Fargo when "competition" was no longer in his interest? A fundamental concept that NDSU fans have never grasped is that the DI decision is not DI vs DII, but really a multiple choice of (a) DI in the Big Sky (or Horizon), (b) DII in the NCC, © DI in the MidCon, (d) DI as an independent. The answers, for UND at least, are: (a) > (b) > © > (d). Choice (a) is only now attainable.

Iowabison: Your comments are more cryptic than Kupchella's. A forthcoming BSC conference invite to UND changes the "logical or financial sense" of a Division I move. No longer having to deal with an independent status while undergoing the NCAA transition period is a big deal. Perhaps your emotions are getting in the way, as UND getting a DI conference invite immediately will be especially painful to NDSU pride after all the DI crowing and bravado done by their fans.

A few more: The nickname brings a sense of history. The past should be remembered, so as to not be repeated. The name reveres the character and bravery of Sioux leadership, in spite of the wrongs done to them. The name is an attempt at reconciliation for past wrongs. Unfortunately certain whites and NA reject concepts of forgiveness. Maintaining the nickname a one small step in counteracting the demasculination of American culture. Some objectors of the name consider masculine expressions of sports competition, especially football and hockey, deplorable and violent. The nickname change is a symptomatic of an attempt to demasculinize white and minority cultures, both in the present and in the past. It should not be surprising that most nickname objectors, both male and female, have mostly militant feminist views. The nickname should be maintained because there is honor within UND. Nickname objectors, often white so-called intellectuals, consider

She probably never neard that chant unless she was at an NDSU/UND football game. This poster says that chant occurred, but it was uttered by NDSU fans against Grand Forks and the UND campus: http://siouxsports.com/forums/index.php?sh...indpost&p=11382

If the Forum chooses to diss the 40% or so of its readership that have interest in UND sports, that's their choice (however stupid a business decision). By comparison, maybe 10% of the Herald's readership has more than casual interest in NDSU. The issue IMO is that Forum editorial board seems to go out-of-the-way to berate or jab UND athletics / leadership. The Herald editorials, as much as I may disagree with them, emphasize cooperation and consensus-building between the UND/NDSU communities and do not participate in the zero-sum we win/you-lose mentality that the Forum's editors and owners want to perpetuate. P.S. As a reminder to bison-backers with long memories and short fuses, Ryan Bakken is the Herald humor columnist, not the editorial writer.

Unfortunately, UMD Chancellor Kathryn Martin was on the NCAA Executive Committee that approved the "hostile and abusive" motion. With her and SCSU's Saigo both in the NCC, who needs enemies when you have 'friends' like them. To make matters worse, Martin will now chair the Div II President's Council, which would hear UND's final appeal. http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtr...ts/12821430.htm Ironically, Ms Martin has been known for "hostile and abusive" behavior herself at sports events. Too bad character doesn't count with the NCAA: http://www.dailyramblings.com/ramblings/481.php

Looks like the pollsters agree, in spite of UND not making the Elite Eight last year: http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stories/101305abq.html Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 1. Drury 2. Washburn 3. Charleston 4. North Dakota 5. Henderson State 6. Merrimack 7. Grand Valley State 8. Chico State 9. St. Cloud State 10. Seattle Pacific 11. California (Pa.) 12. Shaw 13. Bentley 14. Western Washington 15. Valdosta State 16. Carson-Newman 17. Emporia State 18. Rollins 19. Glenville State 20. Regis 21. Angelo State 22. Millersville 23. Wingate 24. Gannon 25. Cal State Bakersfield

From the last draft of a new UND Strategic Plan, it would appear that the indoor track/football facility is the #3 priority for athletics: The long-term plans for construction projects: UND's Strategic Plan - Table of New Buildings / Facilities

This editorial is more than a month old from The FORUM, but it needs to be posted just to show how much support UND officials are getting from the Bison media. Not only is their statement misleading (the "hostile and abusive" language must be removed prior to any consideration of a name change), but shows, IMO, the sly and disingenuos nature in which they attack UND athletics and undermine its leadership. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm...section=Opinion

Cost of IAA: + 27 schollies x $13,00 / yr (w R&B, books) x 2 (Title IX) = $700,000 + more travel + more coaches = necessity of a body bag game (this is just for football) Operating without a full-sport conference like NDSU and SDSU probably adds $1,000,00 annually (lost fan support from poor schedule and few rivals, more guarantees required, poorer recruiting, institution's loss of face, no conference reimbursement)