star2city

And guess who bought it, hook, line, and sinker.

The Indianapolis Star implies he'll transfer to another DI school: Ewing Jr. Transfers from IU But if he was at the Betty, there must be a chance. UND Fan, was this the player you knew of, but couldn't mention?

The Cincinnati Enquirer had this article on Agragen, last summer: Agragen envisions homegrown medicine

Bollinger is more qualified in areas that will be emphasized in the next few years. UND’s athletic budget is at a mid-major DI program level if the impact of the REA is considered. The two ADs that are finalists are at DIII or low DII programs that don't face the issues that UND must deal with. For the next phase of UND athletics, three areas will probably be emphasized: Ability to lead fundraising efforts for indoor football/track facility- advantage Bollinger (knows the people with the $’s) Ability to work with REA - advantage Bollinger Keep key hockey supporters happy - advantage Bollinger, definite negative for McCarthy Other issues: Budgeting - hard to judge Management skill - hard to judge Contacts with DI Conferences - no advantage (probably Harmeson’s role anyway) DII contacts - probably McCarthy (but RT will be the main contact anyway) Maintain football at high level - advantage Molde, negative for McCarthy Upgrade men’s basketball performance -advantage McCarthy Maintain high academic standards - advantage Molde & McCarthy Commitment to UND - strong advantage Bollinger

From today's GFH: Biolab spinoffs: Winnipeg firm, U.S. manufacturer want to set up shop next door Opportunities to establish an entirely new high-tech industrial base come too infrequently to a city like Grand Forks. Hopefully, this willl pan out. But there are still hurdles: legislative funding, city funding, neighborhood opposition, and 12 cities vying for six slots.

John McCarthy, Lynn University AD No link for Mr Molde, but the Gustavus website did list him as a 1966 grad. No offense to Mr McCarthy (although it's ironic he was at UND last week) or Mr Molde, but Rob would appear to be the much more qualified candidate.

Agree, that would be analogous to lumping gymastics together with indoor track&field field events

Here's an excerpt from GFH editorial on the Elite Eight attendance: It would be hard to imagine a tournament breaking worse for attendance. UND not even making the regionals. No NCC or even MIAA school making it. The one team with busloads of fans, Findlay, losing in the first round. Even schools that brought more than a dozen fans, like Metro State and Cal Poly Pomona lost in the first round. Tarleton State, the only school that brought its band, losing in the second round. All 23 Division II conference commissioners were at the tournament, watching from a suite. Division II is considering a winter championship festival (football, volleyball), so the commissioners should have had a first hand look at the Betty and Alerus. It will be interesting if the Ralph or the Alerus will be bidding on future Elite Eights. With the current perception of coaching at UND, a Women’s Elite Eight would probably be much more anticipated then a men’s tournament and yield better attendance.

It seems some of the arguments on DI earlier are somewhat circular. If UND was to move to a DI level, success would be dependent on conference affiliation, facilities, funding, and coaching ability. (and my view, if it isn’t clear by now, is that all those must be in place before a DI move.) If those things aren’t in place, failure should be expected. If, for example, UND moved up a level, the football recruiting budget would presumably increase, it wouldnt be limited to four or five states and their would be additional coaches for the recruiting. If somehow UND got in the Horizon League, recruiting anywhere in the Great Lakes states would tremendously improved just by being in that conference. UW-Green Bay, arguably facing some of the same issues as UND and with more limited academics offerings, has had success largely because it is in that conference and it has had a great coach. Success would also need to be defined for each sport before a move, not after. For example, UND women’s basketball could have a somewhat reasonable goal of a top 50-100 program, men’s basketball top 150, women’s volleyball top 150, swimming top 150. But for some outdoor sports, like tennis and golf, which UND would have large competitive disadvantages at the DI level, it would not be in the best interest of the athlete or the UND to sponsor the sport. Now for an NCAA diatribe: One of the greater injustices of the NCAA seasons is that Olympic “summer” sports, like golf and tennis, are not held in the summer due to the artifact of a Sept-May school year. This really places northern schools at a disadvantage. There are numerous winter sports not offered by the NCAA that UND would have natural competitive advantages. Short-track and long-track speed skating, curling, biathlon, cross-country skiing (which is NCAA sanctioned) would all be naturals at UND. If the NCAA recognized more winter Olympic sports (or at least recognized scholarships to athletes that train in those sports), northern NCAA schools could be feeder programs for Olympic sports that do not now have collegiately-trained athletes. Substituting more winter Olympic sports for summer Olympic sports may be one way a UND DI athletic program could make an impact nationally in Olympic-type sports, while benefitting UND, the state, and, presumably, the US Olympic team and while embracing instead of disdaining its climate. Just need the NCAA to have the wisdom to sanction them, and UND to have the resources to sponsor them. (and I’m still dreaming.)

UND Fan: Have you heard from Lennon on his view on being successful at DIAA fottball? Just curious.

Just recently MSU-Billings and Western New Mexico jumped conferences, going from the Hawaii-based Pacific West to the Texas-based Heartland beginning next year: MSU-Billings Conference change.(Link now works) Based on that article, Billings did have discussions with the NCC. Because of the distance (>500 miles), UND teams as well as other NCC teams would probably have to fly or miss a lot of class time. Maybe if U of Mary would have joined the NCC, MSU-Billings would get more serious consideration, as those two could have been travel partners. In order for the NCC to have any stability, the key school to keep “happy” is UNO. A Mich Tech/N Mich combo, or Billings addition would actually make a move to the MIAA more likely for Omaha (except maybe Omaha might like hockey-playing schools, but then USD and Augustana would not be keen on Upper Michigan travel). The school Omaha (and USD and Augustana) has to want is Neb-Kearney. Even though there have been numerous denials of NCC interest by Kearney, the RMAC is getting less friendly to Kearney. Its Kansas rival, Fort Hays State, left for the MIAA and the RMAC will be adding Dixie State in Southwest Utah, worsening Kearney’s travel situation. A UNK addition to the NCC would secure its southern flank, while most other schools mentioned (except a Twin Cities school like St. Thomas) would be divisive to the NCC.

For TV exposure, getting ESPN in the poster wouldn't hurt: Eighth Sioux Prize Network InEvitable: ..Sioux+ ..Parise = ..National Champions ........FuhEr ..............Schneider Defense: Punishing ........GreeNe .......BEanpot to .........Sioux, ChamPs .........Next

From today's news, it looks like the Ralph / UND community have established enough goodwill from the World Juniors to be named host for a future event, and this time, it will use the ice, after the hockey season. 2008 World Men

Maybe I’m lacking a bigger picture view, but is it recognized that UND athletic program traditions (especially hockey, with the banners in the Ralph) will be highlighted on CBS network television this weekend? How many opportunities like this come around? From a viewership standpoint, it is a much bigger deal than the World Juniors. And what is the hockey team sacrificing? A bus trip to the Gambucci rink (but they still have their Ralph lockerroom). Surely this team, which has shown itself capable of overcoming highly adverse events, can overcome that adversity. When the hockey team had to give up their lockerroom to Team USA and practiced at Gambucci for two whole weeks, did people complain? No, because the World Jr’s only helped UND and UND hockey. Furthermore, the team’s performance didn’t exactly drop off as a result of the change. The same can be said for Saturday’s televised DII championship game. How many times has UND’s seven national title banners been shown on national network TV? My guess is that on Saturday it will happen for the first time. And that cannot hurt Sioux hockey or UND athletics. Two points and then I’ll clam up: if you complain about the Ralph being used for non-hockey purposes, you forfeit all rights to complain about the Ralph’s pricing increases further. Secondly, during the World Juniors, the basketball teams were forced out of the Betty for two weeks and into the Alerus. Did they complain? Flame away!!

Here's some select articles on the Elite Eight teams from different sources: Something special about March Madness, at any level Toledo Blade -No. 1 Findlay in Elite Eight after thrashing Ferris State Baltimore Sun - Bowie State loses regional final despite big rally Boston Herald - Bryant clocks Bentley Rocky Mountain News - Metro's Dunlap has no interest in Loyola Marymount Reviewing some of the press, seems like some sportswriters are not exactly enamored by the ideal of going to Grand Forks. Perhaps they'll be a little surprised by the little arena on the prairie. Miami Herald - Knights reach Elite Eight Goldsboro (NC) News - Mount Olive to Elite Eight

When Metro State was playing South Dakota in the North Central Regional Championship game, the Grand Forks Visitors Bureau probably had its clear favorite. If South Dakota would have made it, they would have brought thousands of fans, especially if they won a game or two. Metro State, with its poor fan following, is the worst-case North Central representative. Not having a team from the MIAA also hurts attendance, as Pittsburg State or a Missouri team would probably have brought a lot more fans then Tarleton State of Texas, who beat out the MIAA schools. Findlay will probably be the team with the most fans. With next Saturday's championship game on CBS, the Ralph has got to be hoping for a decent turnout. Here is the full field: Bryant Bullodogs (Smithfield, RI) vs Mount Olive Trojans (Mount Olive, NC) Lynn Knights (Miami FL area) vs Findlay Oilers (OH) Cal Poly-Pomona Broncos (LA area) vs Tartleton State Texans Virginia Union Panthers (Richmond) vs Metro State (Denver) Metro State probably should be favored to win it, but they probably have the toughest draw.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. A quality program treats quality people in a dignified manner.

The effect of this rule on recruiting may be substantial throughout DI sports, as it will force power schools to limit the number of recruited athletes that have professional aspirations and would leave prior to their senior year. For hockey, UND’s numbers do not yet reflect the early departures (and non-grad status) of Parise and Bochenski. Recruiting someone as talented as Toews will cause program penalties later if he departs early as expected. For DI basketball and football, the effects may be even more profound. In basketball, for example, because there will to be too much risk in recruiting exclusively Top 100 or Top 200 High School talent (many of whom may struggle academically), schools in power conferences will be forced to take more academically-oriented talent, leaving some upper level performers for lower conferences. With the talent more dispersed, the playing field for Division I basketball will likely become more level. The argument for Division I basketball at a school like UND might carry more weight, as it might now annually have a shot a one or two mid-level DI athletes who might struggle academically. That talent woudl have to be balanced, of course, with athletes who have a high probability of graduating.

Solid season? or Disappointing Season? From GFH:

Looks like the season is over now, with the loss to Mankato. With as much development as a player that Rypkema experienced in his career, its a shame he and the other seniors didn't at least make the NCAAs. Question of the hour: will the acting AD Harmeson, O'Keefe, and/or the REA find a position for Richie? Personnel changes need to be done before a new AD is in place, so the new AD could participate in selecting a new coach without dealing with the negative baggage.

(continuation) Coincidentally, in this morning's Forum, Mike McFeely addresses this same issue of DI disaster stories: ... For Miles' sake, I hope he has more success than Noll. It will be interesting to see just how much patience, and how many years of it, NDSU and SDSU administrators and fans will have.

The Ugly: Only Impatience was granted - Coach fired this past January, presumably to increase their likelihood of getting a conference bid. The rhetoric in the Fort Wayne paper changes dramatically: IPFW joins big time, but acts smaller IPFW shamed itself when it fired Coach Doug Noll

The Bad: “Grant us Patience” for a Conference Affiliation 2003: Six-degree link is IPFW's best hope (continued)

IPFW is an interesting case study in the DI experience going sour in the media after only a couple of years. Here’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for IPFW: The Good: Dick Vitale visits Fort Wayne, says there’s excitement galore, baby!! 2003: Vitale: Independent IPFW eyes conference affiliation (continued)