star2city

If Division I conference memberships were offered, the University of West Florida (in Pensacola) and Florida Gulf Coast University (in Ft. Myers, but are still transitioning to Div II), would also probably move up. Without football, the financial burden is not as severe. Thanks to a posting by Somebison, a viewpoint on the NCAA site by NCC commissioner Mike Marcil had some key proposals for Division II reform , two of which are listed below: With an asset like the Ralph and it being showcased on CBS next spring, I believe Marcil, Roger Thomas, and other NCC AD's see a golden opportunity for a Div-II game of the week to be realized in some form on national cable. The football proposal should be enacted, but it's probably too rational.

From that OPE site, how can NDSU possibly be in compliance with Title IX with numbers like these? Unduplicated Count of Participants (in athletic programs) Men: 277 Women: 121 How long before the equestrian team and its 60-100 women start riding (and cleaning up the pens)? The other figure that is quite striking is this: All Track Combined # of Men:143 # of Women: 106 How can the NDSU program possibly support these kind of numbers?

That quote, from Wednesday's article by Jeff Kolpack in the Forum, is rather remarkable for what it truly says: "No conference has seriously considered us, yet. We haven't even had as much as a nibble." And yet, for the last two years, Jeff Kolpack always led Forum readers to think that a conference affiliation was just around the corner. Taylor and Chapman, always the salesmen to their non-discerning sheep, did likewise. Bisson-backers, always susceptible to BS-ing if their Tundering Herd were being talked up and their visions of DI grandeur massaged, took in every distortive and manipulative quote of the last two years like it was the Gospel. And now, when they are told that the NCAA is giving them a "break", they rejoice, forgetting these same misrepresentations that their very own beloved NDSU administrators fed them and forgetting, in chats in this very forum, that they brushed off the "13-year" probation as no big deal as "argumentative and contrived." Posters on Siouxsports warning about the 13 years were just negative, "whiners", small-thinkers, and jealous. Yet now, it is a big deal that the 13-year probation is "gone". Yet, in truth, they still face 13 years of probation unless an automatic bid conference will accept them. And they still face what their own paid consultants said before their lauched their odyssey to DivI: get conference affiliation first. Five years will fly by and there will still be no conference affiliation. These are the very words in the NCAA resolution, which still allows for 13 years of probation for schools not in an AQ conference (NDSU, SDSU, and UNC's current lot):

I found this quote from the SDSU press release interesting and disturbing: While I sincerely hope Fred can turn from his habits of the past, this has got to be one of the more disingenuous press releases I can imagine in an attempt to placate women's groups. It is like saying, "Yeah, look at all the good Fred has done for women (which have been mandated by Federal Law anyway), so Fred beating his wife really isn't that important in the scope of things." Do SDSU fans understand that Fred is and will continue to be a major liability in their hope for any conference affiliation? Finally, in the press release, it is stated that SDSU is going up to only 38 scholarships in football. Why not more, otherwise why even move up to Div I? Seems likely that at least one men's sport and probably two will have to be dropped in order for football scholarships to be increased. Dropping a men's sport now would cause too much of a firestorm.

So SDSU really has added women's equestrian, and has not, yet, dropped a men's sport: SDSU Adds Coaches, Scholarships, Equestrian I am rather curious about the economics of equestrian. Who will they compete against? Minn-Crookston ( )has one of the few programs in this area, Kansas State has one and NDSU may be adding one. Since the competitors are the one who provide the horses and their boarding and maybe even the horses' transportation, this program has the potential to generate "cash" for the equine boarders (SDSU?) from the supposedly rich parents of the gals who will be on scholarship. Since the horses won't be getting free board (or tuition ), throwing a few scholarship dollars to equestrian may bring more benefits than costs to SDSU. Also, the demand for equestrian "slots" must be plenty high if the team is going to contain sixty (6 - 0) participants. Talk about helping out with Title IX! It also can't hurt in attracting more than a few rich gals with their rich daddies checkbooks.

dmksioux: Here's an article from last year on the New Decade Horizons group, which is driving force behind the Collegiate Hockey Hall of Fame. For confirmation, you can check with one of the members of this group. Since Canad Inns is building their hotel/water park/movie theater complex at the Alerus Center, fundraising for the Hall of Fame should be going forward now. Whether that effort is successful or not will be determined.

Actually, there is a song bisson fans should be listening to. Considering both the Lakers and The Eagles backed out of appearances at Engelstad this week, it has not been the most productive week in Siouxville. But we also won't have to listen to this rendition of the Eagle's classic which will be the bisson theme song for the next decade:

Considering Tim Miles announced the formation of an informal orphan basketball league today, I did a search of the archives for any correct prognosticators: But that prediction missed by one team. Here's a perfect prediction of Tim's announcement , and we agreed : If you're dealt a hand that can escape Division I probation purgatory (only Cal-Davis has a good hand), play it. Otherwise, fold and sit the game out.

An over-caffeinated imagination and a time-machine to 2005.

The University of North Dakota Announces that Legendary Coach Phil Jackson has accepted the position of Head Men’s Basketball of the Fighting Sioux begining with the 2006-2007 Season Concurrently, UND also Announces its Athletic Programs will move to the NCAA Division I Level In addition, UND Fighting Sioux Athletics has accepted an invitation to Missouri Valley Conference and Fighting Sioux football has accepted and invitation to the Gateway Conference GRAND FORKS, N.D., October 29, 2005 UND President Charles Kupchella and UND Athletic Director Roger Thomas today announced an historic change in the UND athletics program. Begining with the 2006 season, alumnus and ten-time NBA coaching champion Phil Jackson has agreed to coach the UND Fighting Sioux men’s basketball team. In addition, as a result of this coaching change, President Kupchella directed UND immediately pursue Div I membership. Furthermore, Comcast Cable announced that it will carry the Fighting Sioux Sports Networks to its 8 million Southern California and Chicagoland homes, because of high interest in Coach Jackson's pursuits. The Presidents of the universities in the Missouri Valley Conference unanimously agreed to offer conference membership to the University of North Dakota, which UND has accepted. Mr. Jackson was quoted as follows: “While I greatly appreciate my time as a coach in Chicago and Los Angeles, I need a signficant change. With ten NBA Championships, there are few challenges remaining for me at the NBA level. My desires are to be removed from intense media attention and return to purer form of basketball teaching. The most challenging goal I could envision was taking a lower-level college basketball program and molding it into one of the top programs of Division I. Coaching at an existing major Division I program would not have been enough of a challenge. While the geographic and recruiting challenges will be significant, the opportunity at my alma mater brings my life back full circle, which is important at this stage in my life .” Concurrently, the Commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference was quoted as follows: “The opportunity to include one of the greatest coachest of all time within our conference was an opportunity we could not pass on. The media attention on Coach Jackson will immediately take the Missouri Valley Conference to a higher national level of prominence. Our presidents heartily endorsed the addition of the University of North Dakota as a Missouri Valley Conference member.”

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/n...cal/8425400.htm There is already a thread on this in the community section, but it also deserves a mention in the BBall section. I had wondered if the Engelstad Arena would be able to nab a Phil Jackson / Laker exhibition game. Here's a few quotes from the article:

It is rather ironic that as soon as the GF Herald officially proclaims that Grand Forks has moved beyond the post-flood recovery period, a book, Red River Rising is coming out that will rehash everything publicly. The reviews seem to be in stark contrast: versus, forgive me, John Hoff in the Dakota Student: If there is no such thing as bad publicity, it's all for good. But what's next? A movie screenplay?

Considering I was expecting that four low Div II or NAIA teams would have been on NDSU's schedule this year, Taylor actually did decent, especially with Nickels (sic) St., Northwestern (st.), and Weber St. I would question however, how much enthusiasm the schedule will generate among anyone but the most die-hard fan. Taylor almost certainly had scheduling options with Northern Sun schools such as Crookston and Southwest State or even Dak-10 schools, but he gambled and won by not going that route. Montana Tech is not the media and political embarassment more local schools would have been. (Montana Tech, Montana State, no difference to the discerning fan. ) One other point: recently in the Forum there was a story about WDAY reporting the Big Sky presidents voted unanimously not to accept NDSU/SDSU. Forum sources said no such vote took place. My own educated "guess" is that both are partially correct. A vote probably took place among the presidents to seriously study certain schools about joining the Big Sky. NDSU/SDSU were unanimously excluded from the study group at this time, which may be reconsidered when their probation period is closer to expiring. Southern Utah almost certainly is being studied. Which leads to the next point: 50/50 odds that Southern Utah will be invited to the Big Sky within the next 15 months. With St. Mary's dropping football, this would really mess with the Great West's plan for an IAA auto bid as a five-school conference would not be eligible.

From this report, looks like Kierah Kimbrough is getting attention from Kansas St, Col St, Iowa St, and Northwestern, among others. For her to exceed Janet Karvonen's single season scoring record is quite an accomplishment. In North Dakota, the girls senior class in Class A is weaker than normal in talent. Do any of the following underclass gals have upper Div II/low Div I potential? Alys Seay, 5-6, So., G (12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.7 steals) GFCentral Tonia Williams, 5-11, 8th, F (4.9 points, 2.8 rebounds). GFCentral Katelyn Steffan, 6-4, Fr., C (11 points, 6.6 rebounds);Dickinson Jessica Kielpinski, 6-1, Fr., C (9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds) Mandan Rebecca Kielpinski, 6-1, Jr., C (14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 blocks) Mandan Andrea Hummel, 5-11, So., C (12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds) West Fargo Mary-Michael Vance, 5-5, Fr., G (8.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists) West Fargo In Class A boys, it would seem Josiah Thunshelle would be a DII prospect among underclassmen. Anyone else? Josiah Thunshelle, 6-4, Jr., F (18.1 points, 5.5 rebounds). Bismarck

WKU, Denver, UALR, USA, and U of New Orleans are all remnants of the pre-football Sunbelt. The IA football schools hold the power now, and they will protect their IA football interests: that means only expanding the conference with a IA football playing school. WKU may still move to IA football, either in the Sunbelt or in the MAC. Denver is known to be dissatified with the situation, and UALR, USA, and UNO really have no better options. Considering that Idaho is a IA school with poorer facilities then NDSU, it could be within the realm of possiblities. My main point is: by Hallstrom mentioning the Sunbelt as a possible conference, either Halstrom is putting up another smokescreen of a conference feigning interest (far removed from reality a la Big Sky but even more exaggerated), Hallstrom has extremely poor , disconnected or inaccurate sources, or if Hallstrom is speaking truthfully, then NDSU truly is contemplating a move to IA football in this decade. Those are the really the only options.

The report by Hallstrom that NDSU is talking with the Sunbelt Conference is highly curious, to say the least. In spite of the talk about the Mid-Con and Horizon, those conferences will absolutely not take a BB ineligible school until there is no threat of more conference realignment. The conferences that are actively searching for new members can be counted on one hand: ConferenceUSA, Southland, Sunbelt, and soon probably the WAC. Each of them have very specific requirements: Conference USA wants a decent IA football team east of the Rockies (and probably soth of the Mason-Dixon line), the Southland wants a IAA football school in Texas or a neighboring state, and the Sunbelt would consider practically any school that is playing or moving up to IA in football. The Sunbelt is probably the only conference that would even consider adding a basketball ineligible school as it easily meets the basketball requirements to maintain their auto bid, but it needs to increase the number of football schools to stay a IA football league. The Sunbelt Commissioner, Wright Waters, is a highly respected leader who has managed to hold together a conference that a few months ago seemed on its last legs when they lost N Mex St and Utah St. The Sunbelt wants 1-4 more IA teams, as they could lose football members with the new attendance rules. Losing just one member would jeopardize the Sunbelt’s standings as a IA football league and their bowl tie-ins with the New Orleans Bowl and a another proposed bowl in the Miami area. Without official NCAA recognition as a football conference, the Sunbelt football teams would all practically be forced to the IAA level. If NDSU has indeed talked with the Sunbelt, that can only imply that NDSU is considering moving their football program to IA in four or five years. Theoretically, if NDSU joined the Sunbelt after three years in the Great West, the 13-year ineligible rule for basketball would drop to five years pending the new NCAA Cal-Davis/Big West exemption (if NDSU remained in the Great West, the 13-year basketball period would still stand). So ironically, combining Sunbelt’s need for more IA schools with the probation rules and the “Cal-Davis” exemption, circumstances and supply and demand has for now made it “easier”, at least temporarily, to join a low level IA football conference than an established DI basketball-only conference such as the Mid-Con or Horizon. Anyway, my question/comment is, Would NDSU/Chapman/Taylor or even SDSU/Miller/Oien be considering moving to a IA football status in three or four years? That is absolutely the only way that the Sunbelt would consider them. Theoretically, both schools could meet the 15,000 average attendance rule if their stadiums sold out (Coughlin seats 16,000?). The athletic budget would have to be increased at least four million annually to even be a bare bones IA budget. Not to mention the recruiting issues, travel expenses, facility costs, and transition issues with current players. A high-risk move would become even riskier. I recognize this IA idea sounds farfetched to most, but that is the only possible reason the Sunbelt would possibly be interested. The Sunbelt is desperate for IA football teams and is not terribly concerned about geography.

The demand for college sports programming is increasing, including outlets like CSTV, regional sports networks, and direct access from Comcast and DirectTV. While Division II has had very limited coverage, with the football championship on ESPN, the men’s basketball on CBS, and women’s basketball on ESPN2, it can be marketed as a ‘purer’ non-big-business form of college athletics. The presentation of these events can be improved if the venue is modern, if the crowd is large and enthusiastic, if there is an accompanying festival atmosphere (concerts, social events, or coaches conferences) and if there is a decent tourist infrastructure (i.e. first class hotels, recreational opportunities). For the most part, Div II championship venues have not been impressive. A number of other changes could be done to improve crowds and create more interest: delay championships to at least two weeks after the semifinals in football (or regionals in basketball), play the football championship indoors for more crowd noise, have a permanent Harlon Hill/Div II football “Hall”, play the men’s & women’s BB championships at the same location, make a deal with the men’s and women’s NIT so that the Div II champion would advance as an NIT semifinalist (48 teams for three Div I slots, 64 DII teams for one Div II slot), or get regular season national DII games of the week on a startup network like CSTV. If media facilities are already installed, the only expense a network like CSTV would have is to send the announcers to location. To get programming, CSTV or a group of local sports networks would probably broadcast even events like the Div-II volleyball or soccer championships (with no rights fee) if the expenses were minimal. Obviously, the Ralph and Alerus and the existing Fighting Sioux Network media facilities provide many of the venue criteria, especially with the addition of the CANAD, the water park, and the Betty. Expect Ralph/Alerus/UND/Grand Forks to be bidding on the football(after 2006)/Bball (beyond 2005) and other Div II championships, which would bring media attention to UND, fill the venues more, and create a tourism stream. Certainly, Leo Ledohowski wouldn’t be putting $40 million into his biggest CANAD venture yet if he didn’t sense potential. Interesting that one of the statements by Roger Thomas in his letter to UND students included this quote: “One of the things to bear in mind is some of the people complaining are the ones that have the authority to award home games, playoff berths, regional game sites and national championship venues.” There are certainly other interest groups in Grand Forks, beyond UND leadership, that want fan behavior, especially at football games, to be viewed positively by the NCAA.

The Conference USA/ WAC situation is not completely clear yet, so Idaho may yet get in the WAC soon. Even if they are not invited now, it would be politically diastrous for whoever is the new Idaho president to move back to I-AA for at least a couple years until the financial strains become just too burdensome. To me, the Moscow/Pullman area economically should be a thriving western college towns, as there are highly thought of technical programs at both Wash St and Idaho. Yet, with almost decent no jobs nearby, the UofIdaho will be pouring millions into the athletic programs to keep it afloat. Misplaced priorities in my book. With Sacramento State possibly moving to the Big West (and Great West for football), the Big Sky will be expanding soon as an insurance policy. Southern Utah, who was rejected in favor of bigger media markets when Sac State and Cal State-Northridge were added in the '90's, will get the nod this time with Montana no longer black-balling it. The Mid-Con respond to the loss of SUU by expanding south, to Texas A&M-CC and maybe UTPA. With another wave of conference changes possible in five years when the Big East splits into basketball and football conferences, the Mid-Con will not be inviting provisional Div I teams, no matter how respectable the institutions and athletic programs are.

Surfer was just responding to this quote and to the taunts by Grand Valley State fans of "Where your Surfboards?" in the 2002 GVSU-CalDavis playoff. To me, the inclusion of Cal Poly and especially Cal-Davis make the Great West a very respectable conference. If it can be held together for long, its average RPI should exceed the Big Sky's. As far as Davis being the top Div II school, they're Div I now.

Taylor should be congratulated on putting together the Great West Conference so quickly. At least the players will have a real tangible goal to work toward until 2008. It is rather strange that almost exactly one year ago on this date, the idea of this conference was posted on this forum. At that time, the idea wasn’t exactly accepted with open arms. Apparently, times do change! The next school to get a Big Sky invite will be, almost without question, Southern Utah. The next invitee, Northern Colorado, will not be made until their football provisional period is over, at the earliest. Good luck with the basketball conference, as that chore will be much more difficult.

In Tuesday's USA Today, there was this article: Curlers play nice and leave no stone unturned . The author almost seemed to have been reading these forums, as he included this quote: and this: Surprisingly, the TV ratings for curling have been quite good. With curling's popularity on the rise, with NBC televising the US National Curling finals in Grand Forks in two weeks, and with the Ralph and Grand Forks bidding on the 2008 World Curling Championships who would have thought that GF and ND would be at the forefront ?

There is actually a sort of harmonic convergence that may allow this mammoth wind farm to have a shot of being economically and technologically feasible, in spite of the capital outlay and inconsistency in wind velocity: -transmission lines may be de-bottlenecked with a new composite with 2-3 times the transmission capacity (3M Composite for Boosting Electric Power-Line Capacity), -sustained high natural gas prices (natural gas provides most of the swing load), -and fuel cell technology still in development for maintaining peaking generation capacity (powered with hydrogen produced from peak wind periods). Vastland.org contained several links: former UND President Clifford is a co-author of the proposal, Pembina Ridge Wind Development Project , and a Map of North Dakota Windpower can be compared with the USA average windpower The cold spell in January was exactly the conditions needed to test the new composite transmission material, which is being tested west of Fargo. Already, new lignite plants are being considered in western ND, in part because the radical change hoped for in transmission capacity. Do wind turbines kill birds? Here's the answer.

Here's the link: SDSU board JACKGUY: Sure, the BB crowd wasn't that large last night, but what's the last time SDSU drew over 13,000 to simultaneous events?