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Certainly not in the FargoDome now , but the Alerus Center and Grand Forks would be a good match. If Detroit and Boise can host Division I Bowl Games in late December, a Division II Championship in North Dakota is not unreasonable. The facilities in Florence and formerly McAllen, Texas are far from first class. Even for major bowl games, practice facilities are often nothing more than high school fields. With the bubble over Memorial Field and the Alerus Center itself, practice fields would be first rate. Add in a CANAD Hotel by the Alerus and a concert at the Ralph, and the NCAA selection committee would be duly impressed. The NCAA can not be pleased with the level of bickering in Florence. By staying Division II, UND and Grand Forks have an opportunity to become a championship host for a whole range of Division II sports. Instead of disdaining and despising what is small, as our neighbor south of us seems to have done, a welcoming approach to all Division II schools would prove extremely beneficial to UND and Grand Forks. Cities such as Indianapolis and Colorado Springs have intentionally positioned themselves as host cities for amateur events and Olympic training, respectively. With Grand Forks already set to host future Division II men's basketball and swimming championships, pursuing other events would only solidify Grand Forks' and UND's reputation with the NCAA and Division II, to the benefit of everyone.

From the Times-Daily of Florence, Alabama: FLORENCE - Council members have pulled the city's financial support to the NCAA Division II National Championship football game. The support had previously come in the form of a sponsorship by the Florence Gas Department. The gas department has been spending $7,500 to be a national sponsor of the Harlon Hill Trophy and the Division II Hall of Fame. The Hill Trophy and hall of fame banquet has already lost two of its four sponsors because of events related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ..... University of North Alabama sports information director Jeff Hodges said Northwest Airlines has reduced its promotion programs by 90 percent because of the problems in the airlines industry and BellSouth has cut out all of its sponsorship after a series of layoffs. Division II Championship Game Some funding restored: Funding Any chance the FargoDome will bid for next year's game?

The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader fully supports USD's decision and strongly suggests SDSU stay Division II, in spite of SDSU's hope to shed its 'cow college' image. Argus-Leader Editorial

In the arguments for and against Division I, a larger view of what the role of a university should be considered. While I would love to see UND excel in Division I in all sports, there are so many more fundamental issues in this state and region that absolutely must be addressed: economic development, the near abandonment of large sections of North Dakota, and reasonable wages for graduates to stay. If a large benefactor wants to give a gift to the UND athletic department, that is wonderful (thank you Ralph Engelstad) and it has significantly improved the quality of life. But it seems the major focus of UND should be on academics, research, and improving the livelihood of its state and community. Rather than 3000 alumni giving $1000 each to the athletic department so it can go Division I, wouldn't North Dakota and Grand Forks would be much better served by that kind of money going into business startups in GF and surrounding communities? UND going Division I in all sports will not improve the quality of life in North Dakota or the college experience at UND, and it would probably worsen it because less focus, effort, and money would be placed on economic development. Is it reasonable to project that UND athletics will ever have higher attendance than last year's? So who would pay for a higher level? Why would we want to risk messing up an athletic department that is continuously improving facilities, is involving more non-athletes (Wellness Center), has the respect and backing of the public and student body, and has athletes that are truly students? Why would we want to move to Division I, when we are, at best, Division II economically as a state? What is wrong with being aspiring to be the Rome or Athens of Division II, for the time being? Measure 3 is a sort of cry of desperation, and the universities, alumni associations, and businesses need to understand that. I personally believe it is irresponsible of leadership to move to Division I with the kind of situation North Dakota faces. When the economics in North Dakota is reversed and North Dakota is actually gaining population (what a novelty!), that would be an appropriate time to move to Division I (but only if it is in a conference of peer institutions). If current trends persist, in another generation the number of North Dakota high school graduates will be half of what it is now. That fact more than any other is the chief threat to UND. NDSU and Fargo can do what they want for their own self-interest, but UND should and can do what is best for the whole state. Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox!! As additional food for thought: compare the direction of these two schools, which are nearly the same size and located in similar sized communities. Both communities desperately need economic opportunities. Which university is showing wisdom? University of South Dakota Coyotes University of Idaho Vandals

September 26, 2002 THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA ANNOUNCES DECISION ON DIVISION I AA TODAY Excerpts: "... the decision was based on USD

Dream Conference for UND The only way UND should move to Division I is if it can get into a conference of institutions that are similar or complementary in areas of academics, research, alumni support, and are residential campuses. Conferences such as the PAC-10, Big 10, and even the Ivy League define the individual schools just as much the schools define the conference. Smaller Division I conferences are often schizophrenic in their makeup and not especially stable in their membership. The NCC is a higher level conference from this viewpoint than many Div. I conferences. Six regional schools that would seem most complimentary to UND in their mission, and size are USD, NDSU, SDSU, Univ. of Montana, Montana State, and Univ. of Idaho. They serve as flagship schools in their states, have similar histories, and similar aspirations. Four of them have professional schools: Idaho, Montana, USD, and UND, and four are land grant institutions: Idaho, MSU, NDSU, SDSU. Idaho State or Eastern Washington could be possible eighth members. The athletic facilites are similar at UND, NDSU, USD, MSU, Idaho State and Idaho, as all have domed stadiums for football. Of all the schools, Idaho has the most advanced athletic program, as it is in Division IA in football. However, from facilities and financial standpoints, Idaho is having difficulty maintaining this level of play and probably would go back to I-AA if it could go back gracefully. They have already stated that returning to the Big Sky is not an option. After Idaho, Boise State, and Nevada left the Big Sky Conference, Montana and Montana State became the strongest anchors for the Big Sky. Both schools would dearly love to have Idaho back as a conference rival and both would probably rather play I-AA UND and NDSU than Sacramento State. If somehow, someway, Montana and Montana State could be convinced that their best interests were to form a new I-AA conference (which would be a huge risk for them as they would lose their chance for an NCAA automatic bid for years) with Idaho and the four NCC schools, UND would be looking at the best possible conference for all sports that could ever be reasonably and responsibly imagined. A Northwestern Conference composed of eight schools would have an incredible cachet, historical significance (Lewis/Clark, trappers/traders, Statehood 1889/1890, east/west railroads/highway, farmers/ranchers, merchants/miners) strong rivalries, reasonable travel (at most two trips across the plains for each sport excluding tournaments), and strengthen natural recruiting tendencies. (The mountain schools look west and the plains schools look east for recruits.) Interest in cities such as Rapid City, Billings, Great Falls, and Bismarck would greatly increase. Most importantly, it would further invigorate all the schools involved by bonding together universities of similar and complementary histories and missions. Such a conference would elevate all schools athletically and, more importantly, academically. It would be a conference worthy of UND pursuing Division I. The possibility of forming such a conference at the moment is almost nil. But in 2004, when new rules come into effect for IA football, there will most likely be wholesale reshuffling of the lower Division I conferences. That may be the opportune time for a conference change.

What are the plans for NCC expansion? When will the NCC announce Minnesota-Duluth as a new member? Are they waiting for a decision by SDSU? Before adding other Northern Sun schools, the NCC might consider Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks for all sports (except football, which the Alaska schools don