star2city

Notre Dame will not announce hockey conference at CCHA meetings this week Curious to know what the hold up is. Is Notre Dame having issues with it's own proposed network and the NCHC's rights with Versus/CBS Sports? Is Notre Dame working on a new conference with BC, BU, etc? One interesting sidelight: Texas fully intends to stay the course with it's Longhorn Network. (ESPN is paying huge $'s to UT for the privilege.) The NCAA recently banned college networks from showing high school games, which was to be a huge part of the Longhorn Network. What kind of programming will Texas be able to provide? Other than football and basketball, the only other real spectator sports that UT sponsors are baseball, softball, and volleyball. Track and field, tennis, swimming, and golf are just not going to provide the programming that a Longhorn Network needs. At this point, wouldn't at all be surprised if Texas sponsors women's sand volleyball, men's volleyball, M&W Lacrosse or even M&W Hockey. They have the money and badly need the programming. Oklahoma also faces the same issues, as a Sooner's network is supposedly in the works.

NCAA approves increase to APR for postseason banishment A four-year rolling average APR will be used. In the Big Sky, the following football teams would be banned from post-season under the new guidelines: Sac State Idaho State (already banned at 900 level) Montana State (needs two more years of improvement) NAU (probably would be O.K. with another year of improvement) Portland State Weber State Southern Utah Even Montana's and E Washington's scores are recently in the 930's, dangerously close to the 930. UND's recent scores have been 970 and 971 - which would be the best in the Big Sky. UCDavis and Cal Poly's scores are in the 960's. Together, those three school are by far the best in the new Big Sky. In men's basketball, the following teams would be banned if immediately implemented (instead of three or more years): Sac State (one more year may be O.K.) Eastern Washington Idaho State Montana State (one more year would probably be O.K.) Portland State N Colorado (one more year would probably be O.K.) Weber St (one more year would probably be O.K.) Southern Utah IF the rule was implemented for next year (which it won't be), theoretically only three schools would be eligible for the Big Sky bid: UND, NAU, and Montana. UND's scores have been 960 and 961, the highest average in the Big Sky (Montana has 955 for four year average). For UND, the only two sports that need to pick up the academic pace are men's X-C (813, 900 - horrible scores) and men's swimming (923, 934) Link for APR - all schools, all sports

Dickinson booming Whiting Petroleum is developing a large oil field northwest of Dickinson. Chesapeake Energy, which pioneered much of the shale formation developments elsewhere but isn't a large player in the Bakken, yet, has just leased a large amount of land south of Dickinson in Hettinger County, targeting the Three Forks formation. If that hits commercial oil, Dickinson's growth will actually accelerate. Drilling South of Dickinson (Hettinger County)

SoonerSioux: Thanks for the response! Has any model ever been able to successfully replicate history - going back a thousand or more years through warming spells and the little ice age? Isn't that the true test of a model, to correctly model the known past? Are sunspot activity - which has been linked to the little ice age - included in models?

In another thread, I had suggested that if the management of the REA took over the Alerus, large cost savings would be possible. Yesterday, from the Columbus Dispatch, there was a story on Schottenstein Center (OSU's arena) and Nationwide Arena (Columbus Blue Jacket's arena) were able to save $1 miilion annually by consolidating management: OSU management of both Schottenstein and Nationwide saves $1 million annually

Nice post!

Didn't you just answer your own question? NDSU isn't going to spend $10 mill + a 300 m track, when they don't have the money yet to refurbish the BSA. IMHO, NDSU is now pushing to get the 200 m track shack addition done now, because they know their program's recruiting will be hurt by UND's 300 m track. UND's track programs up to this time haven't been given much funding, in part because UND's Hyslop facilities was non-competitive. With a new indoor practice facility, that will change.

With any North Dakota story about DUIs, felonies, and traffic violations, the vast majority of people automatically link it to the Coach Bohl-driven program. The sight of this thread also places bison trolls into near cardiac arrest. The photo is also a perfect analogy of Bisonville rhetoric.

UND offers SycamoreQB Bartels

UND picked fifth in Great West 2011 Great West Conference Preseason Football Poll 1. Southern Utah (2) 20 pts. 2. Cal Poly (2) 19 pts. 3. UC Davis (1) 17 pts. 4. South Dakota 13 pts. 5. North Dakota 6 pts.

Coach Bohl had no comment at this time. Beer Truck Stolen, Crashed at Walmart

Creighton WBB schedule

Fargo Forum: Former Bison convicted in Best Buy theft ring face felonies Making Rocky Hager's crew look like choirboys:

Omaha World Herald

There's no direct route that is interstate, without adding a lot of miles. A visiting team would get to their Oxford hotel at 3am or later after a South Bend game (or else travel on Saturday before the game.) Neither are great options, unless the second game was switched to Sunday, which means even more time away from class. Notre Dame's biggest concern having "name" opponents for TV purposes. Non-conference games against Mich St and MIch and probably Wisconsin would be their strongest draws (based on the huge number of alumni those schools have in Chicago and nearby).

Even if the Great West all-sports conference falls apart after this coming year, almost all the current Great West baseball schools would still need a home. Also, Cal St-Bakersfield and Longwood are still hanging out as independents. All of the other baseball independents (LeMoyne, NC Central, New Orleans, SIU-E, Seattle, Dallas Baptist, Savannah St) have either found a league within the next two seasons or they are moving to Division II. The Missouri Valley added Dallas Baptist, which has top-notch baseball, as a baseball affiliate, so that's almost certainly not an option for UND. The Summit League almost certainly doesn't need another cold weather team that is unlikely to host until late April. It is possible that a Great West Baseball Conference could qualify as a single-sport conference and gain an autobid if six full DI members stay together for two years. Utah Valley, N Colo, UTPA, and Chicago St were all full DI members this year. HBU, UND, and NJIT are all in transition. New York Tech is a DII school, DI only in baseball, so they don't count toward the six necessary for an autobid (unlike in hockey, where DII or DIII schools count toward the six members for a DI autobid ). If the league stays together for three more years with at least six full DI members, the Great West could gain an autobid in 2014 or 2015. Since Bakersfield still doesn't have a league in any sport, they may consider the Great West, if only in baseball. It's thought that Longwood will be offered a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but that conference hasn't yet made a move after losing Belmont and Gardner-Webb.

GF Herald Editorial on Dickinson St President Finally, the Herald talks openly about the egomania associated with Chapman and his henchmen. But if Jacobs was honest, he would expose the total dishonesty in which UND's own current administration has been double-dealing with the public and other public officials on highly charged politically correct issues. But since Jacobs agrees with UND's administration and their deception, that makes it fine

Harvard Link Hmm, Harvard playing a team named the Fighting Sioux in both basketball and hockey? According to our leaders, that is impossible.

If Notre Dame joins Hockey East, the scheduling demands of Hockey East will almost require that ND have a local travel partner within HE. In a ten team Hockey East, each school plays 3 games against other members. With a 12 team conference, each school would play the other at least twice with the caveat that every team must visit every rink (like the do now, with more 1 game series with a short travel to the Sat night game). Unless HE changes their scheduling philosophy to go to two-game weekend series exclusively, ND has to have a local travel partner. Kalamazoo is only a bit more than an hour from South Bend (while Oxford, OH, is almost five hours). By default, WMU almost has to be Notre Dame's travel partner if ND goes to HE. If ND goes to the NCHC, no travel partner is needed, as all conference games will be part of Fri/Sat series. So, if ND goes to HE, WMU goes with ND to make HE scheduling manageable. If ND forms its own league with some HE schools, WMU may or not be tied in. If ND goes to the NCHC, WMU is not now tied to ND based on comments from the WMU AD and the NCHC consultant..

A number of stories have implied in the past that Western Michigan was tied to Notre Dame, regardless of what Notre Dame decides. However, these two articles seem to imply that WMU is only tied to Notre Dame, if Notre Dame goes to Hockey East. Why would WMU be informed by the NCHC's Goldwater that guidelines are being finalized for expansion? Why did WMU generate a web campaign to position itself for a league? Neither of those actions indicate WMU to the NCHC is a sure thing. Kalamazoo Gazette: NCHC consultant reaches out to WMU

Agree with almost all your points. I also think the Minnesota WCHA schools want to maintain voting control of the WCHA - so they are waiting and actually hoping for Moorhead. If Lake Superior State was to be added now, the Yooper schools would have just as much power as the Minny schools. If UAF was added now, the Michigan/Alaska block would outvote the Minnies. The Yooper schools are really the ones that would benefit most from a merger: west to Minnesota and south to lower Michigan and Ohio are feasible for them without getting on a plane. The problem the CCHA has it that it needs the WCHA to act now (and take UAF), otherwise it's deal with the AHA (Bobby Mo, Mercyhurst, Canisius, and Niagara) might blow over. As far as scheduling, the Minnesota schools are probably in reasonable shape (especially if Moorhead joins), as they can schedule some of the NCHC schools (even as home games) as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Yooper schools are the ones that really run into trouble with scheduling, as they wouldn't likely get any non-conference home games except for maybe Ferris State. Again, the Yooper schools really benefit from a merger. Bowling Green, on the other hand, if it stays in the CCHA with AHA schools, would almost certainly be on the schedule for Miami and Ohio State (maybe with a home/home with both), Notre Dame, and WMU. Same situation with Ferris, but change the opponents to WMU, Mich, Mich St, and the Yooper schools. If the NCHC goes to 8 teams, I hope they don't force a four games against all opponents, as that would only leave 6 games for non-conference teams. Six games simply isn't enough, especially with the rivalries left behind and with the need for the NCHC to build non-conference victories in the pair-wise. That said, six teams simply isn't a reasonable number either, as one defection can really harm the league. Personally, would like to see a seven team league (with Notre Dame), with the league winner gaining home ice for a final four (the other six teams playing off at campus locations to get to four teams).

This St Cloud article on WCHA-CCHA meeting seemingly states that a CCHA-WCHA merger wasn't the primary issue A full-scale merger with the WCHA just doesn't make economic sense for Ferris or Bowling Green or for any of the Minnesota schools, as that would force a substantial increase in travel costs, would minimize money games with more regional Big Ten and NCHC schools, render a conference post-season tournament less viable financially, and make obtaining an autobid even more difficult. If a merger was the only option for Ferris or Bowling Green, then, yes, it does make sense. It seems as if the conversation was more about who the WCHA is interested in adding (Lake Sup St? , Moorhead?, Alaska?) and when: Some reports are that the AHA schools want Alaska out of the CCHA before they move over, but McLeod doesn't seem to want Alaska: So does the future of the Ferris State and Bowling Green programs depend on the WCHA taking Alaska? Without Alaska out of the CCHA, are the AHA schools refusing to move? Without Alaska out of the CCHA, do the other CCHA programs need a merger with the WCHA to have a conference home?

Not entirely true- according to NDSU documents The NDSU football offices /locker rooms etc in the Fargodome cost $3.4 million to install. The Sunderland family donated $1.5 million, while much of the rest was borrowed from the NDSU Foundation. NDSU athletics may still "owe" the $1.9 million + interest on the project, as the project was fast-tracked to approval without all the $'s raised. The state almost certainly won't allow a partially funded project like that that one anymore, thanks to the Chapman house fiasco.

There's almost no way UND gets a WAC affiliation in either men's gold or baseball. UND has an attractive swimming program with decent facilities, but the weather for the other two are huge detriments that the WAC won't overlook. The only way we get in is if the WAC takes us as a full member and we go FBS. . The America Sky Conference will almost have to do: America Sky results There will still be 11 teams in the conference even in 2012-13.

Most schools don't spend squat on women's soccer or softball facilities. At least the women's soccer team actually has locker, training, and study rooms in the Betty, which is top-of-the-line. Where UND really needs to pick it up is for support facilities (locker, training, study, weight) for any squad using the Memorial Stadium or Hyslop as its main facility. It used to be that UND football could easily out-recruit SDSU, as SDSU's stadium and facilities were a major anchor around their ability to recruit. Even though SDSU still has their stadium, SDSU was also wise enough to build its Dykhouse Student Center, which finally gave SDSU football something comparatively attractive for recruits. NDSU spent a bunch of borrowed money to remodel parts of the Fargodome into first class offices and meeting rooms. When recruits compare UND's football office / training situation to SDSU or NDSU's, the comparison definitely hurts recruiting. By turning that facility situation around, UND can again gain the recruits it desires in the region. If UND gets its own training facility, Bisonville will be shi**ing bricks, especially considering that bison fans have been waiting 10 long agonizing years for anything to happen with the BSA, and still nothing is done. If Moorhead State can actually get their hockey fundraising done, and the BSA still sits lanquishing, that will speak volumes about how important hockey is in Fargo-Moorhead relative to basketball.