star2city

I may be missing an FCS school or two with very high attendance. Just added Old Dominion, which has fantastic attendance in men's and women's BB, as well as Delaware, which benefited greatly from extra home FB games during their playoff run.

Spent more time than I should have on determining total 2010-2011 attendance for FCS schools that are among attendance leaders in any sport. All spectators sports were included, with some estimates included for sport that are not yet complete this spring (lacrosse, baseball, softball, etc). Here's the results for total home attendance: UND 356,000 Old Dominion 328,500 Delaware 259,800 Appy State 247,000 Villanova 247,000 Montana 244,000 Georgetown 227,000 James Madison 215,000 N Iowa 208,000 UMass 193,000 NDSU 190,000 MIssouri State 189,00 Montana St 178,000 Illinois St 171,000 S Illinois 146,000 There is at least one non-football school that has higher attendance than UND: Creighton, with 406,000 in attendance. Creighton is the only school that has a sport that exceeds UND men's hockey in attendance (297,000 for Bluejay BB vs 235,000 for hockey). A number of the above schools have really exceptional women's basketball attendance: Montana, Mo St, Ill St, and James Madison. N Iowa's volleyball attendance is outstanding. Creighton has really been helped by the opening of its new baseball stadium. Since all attendance receipts go in the same pot to support each athletic department, total attendance is actually more important than individual sport attendance. What's especially interested is many of UND's sports have quite a bit of room to grow. Here's UND's individual sport attendances. MHock: 235,100 WHock: 24,300 MBB: 24,100 WBB: 22,500 FB 40,800 VB: 6800 Soccer: 1900 Women's hockey can probably increase by 10,000 next year with a championship run. MBB probably could be at 40,000 with a Big Sky schedule and a decent team. Football should be at 70,000 in 2012. Volleyball could average over 1000 / game once in the Big Sky. With those increases, UND should be capable of hitting 400,000 total attendance.

Should be interesting what season ticket sales are starting in 2012. I would hope those sales would double to at least 7000. The promotional campaigns going into the 2012 and 2013 seasons better be good, especially in the Minot and Bismarck media. Have always maintained that Taylor didn't want to assist UND football season ticket sales, so a game in Grand Forks would never ever be before 2013. Now that Montana and Montana State will be staples on UND's schedule, an NDSU game wouldn't be as huge a season ticket sales driver that it would have been before (the demand for UM and MSU games at the Alerus will be huge, so many will be forced to buy season tickets to gain access). Now, the potential of a huge payday for NDSU and Taylor at the FargoDome (season tickets for that season would see a big cost increase, because demand would be huge) override concerns about how a later UND-NDSU game at the Alerus would increase UND ticket sales. Taylor and Faison will reach an agreement soon for mid-decade games.

MSU's Ash says rivals are tragic, but schedule 'reasonable'

WUSA-TV (Washington DC): North Dakota State dismisses WR Howard

Every school in the conference wanted Montana as a rival, as their fans pack stadiums. EWU basically gets its lone sellout when they play Montana, and EWU wasn't going to lose that game every other year. The schools that "suffer" the most are Weber St and Idaho State, as neither gets either Montana as a rival. Idaho State had to have been lobbying hard for Montana State, and instead gets Portland State.

Like this too:

The Big Sky followed my recommendations to the letter.

Sally Smith was interviewed on CNBC yesterday

His live-in / boss, Jeannie Buss, is heir to a fortune that makes Phil look like a pauper. Donor list for UND Spirit Campaign While some of the donors are the list are giving major portions of their estate, typical giving is a very minor % of total worth until very late in life. For example, one of the $1 - $5 million donors on the list, Henry Herr, co-founded two companies: Amsurg and Healthways, both major public national healthcare companies based in Nashville.

There's more than 10,000 millionaires in North Dakota, with almost 1 in 100 of them worth more than 30 mill, so you likely know more of them than you think. With farm land prices exploding, and oil wealth in western ND rapidly increasing, those number are only increasing. Just through extended acquaintances, know of several UND alums outside the local radar that have very extensive business holdings. 36,300 individuals in NOrth America worth more than $30 mill Getting to the billion is much more difficult, with only around 400 individuals in the US.

Sure. But the indoor practice facility, parking ramp, and soccer/T&F oval is definitely part of a overall athletic facilities plan as finances become available. The retractable roof part is definitely a stretch goal.

Thought the latest sounded like it would be at the Ralph. The WCHA schedule is much better defined now. If a 3 or 4 day window is available on a weekend when both hockey teams are gone, a Montana game followed two days later by NDSU would be great for attendance. Isn't Idaho schedule to come to Grand Forks, too?

Teeder, you can do much better than those statements. This forum is no different than a coffee group discussion in a small town cafe. There are differing views here and no one is claiming to be a journalist here, nor are we paid for our contributions. Moreover, if some one crosses certain lines, there is immediate feedback and oftentimes correction (of they are tossed from the board). The same can't be said of the Herald. A newspaper's opinion makers have a much higher level of responsibility to the readers and the community. There isn't another daily paper in Grand Forks. If there wasn't a monopoly, the Herald would have died long ago, largely because of the public's rejections of the Publisher's values. That said, I do believe Jacobs is actually much more fair and "moral" than Zaleski of the Forum. Zaleski seems to thrive on demonizing certain people, and canonizing others (like Chapman as an example). Jacobs is careful with his power, as he knows the potential for the Herald to cause polarization in a community. So unlike the Forum which IMHO is people and power-focused, the Herald is more issue focused. Jacob's views - especially those on government - are almost like etched in stone from the '60's, which is why people tire of them so quickly. In contrast, Dennis, to his credit, actually understands that business can be a very good and noble force.

Always been told that top level women's basketball - at UConn, Tennessee - makes money: not true. Bloomberg: Women's basketball runs huge deficits

While Fontaine may have wealth way beyond most, he's really not all that wealthy in total scheme of things (only holds only 182,000 shares of GME). If he had been founder, with a 40% stake in the company, that's a whole other level. Another UND grad and CEO, Sally Smith of Buffalo Wild Wings, actually owns a higher % of shares and has more wealth via company stock. Greg Page, CEO of Cargill, is probably doing much better off than either of those two. But, still in the total scheme of things, he's almost certainly not in the top 11 of UND alumni wealth-wise (probably need at least a 0.25 billion to qualify). There are probably low 100's number of alumni in the 10 -100 mill range. In order to amass great wealth, one almost has to be a founding investor in company that later does very very well. Fennell is an example. Most UND grads who have done exceptionally well are in the financial and investing world, which most CEOs don't particpate in or only do so later in life. As an example, look at Great Plains Software. Doug Burgum (an NDSU grad) was the brains and CEO behind it, but the major investor and backer was his uncle, Rick Burgum (a UND grad), who did exceptionally well when Microsoft purchased Great Plains.

Eleven alumni who are billionaires? Or $500 mill +? How many actually would donate to athletics?

Those three schools only had to gain approval from one tribe in each state. In Michigan, there are at least 17 Chippewa/Objiwe tribes, but CMU only needed one of them. The NCAA has always demanded two tribal approvals for UND- even before the settlement - when all other schools only needed one. UND is also the only school that needs approval from a tribe (Standing Rock) that has a large portion of its people outside the state. IMHO, the AG and SBoHE didn't believe it could gain either Sioux tribe approval, and they didn't want the wrath of ND to fall on either, so when they negotiated a settlement, they accepted both as needing approval, thinking neither would be possible. Technically, part of the Sisseton Sioux reservation is in ND, too. But in all other cases, only one tribal approval has been required.

Thank you!

Are your word skills really that limited? Maybe you should stick to your knitting, hockey, where you won't appear so foolish. At the very least, give up your self-appointed role as internet message board sheriff. indictment (noun) - an expression of strong disapproval . Link

A piece like that, even though somewhat juvenile in tone, would never see the light of day in the Herald, which has had successive anti-nickname rants that were even more sophomoric by the Forum (editorial), Herald (editorial), Jacobs (column), and now Omdahl. All are warning of some huge tragedy that will befall UND athletics. Jacobs is even going so far as to state Boston College and Maine won't play UND in the future. Guess his "journalistic" standards are dead, especially if he can tar and feather the Sioux nickname with unsubstantiated claims. More and more, I think that Jacobs and the Forums' main concern is that UND must be amenable to professors with a granola culture like in Vermont or Portland, Ore. The Fighting Sioux nickname would disgust the same potential faculty that Jacobs and Kelley want to attract. The last thing Jacobs wants is a symbol of freedom that would show openness to more conservative faculty, and repel ultra-leftist ones, which is the true "irreparable" harm that Jacobs envisions. But here are two huge news stories that do have indirect impact on the Sioux nickname issue: Utah Attorney General Filing Antitrust Suit against BCS NCAA files 13 page indictment against OSU's Tressel's behavior While the Utah lawsuit doesn't involve the NCAA, it does potentially open up the NCAA to the same type legal action. The BCS antitrust could destroy that organization (forcing the schools to go back to a pure Bowl situation like before, or forcing a playoff in the NCAA). The NCAA just can not afford similar action by the state of ND's AG, even if the chance of ND winning is remote. The Tressel issue, as well as all that is ongoing in the SEC, basically shows that much of the upper schools in the NCAA are nothing more than a den of liars, scoundrels, and thieves. Meanwhile, the NCAA chooses to focus its attention on that conniving bunch of North Dakotans that just won't get with a plan.

In all honesty, until UND had a conference affiliation, the administration wasn't going to be adding or eliminating any sports. With the Big Sky move, seems like they will have to add men's tennis and potentially drop men's golf. When the Summit League looked to our UND administrators as the likely conference route, UND sports (including baseball) matched up well and baseball would almost certainly would remain as a sports offering if we were becoming part of the Summit. Now, with the Big Sky not offering baseball (but soon to be offering softball), the question is what happens to baseball? There's still a chance that with all the shuffling in the WAC, that UND could somehow (but very unlikely) gain a baseball affiliation in that league. (Highly doubt the Summit would ever offer UND baseball a slot with the bad blood with Douple.) More likely, UND baseball will be stuck in independent limbo. Maybe a Great West - like league will still continue, but traveling for "conference" games to all four corners of the U.S. isn't a way to build a program. Moreover, dropping a sport like baseball that has a large number of alumni would be very unpopular - which isn't a group that Faison or Kelley would want to displease (although those two didn't seem to care about vast majority opinion on the Sioux nickname.) For lax to ever happen at UND, four things need to happen: 1. Administration has to throw in the towel on baseball, and take the heat on that decision. 2. An indoor training facility gets built (otherwise lax becomes impossible without renting out the Alerus for practice in January and February). 3. Someone in the admin has to be a major proponent of lacrosse, and be willing to take the heat for adding it. 4. The ECAC league with Denver / Air Force / Ohio State (and soon Michigan) has to offer a UND a position. UND athletic would be in a truly unique and highly reputable position if it was in the following leagues: Football and most sports in the Big Sky. Hockey in a Super Six or Eight with Notre Dame and Denver. Lacrosse in a league with Denver, Air Force, Ohio St, and Michigan Swimming in CUSA, with Denver also in it (WAC will have trouble keeping Swimming)

The issue lately is that football hasn't been winning. The best advertising possible for UND football is winning. UND has a larger alumni base than NDSU, UND's alumni have more money, and UND's alumni are much more heavily outside ND/Minn than NDSU. All NDSU alumni have ever had to hold there hat on is football: so that's largely why they get larger crowds. Make UND football an event, against name opponents, and win regularly, and fans/alumni will come to football, as well as hockey.

If you don't have a spiritual inclination, don't waste your time reading this. Since this is Easter weekend, it's time to reflect not just on the seen, but the unseen. Hasn't it seemed strange that the Sioux name has been pronounced dead numerous times over the past 12 years, only to be resurrected at the last minute by an ally not previously perceived to be there? The Sioux nickname has many avowed enemies that want it destroyed - removed from the vernacular. But the more it is persecuted, the stronger it seems to become. Isn't something going on beyond our perception? From Native American Pipe Ceremony: Covenants between men and between men and God have long been part of many civilizations, including the West. Covenants - if the participants were there prayerfully and with pure hearts - are unbreakable even upon death. The covenant lives on. Indian Calumet: In many theological respects, there is nothing that excludes the use of an Indian Peace Pipe even in Christian traditions: Is it possible that the special covenant between Standing Rock and President Starcher in 1969 provided the spiritual protection the Sioux name needed to survive numerous assaults?