star2city

A number of internet news services - like Bleacher Report and Boxscorenews - are notoriously bad at understanding NCAA rules and grasping conference alignment issues (same goes for the mainstream media, too). UBC can only become a full DII member - with select DI sports where DII doesn't sponsor a championship (like hockey and men's volleyball). UBC won't be a savior for the WAC, but it's still possible it could replace Wisconsin in the WCHA. (cleaned out my message box! )

"Unbiased" is where all on Bisonville agree except Lakes.

Until you accept the fact that Chapman and his entourage poisoned the whole NDUS water - which has been documented - there isn't any use in having a conversation. Just to make it simple enough for you to understand: if you are having a serious disagreement with your neighbor, you're not going to go out bowling and beer drinking with them.

UMass formerly was a more significant national institution than UConn. UConn investments in academics, athletics, and on it's campus have totally changed New England's view of both schools. UMass would have been a natural choice for the Big East now if they had moved up five years ago. It's getting now or never for UMass, as the Big East still intends to move to 12 teams later in the decade. Winning in the MAC and playing a number of games at Gillette Stadium would significantly increase the popularity of UMass football in eastern Massachusetts. WhenUMass announced plans play football at Gillette Stadium, almost a year ago, the writing was on the wall. Getting over 30,000 for a UMass/UNH game proved that the venue would be popular. UConn/UMass or UMAss/BC games would be a sellout there. Watch if the MAC goes after James Madison, Appy State and/or Delaware too (for football only). Appy State would probably prefer a more southern conference (Sunbelt or CUSA), but to move to FBS has to have a conference invite. Youngstown State is an FBS untouchable. The MAC has no interest as it already has two teams - Kent State and Akron - in close proximity.

You view everything through a distorted Chapman lens. Chapman's scorched earth policy towards all ND institutions destroyed NDSU's relationship with everybody - except Cass County leaders and state leaders who were stupid enough to drink his koolaid. Kupchella should have been a bigger man to accept playing NDSU in all sports but football - but the back room tactics of Chapman was just too much for UND to stomach. Why play a pit bull - like Chapman - when he has the advantages? Athletics was just a pawn of politics going on with Chapman and the mess he created with the State Board of Higher Education and Legislature.

Hmm. Hasn't there been some gloating by a school with a recent playoff victory over a team with 28 scholarships. Augustana may be a better team than the one you beat.

With more teams, perhaps it will change, but only the top 6 qualify for the tournament: #6 at #3 (campus locations) #5 at #4 The regular season winner hosts the final four a couple of days after the first round: #1 vs #4/5 #2 vs #3/6 The regular season means playing for the home court in the Big Sky. In the Summit, the regular season doesn't mean much at all.

Somewhat depends on if Air Force pursues independence in football. The MWC may go after Houston/SMU/UTEP to get to 12 - but doubt that Texas schools would be interested. The Big East may add one more school by spring - either UCF or Villanova (sounds like they won't move football up). The WAC not getting TCU sports except football gives the WAC fewer options. If they can get Air Force to join in other sports, their best shot might be to patch together schools like Oral Roberts, UALR, and TexasAM-Corpus Christi to keep the conference alive and regional.

With Phil Jackson retiring after this year, has any one else heard rumors that he may want to get "actively" involved with the basketball program? Not sure what "active" means, but his name affiliated with the program would be a major boost to recruiting. With Jackson having a home on Flathead Lake (and who knows where else in the West), the idea of the Big Sky Conference (rather than the Summit) probably is much more to his liking. Jeannie Buss (his owner/girlfriend) has given a past interview where she asserted that Phil has to know the UND hockey score on Saturday and Sunday mornings, so obviously Jackson does keep close tabs on UND athletics. With UND now in DI and the Big Sky, his interest in basketball may have just wratcheted up.

The true freshmen have an ability to drive and penetrate, which has been sorely lacking in the past few years. Last year most offensive sets seemed to end in a turnover or a poor shot. Would rather have an a forced shot from aggressiveness than some of the passiveness seen last year.

With field turf in the Alerus, it makes lax (as wall as soccer) even more feasible to be played there. We still need a practice facility.

Just to save for posterity's sake: NDSU home playoff attendance 6,100 - 1976 Montana State 2,200 - 1977 Northern Michigan 4,300 - 1982 Virginia Union 5,600 - 1983 Towson State 13,758 - 1984 UC Davis 11,090 - 1984 Nebraska Omaha 12,092 - 1986 Ashland 12,380 - 1986 Central State of Ohio 7,500 - 1988 Augustana College 10,200 - 1988 Millersville 13,200 - 1988 Cal State Sacramento 8,400 - 1989 Edinboro 7,103 - 1990 Northern Colorado 8,253 - 1990 Cal Poly 9,086 - 1990 Pitt State 4,839 - 1991 Mankato State 6,230 - 1992 Northeast Missouri

One of the main blogs for U of Michigan athletics is reporting that Michigan's AD has told boosters that lacrosse will be sponsored soon. Michigan AD: Wolverines will sponsor varsity lacrosse teams So within the past two months, two of the major names in college sports - Michigan and USC - have both given indications they will sponsor men's and women's lacrosse. Only two Big Ten schools currently sponsor men's lax: Ohio State and Penn Sate. Northwestern sponsors only women's lax. Liking either of these two options: Western lacrosse: USC Stanford Denver Air Force North Dakota + one more Midwest lacrosse: Michigan Ohio St Detroit Bellarmine North Dakota +one more

You've got it backwards. Government has every right to get involved in this issue: they are the owners. The issue is if the non-elected parties involved (ADs and Presidents) are stupid enough to continue to defy the will of the people and not to get the issue resolved, they deserve what is coming. I'm not advocating the legislature getting involved, but it is their right and responsibility to supply oversight to government institutions. Similar situations have been resolved by the governor or legislature in a number of states. Elected officials got involved with the Potts / Chapman dispute. Potts got fired in an act that disgraced the whole state.

UND RPI Ranking: 92 UND is currently rated # 92 out of 328 DI volleyball teams. Some perspective: UND would be: 5th in the Big East 2nd in the Big Sky 2nd in the Summit 2nd in the Horizon 5th in the SEC

Before UND had gained Big Sky membership - when it looked like UND football would be homeless - I had advocated that UND look into the WAC as a possible option. UND football without a conference home would have been a huge disaster - at least the WAC would have averted that. But UND football in the WAC - without time to build up the program and without major finances - would be like a premature birth - a 1 1/2 lb preeny. It would be harrowing and wouldn't be pretty - but a future would still be possible. But now that UND has a Big Sky home - there's no sense messing up a wonderful situation with another that would require massive influxes of resources ($'s) into what may soon become a Texas league. A Rocky Mountain league - not southwestern league as the WAC seems destined to become- is where UND needs to be - both now and in the future.

Bisonmedia: NDSU last team in Only the top five teams are seeded. The other fifteen are essentially considered "equal", with the top bids chosen to host. Minimizing travel and avoiding conference matchups in the first few rounds also affect the bracket (but not the selections).

WAC making a play for TCU if TCU football goes to Big East If TCU joins, the WAC becomes much more Texas-based - making it less friendly to Idaho and San Jose State. If TCU joins, North Texas would have much more interest in moving from the Sunbelt. The next new FCS-FBS full-member WAC school might be Lamar, as it wants to be FBS eligible by 2016: from today's Beaumont Enterprise... Lamar might learn lessons from Texas State

Perhaps Sac State won't have the option of leaving the Big Sky (except football) and going to the Big West. This author seems to believe the Big West would add three schools: Hawaii, San Jose St (with football staying in WAC), and UC-San Diego. Cal St-Bakersfield and Sac State would be left out. Long Beach Press-Telegram: Big West expansion

NDSU was the last school in, according to the Youngstown State rep on the selection committee. Any of six or seven teams would have got in before NDSU if those teams had won last week.

Appreciate your posts, Yote 53. You're spot on. With scheduled non-conference games vs USD now actually conference games as well as the cancellation of the Ga Southern game, Taylor has more openings.

Taylor with the every other year schedule (meaning UND hosts in 2015) is probably the last and only offer.

Taylor with the every other year schedule (meaning UND hosts in 2015) is probably the last and only offer.

According to NDSU fans, UND is the cupcake: so what's the problem? NDSU may want FCS diversity in their schedule, but that Southern and Colonial schools don't want the travel. Georgia Southern just dropped them from the schedule, so again, NDSU is having difficulty filling it's own schedule. We are a Big Sky school now, so by definition we provide "diversity".

Give them time, as they are still in their mourning stage of being left behind. Having Boise State become a big-time power would almost be analogous to Montana State-Billings being the most important football school in Montana, as the academic disparity between Boise St and Idaho is huge. Idaho fans should have been thankful that they were invited to the WAC in the first place (only happened when UTEP left and the WAC had no other choice). If that hadn't happened, Idaho would have been back in the Big Sky five years ago. NDSU fans bashed the Summit League for years before they converted over to being a booster of it (except when they are pleading with the MVC to let them in). Just give Idaho fans some time! ;)