mikejm

Still need to have binding 30-year contracts with both tribes to satisfy the settlement with NCAA. (I think I'm recalling the timeframe correctly.) What are the odds of that?

I think this question is one usually answered by state's attorneys and juries. Oh, and the money to build the presidents' houses was donated by Bill and Jane M - A - R - C - I - L.

I think that changed a couple of years ago. The only section that I am aware of that does not require a donation to the FSC is 311, and I don't think they sell season tickets there. The last section I know of where a non-contributor could buy season tickets was 314, and that went by the wayside.

The Fighting Sioux Club is a part of the UND Foundation.

As do I. I'm just pointing out that people here who say they are done giving money to the University, and yet attend hockey games, are sort of splitting hairs.

Well, kinda. Every men's hockey season ticket holder MUST make a donation to the Fighting Sioux Club. So in that regard they are neither anonymous nor voluntary. If one decides to quit giving money, the tickets are a necessary piece of collateral damage.

One hopes the Sioux don't find themselves in a similar situation soon, having to tell a prized recruit to spend another year in juniors...

^Ouch!!!

Critical, yes. But accurate.

^If there is a grey area in this instance, it is a pretty dark grey.

I am quite certain the Marcil family is rather embarrassed about how this has turned out. They made a gracious

The offices of both presidents

We talking the actual Wisconsin law or you want to get hypothetical? The law deals with local school boards, not the university system.

^No. I think the law specifically refers to "local school boards" which would not include a university.

So you're saying there's still a chance...

Yeah, $10 mil is nothing to me. Ralph's gift was initially $50 mil for a rink, and $50 mil for academics. By the time he was done flying around the country looking at other rinks and adding in stuff he saw that he liked, he'd spent more than $100 mil on the rink alone. He could've added $10 mil more to the budget without batting an eye. And whether or not Ralph could've foreseen the NCAA's hostile and abusive campaign is immaterial. There was already a very visible and vocal "dump the nickname" movement on campus and around the state. He knew there was at least a possibility the thing would go beyond the tipping point. Heck, it happened while he was building the rink. I don't blame the current situation on Ralph, but he was in a position to solve it a long time ago.

The elephant in the room here is that this could've all been done ten years ago when Ralph was building the rink. All he had to do was go to each of the tribes with $5-10 mil and say, "here. I'll try to get you a piece of the action on merchandise sales, too. But take the money and sign this contract giving UND the right to use the name/logo." Adding $10 million to the budget would've been nothing.

You all are aware there is a petition being circulated at Spirit Lake to rescind the "approval" right? I understand there are several hundred signatures on the petition already. This is why the settlement with the NCAA called for a 30-year contract with the tribes.

I bleed Fighting Sioux Green but let's not be too quick to cast aspersions towards NDSU sports program. It isn't that long ago that Rich Glas tossed a couple basketball players off the team for *ahem* disciplinary infractions. And there are others...

This whole thing is starting to resemble a circular firing squad. Regrettable way for something as noble as the Fighting Sioux logo to go down...

Um, yeah; significant investment. The lunch cost me $8.00. And the luncheons are open to anyone. I'm a small-timer.

On which side of this equation are you placing me? I need to know whether to feel good about myself today or otherwise.

This statement could not get any further from the truth. The "issue" was hardly spoken of. And Faison had a huge smile on his face most of the time. Your buddy had given you misinformation.

^Yeah; it doesn't look like it. Something Hakstol said during the luncheon that isn't all that surprising when one thinks of it, but it took me aback. He said, in addition to being banged up, and thus "thin" at some positions, he also mentioned being thin at the maturity department. A team as young as this one was, I shouldn't be surprised. But by March they certainly weren't playing young anymore. Even though Hakstol is sandbagging today about what next year's squad is going to be like, I think he knows what he's got on the roster. And I think he is pretty excited.

I don't know that this is directly to the topic, but Coach Hakstol