MplsBison

I think the point is that UND's basketball budgets are going to be lower than the Mid Con average (including NDSU, which will likely be near the top). Hockey and football will suck up most of the money.

If you did, the bball teams would have DI budgets.

Not saying the Mid Con will take them in right away. Might be a few years before teams like Oral Roberts, Centenary, and Oakland jump ship. SUU might leave soon, though. But the Great West will take them in as soon as possible.

You guys don't really care about bball anyway.

With SUU adding scholarships, I see them in the Big Sky all the way. UND and USD will be in the Great West and Independant in bball for a while to come.

UND and USD will be in the Great West. Either 2008 or 2009. That means UND will have its top 2 sports taken care of as far as a conference goes. At the latest, the GWFC can be considered for an autobid in 2014. If WIU or another established team comes over, 2010 is the year. Then it just comes down to what confernce do you want your basketball team to be in? Do you even care about basketball? I know USD will. The Mid Con isn't a bad option. Esp. if NDSU and SDSU are in.

Please...please...don't waste your time waiting up for the Big Sky. Just don't do it. Dispite anything that the Montana schools or Fullerton may want or say, the western schools will not let eastern expansion happen.

Unless you have insider information, Woden, I would have to agree with smoggy that a skyway would likely connect to a future parking structure, not a new stadium. The Alerus is 4 years old? You really think the city would let UND get away with leaving?

Moscow ID to Pullman WA: 9.4 miles Grand Forks ND to Minneapolsi MN: 315 miles That might factor into the decision.

How do you know that seating still won't be an issue in the future? Even at NDSU some people are thinking that 18k isn't going to be enough when NDSU starts hosting I-AA playoff games.

As were NDSU and SDSU. Directly from the NCC to the GWFC. The same could be for UND, USD, abd UNO in 2008.

Both NDSU and UND do and should receive a large bulk of the ND taxpayer money for higher education. The rest of the schools should be junior colleges and tech schools with the exception of Minot State.

UND has more money than UNO, I would guess.

Hammer, thanks for the post. I know the SWAC is black schools and I know that Southern and Grambling play a classic in New Orleans on national TV (NBC). I don't see why that should automatically exclude the other 10 teams in the conference. I think the Alabama schools (State and A&M) could do well along with Jackson State. As for the Ivys, the reason they are not in the playoffs is purely academic, not competitive reasons. I put them right up with the Patriot. So anytime they're ready to play, they should get an autobid. I also don't see a reason why both the 12 game season and the 24 playoff field can't happen. The regular season is already 12 games long with the 4 game playoff going up to the weekend before Xmas week. If they're worried about players not being home for Xmas, have the game the weekend after Xmas. No big deal.

I don't think UNO would have a problem being a DI-AA team in the state of Nebraska. I just don't think they can afford it right now.

Life is not fair, true. There is talk in both the Ivy and SWAC camps about participating in the playoffs, so that much of your post is wrong. I would very much like to see a 24 team field with the top 8 seeds getting byes the first week and 12 autos (to each of the main conferneces).

No conference will freely give it away, but when you have the Great West as the 2nd ranked conference in terms of the GPI and conferences like the MEAC and OVC near the bottom, the GWFC deserves to have the autobid from one of those. Just that simple. Or expand the playoffs and give the Big South, Great West, Ivy League, and SWAC each a bid. That would be 12 autos and 24 team field.

But highly likely.

See how some NDSU fans are? They actually want any possibilty that would include UND getting into the Great West to get shut down, for nothing more than trying to shut UND out. Even if it would help NDSU. It's about as far from a pipe dream as you can get.

Don't see them going DI or leaving the NCC. I think they'll push the NCC to bring UNK in as well as maybe Winona and Bemidji.

Over on AGS it was mentioned by Ralph that if Western IL came over to the Great West (and we got more members) that the GWFC could be considered for autobid status in 2010!

Show me a link where I said the NCC should move to DI together? You can't find it because it doesn't exist. It's sad that you consider NDSU, SDSU, UND, and USD = the NCC. BS. They're merely the flagship schools from the old NCC. 10 is better than 11. When did I say that they were going to 11? I never have. That was another poster. But what the hell, might as well direct the whole thread of posts at me. 12 is better than 10 IMO. 12 is where I think the Mid Con is going. As far as Centenary is concerned, they don't want to be in the Mid Con. They applied for the Southland and were denied. They'd rather be anywhere than the Mid Con. That's fine with me.

If 10 is the optimum number for a basketball conference then what the hell is wrong with the Big East? And the Big Ten, ACC, and Big XII for that matter? I think UND and USD will be in the Great West right away. Not sure if the Mid Con will pick them both up. I know UVSC needs a home too and they provide a (better) travel partner for SUU. Never know though. Maybe they'll kick out Centenary. That would be fine with me.

What do you guys feel will need to be the big money items as far as construction goes? Indoor facility?

The Big East tv contract means nothing. The football schools can make more money without the bball schools anytime they want.