Gothmog

Both teams clearly did improve during the season. Despite that improvement, UND was no closer to NDSU at the end of the season than it was in September. If anything, the gap increased during the season.

That's easy to say.

You're not really suggesting that UND would have done as well as JSU in this year's playoffs...are you? C'mon man

Do you really doubt that NDSU ( or UND and any other FCS school) would get more G5 level recruits as a G5 program than they're currently getting in FCS? That just doesn't make any sense. There are lots of reasons for NDSU to stay at the FCS level, but losing their recruiting advantage isn't one of them.

Ok. Nevertheless, my points are no less valid.

The funny thing that UND's most famous athlete wasn't a DI hockey player. He was a DII basketball player. In any case, do you honestly doubt that NDSU has received more media attention over the last five years as a direct result of its football team than UND has received from its hockey team? With 4, working on 5, FCS titles, and 2 ESPN Game Day appearances, I don't think it's really very close. Add in NDSU's MBB tournament appearances and it's a complete blowout.

No, I don't read the Herald. Did he really say those things?

Really? I don't see any motivation for that. In fact, quite the opposite, one would think that a playoff match up between UND and. SDSU, NDSU, or Montana,. would have drawn well and made everyone a little more money.

"They did not have the votes at the end of the day." No other explanation is needed, or even really possible, You are expecting one person to tell you why a committee collectively voted the way it did. He can't do that. All he can do is tell you what tools they use and what they discuss. He can't tell you what was in each member's mind. Again, there is no formula.

You're not due (and are probably not going to get) any answer, other than "we thought that WIU, EIU.... were better, more representative teams than UND."

Zero, you're not bowl eligible.

And I never said that a case couldn't made for UND. Nevertheless, I don't see the inconsistency. You gotta prove it on the field ... UND didn't quite do that.

So? There is no formula that guarantees anyone a bid. 7-4 and a win over 1-win FBS guarantees you nothing. Four losses is too many for you to feel any sense of entitlement.

It's also easy to dismiss what someone else says as hindsight. The reality is that you should have known, and you should still recognize, that it was not a done deal for UND at 7-4.

If NDSU really does "get screwed" out a playoff spot, I certainly won't be on here saying otherwise. The point is, at 7-4, UND can't really say that they got screwed. You didn't win enough games.

UND is still an unknown quantity at this level of football. It was always unlikely that UND would get a playoff bid with a 7-4 record.

In your opinion...not in theirs.

But it doesn't work that way. Things like SRS, SOS, "quality" wins and losses, etc. are just tools. The committee can interpret them as they see fit.

The bottom line is that no explanation need be given, other than, in the judgment of the committee, EIU and WIU are better teams than UND. Selection, with the exception of AQs, is ultimately subjective.

No. To be bowl eligible, only one FCS win can be counted. No FCS team could possibly be bowl-eligible without playing (and beating) at least 5 FBS teams in a given year.

Precisely right. The process itself virtually guaranteed a that the result would not meet the stated criteria. That said, "Fighting Hawks" isn't really a bad nickname. It could have been much worse. Be happy you won't be cheering for the Sundogs. Embrace "Fighting Hawks" and, in time, it will seem natural to you.

You must have missed the facts about the number of teams playing DI hockey, and the names of some of the lesser schools competing for the NCAA Hockey championship.

No one is ripping on Hockey or bringing it down. Bison fans are merely responding to incessant "but hockey" arguments from Sioux fans with cold, hard facts.

You are talking about a team that has lost a total of 2 road games in the last 5 years, including multiple games against FBS teams and ranked FCS teams.

Now you're just being obtuse. Of course the popularity of, and participation in, a sport is relevant to the importance of that sport's championship.