Gothmog

Good career. But no pro bowls.

I don't know, Steve Nelson's 171 career starts and 3 pro bowls are pretty hard to beat.

I don't think that the intent was to disguise the FCS as something it's not. In any case, I doubt very many people are being fooled by it.

Hmmm, I agree it's not a big deal. But how is FCS more contrived than I-AA? Seems to me to be more descriptive. It is a football only designation. Many people misinderstood that.

Well, it certainly was if, not when, UND would win a football championship for over a hundred years. Not sure why things would be different in DI.

I'm sure that's it...wait a minute UND is not even listed as a top 100 school. Hmmm, how can that be?

"One Alumni", why is this a news story?

I think is probably true that supporters of NDSU tend to think of it as one of North Dakota's two flagship schools, while UND supporters think of UND as the only flagship school. Neither has any such official status, so it's largely a matter of opinion. Especially given the fact the the common defintion of "Flagship University" really does not apply to the situation in North Dakota. Anyway, this disagreement does serve as an example of why Mr. Kiefer's proposal to combine the two schools would be extremely difficult to accomplish. NDSU supporters and UND supporters will argue endlessly to prevent their school (or city) from losing status relative to the other.

OK, I stand corrected the Wikipedia defintion does refer to the system growing out of the flagship campus, not individual schools. In any case, the definition you gave still does not apply to the situation in North Dakota. Although it is the oldest school in the system, UND is not the "original campus" of the system, and the system did not grow out of UND. NDUS is a later attempt to rationalized the management of several schools that were founded and grew independently of each other. That's why it's called the "North Dakota University System" not the "University of North Dakota System." Whether you recognize it or not, and despite the fact that it does not have a law school or a medical school, NDSU is operated, and commonly thought of, as a "Flagship University."

True enough, but it's also true that UND is not the "original campus" from which NDSU grew in any way. So, the defintion given does not exclude NDSU as a "Flagship University". In fact, NDSU status as a Land Grant institution does give it a status that UND simply does not share. North Dakota is generally considered to have two "Flagship Universities"

It's interesting that you removed this portion of Wikipedia's article: "A flagship campus is often a land-grant school dating from the wave of state university foundings that followed the Morrill Act of 1863."

Both the Boise and Spokane metro areas have populations around 600k. Making them ~ 6 times as large as GF. Seems significant to me.

In any case, the need for a study implies a decision-making process that is missing from your "Summit bylaws will require football once 6 football playing members are acquired" scenario.

My point exactly. Summit football will not happen by automatic operation of the conference's bylaws. Calmer heads would prevail and the best interests of all members would be considered. Personally, I can't imagine the non-football membership forcing the MVFC schools to leave their current confernce (and possibly incur a large penalty) over their strong objections. But, hey, I'm just speculating.

One question. Why would the Summit League need to do a Football feasibility study if its bylaws would require sponsorship of football anyway?

Sorry, you dislike me so intensely. Anyway, my suggestion was sincere. I really do think it would be a good choice.

I actually think that the UND "Fighting Spirit" would be a good choice. It invokes the memory of the Fighting Sioux name without being controversial, and pays a little respect to the Spirit Lake tribe. Isn't "Discover the Spirit" already on every license plate in the state and on a sign on every entry point into the state. The "Fighting Spirit" could apply to Sioux warriors, or the hardy pioneers who settled the state, or the 7th Cavalry, or Theodore Roosevelt's Roughriders...and so on.

Are you so blinded by your allegiance to Hockey that you fail to see the huge opportunity for UND to make a splash in DI Basketball? You've got the resources. All you need to do is go for it. Sioux Basketball can and will be great for the university and the commmunity if people like you will only shed their myopic hockey-centric thinking. The real reason for moving to DI is the chance to compete in the NCAA Basketball tournament. Without membership in a autobid conference, such as the Summit League, UND simply won't get that chance and a great opportunity will be wasted.

I don't take your comments as negative at all. If the Bison had any inside game at all they would have had a very real chance to steal that game. There's was a point with about 8:00 to go in that when I thought they were actually going to have a chance pull it off - in spite of their pathetic inside game.

Well, I watched nearly every home game NDSU's best DII team played (the one with Berwald, Askew etc) and I'd say this NDSU team would beat that team 90% of the time - at least. You're right about overrating Vonesh, Joe Regnier owned his butt. Lucas Moorman ain't much of a scorer, but he'd dominate Dave Vonesh.

Well Dave, these words just might come back to haunt you. Besides, the Summit is an auto-bid league - the Bison will be back.

The question is - Would you still be going to the Force game if they played in a uncomfortable and run-down 40 year-old building?

C'mon, there isn't going to be any significant political outcry against NDSU, regardless of what happens in UND's transition. Most people in the state are happy that NDSU moved up, and are smart enough to realize that UND screwed up in not moving up with them. They are not going to hold NDSU officials responsible for mistakes made in Grand Forks. If you really want to help UND through it's transition, go to games, donate money, support YOUR shcool. For God's sake shut up about NDSU - you're just going to piss off half the people in the state.

Whiney? Who the heck is whining? Not me, that's for sure.

People haven't forgotten what happened a few years ago. The more UND criticizes NDSU for not scheduling UND now, the worse it looks for its behavior back then. Again, those who live in glass houses...