UND92,96

Here's a link regarding Erik Moe and another Duluth area recruit, Derek Malner from Eveleth-Gilbert. While not all of these are 100% confirmed, here is an updated verbal commitment list: Weston Dressler, Bismarck Jake Caufield, Minot Rory Manke, Detroit Lakes Mike Rohde, Schofield, WI Reece Henrickson, Stephen-Argyle Mike Yilek, Eden Prairie Erik Moe, Int'l Falls Brett Rousseau, Hopkins Danny Freund, Kenosha, WI Brandon Jordan, Winnipeg Brian Troen, Racine, WI Drake Otto, Kenosha, WI Brady Trenbeath, Cavalier Derek Malner, Eveleth-Gilbert

If Kutztown is out, that would apparently mean we are still looking for one more game, or else we'll have a 10-game schedule again next year, which I hope is not the case. Six NCC games plus Central Wash., Mesa, Delta and Ferris would be 10.

Based on what I've seen of Dobmeier on a few highlights, he does look like he's let himself go a bit. Although the Mr. Basketball award is not based on who will have the best college career, I have a feeling that when their college careers are over with, people will have a hard time believing in retrospect that he got Mr. BB over Lindahl. Lindahl is a possible future NCC mvp, while Dobmeier is little more than a guy who'll make an occasional 3-pointer. Why NDSU didn't at least red-shirt the kid two years ago I'll never know since he barely played as a true freshman.

I was watching the sports on Fox last night (ch. 10 in GF), and Ben Nemmers said they really wanted to pound the ball inside because they felt they had an advantage with their interior players. Huh? Lindahl, Rypkema and the rapidly improving Stoute are averaging 32.4 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. May, Erbes and Kelchen average 21.1 points and 14.6 rebounds per game. The only advantage NDSU has is a little bulk, and that disappears when Stoute is in the game. Kelchen has had a bulk advantage over nearly everyone he's played against for the past three years, and he's done next to nothing in his career. I'm not completely biased, as I would have no problem with admitting that NDSU has an advantage in the backcourt. But on the interior, UND is clearly taller and more talented. Even if it turns into a wrestling match (and I have no doubt it probably will), Stoute is probably both stronger AND more athletic than anybody NDSU has inside, and if NDSU tries to cover Lindahl with one of their bigger guys, he'll take them outside and either drive around them or shoot over them.

The latest from allcanadagridiron.com:

Judging by what UND Fan posted in a different thread, it sounds like UND's schedule could possibly be finalized within the next few weeks. NDSU's schedule probably won't come out for awhile yet as according to an article in the Forum last week, they only have five game contracts so far.

UND recruiting target Matt Lien from Duluth is going to Augie according to this link. Also, all-state defensive tackle Dustin Martin from Moorhead is going to Bemidji St. according to the Forum. UND and St. Cloud, among others, had also been recruiting him. I'm fairly certain NDSU did, as well. A bit of a curious decision for Martin since his Forum all-star team bio stated that he was being recruited by Minnesota, among others. I doubt very much he was offered by the Gophers, but generally all-state players who draw even a passing interest from Minnesota don't end up at Bemidji. This could be one of their highest profile signees in a long, long time.

If this schedule comes to fruition, I don't think too many people will accuse UND of having a weak non-conference schedule: Mesa St.--10-1 regular season in 2003; RMAC champion; finished year as number one ranked team in the west region. Delta St.--9-2 in 2003; finished season ranked 9th in south region. Central Wash.--6-4 in 2003; finished season ranked 8th in the west region. Ferris St.--6-5 in 2003; finished tied for 4th in GLIAC. Kutztown--6-5 in 2003.

UND Fan: Does that mean that among Delta State, Ferris St. and Kutztown St. (the teams you had mentioned in an earlier post), there are confirmed games with two of them, and negotiations are ongoing with the other team?

Another allcanadagridiron.com update:

It was nice to see that Jacobson finally had something of a breakout game, scoring 18 in last night's win at Augie. Also, Stoute has had three strong performances in a row. With his combination of size, strength and athletic ability, it sounds like he is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. It's easy to see why the coaches wanted to red-shirt him. The fact that he's apparently improved this much in a short period of time shows what an extra year might have done for him. Fortunately, he will still have next season to give the Sioux hopefully a pretty lethal three-person rotation at the 4 and 5 positions, along with Lindahl and Ryp.

It looks like Freund has committed to UND, according to this link. He is a great get, and I believe he was UND's number one quarterback target. Hopefully this bodes well in the recruitment of Heckendorf, as well. The link also confirms Rohde's commitment. Freund is 6'1", 190. He was named first team all-state in Wisconsin by the A.P., and second team by the Journal Sentinel. He threw for 3438 yards and 40 td's as a senior, and ran for 5 td's. An opposing coach had this to say about him:

UND's last two home crowds of 2002 were 8786 and 7328. If memory serves me correctly, NDSU's last two were both in the 6600 range.

Yes, womens hockey was going to happen anyway due to Title IX and the threats of a lawsuit. But I firmly believe that the added hockey revenue due to REA makes it a lot less painful than it would otherwise have been. Bottom line: where do you think all this REA money ends up? If the contract is as one-sided as you are apparently saying, why did UND sign off on it? Something here doesn't add up.

There is no debt to pay back from the construction of REA. Ralph's $100 million-plus built it. As for the new facility, my understanding is that the profits from REA will pay for it over time. The state had to O.K. its construction, and I think it's safe to say that they would never have given permission unless it was clear that the money would be there, and that nothing would have to come from the state.

I'm not trying to argue with you. I'll be the first to admit that I have no inside information regarding the finances of either REA or the UND athletic department. Whether or not you do, again I don't know. As for womens hockey costs being picked by the FSC, we're both essentially saying the same thing. Most people give money to the FSC to get hockey tickets. The fact that REA seats 11,500 allows far more hockey tickets to be sold than at the old Ralph. However one wants to phrase it, the fact that REA exists is the only reason womens hockey can exist at UND without some serious cuts to other sports. Maybe those cuts will eventually happen anyway, but they probably would have happened already but for the existence of REA.

Maybe I'm naive, but I believe that all profits that REA realizes go towards the direct benefit of the athletic department one way or another. The key word there is "profits." Certainly, the running of the arena creates significant costs, as well, and those presumably are paid for in large part through ticket sales, concessions, etc. But at least two things lead me to believe that UND has, indeed, benefited financially by the REA to a large extent. First, the addition of womens hockey. This is a sport which has significant costs, yet which produces practically no revenue. Despite the apparent hardship this should mean to the athletic department, no mens non-revenue-producing sports have been cut, nor are there any cuts on the horizon as far as I know. I think this speaks volumes. Secondly is the construction of the basketball/volleyball facility. If UND athletics does, indeed, operate at a loss of roughly $400,000, then of course it would seem to be virtually impossible to construct this facility with no state money at all. Yet, that seems to be the case. Again, this is apparently possible due only to the profits turned by REA.

From today's Herald:

I would say that's probably about right. It's hard to know exactly how many of the average of 10,700 people (average hockey attendance this year) are non-students, but if we conservatively estimate 7500, and a season ticket price of $345.00 (not including the FSC fee), that's about $2.6 million right there. Concessions at REA have got to bring in huge $$$, as well. I would think anywhere from $3 million to $5 million is realistic.

UND hockey generates more revenue through ticket sales and concessions than all NDSU sports combined. Evidently somebody must care.

I found this in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel regarding Mike Rohde:

I don't believe anybody is trying to say that hockey is more popular than basketball in the United States. Obviously, that's not the case. The point, in my opinion, is that no matter what NCAA division UND is in, or NDSU is in for that matter, college basketball in the state of North Dakota will never approach the attendance levels or national success that UND has enjoyed in hockey. And I say that despite the fact that I am far more of a basketball fan than a hockey fan. We're talking about an average of somewhere between 10,500 and 11,500 per game for approximately a 22-game home schedule. To put it in perspective, UND's hockey average per-game attendance would put it approximately 35th in the country in basketball attendance. That's ahead of schools like Michigan, Duke, UCLA, Purdue, Florida and countless others. Sure, that has a lot to do with the size of the venues, but who cares? Hockey is a cash cow at UND, and regardless of whether you are interested in it, or whether it's as popular as basketball on a national level, it is a huge asset for UND. Any school would be quite happy to have a sport which allows it to sell something in excess of 230,000 tickets per year at roughly $20 a pop in a world-class arena which was gifted to it, and which allows it to play several nationally known schools every year.

I don't disagree with you. My comments regarding St. Cloud's quarterback situation were more in reference to the fact that they really haven't brought in a blue-chip qb prospect since Keith Heckendorf back in 1999. I still wonder to this day how heavily recruited he was coming out of high school since that was in the midst of a terrible period for SCSU football and you have to wonder whether he'd have gone there had he had many other offers. For all I know, perhaps he would have gone there anyway, it just seems like they probably weren't in a position to be winning many recruiting battles back then considering the lack of success, facilities, fan support, media coverage, etc.