UND92,96

I understand what you're saying, but Gunther's teams played tough schedules, especially in the 1970's. Non-conference opponents included Minnesota (four times), Villanova, Gonzaga, St. Mary's (twice), Creighton (twice), Boise St., New Mexico and Nevada, among many other current division I schools. Plus Northern Iowa was in the NCC until 1978. A conference schedule including the three other Dakota schools, Northern Iowa, Omaha, etc. two to three times a year was pretty brutal.

UND also just hired a new soccer coach. Presumably to a multi-year contract. I don't think soccer is being cut. It's one of those women's sports, like basketball, volleyball and track, that nearly every division I school sponsors.

You know, maybe football really is keeping women's hockey down. Just ask the women's hockey coaches at UNO and Denver. Wait a minute...never mind .

An argument could be made that it would actually be safer from a Title IX standpoint to cut women's hockey than any other women's sport. Why? The so-called prong 3, or interests and abilities test. Even at the local level, and certainly at the state level, girls'/womens' hockey is far less popular in terms of participation than soccer, swimming and softball. Probably tennis, also. So by keeping the least popular sport (again, in terms of participation) it seems to me that a school would be opening itself up to a challenge by supporters of objectively more popular sports, arguing that if cuts absolutely had to be made, it should be the objectively least popular (not to mention most expensive) sport that was cut. I have no idea whether this argument would prove compelling, but it's probably a stronger Title IX argument than women's hockey supporters would have if that sport were cut.

IMO, it really depends on whether Faison figures out a way to conduct a search like a real division I athletic director despite the ND University System/UND rules. And that means not simply posting the job and waiting for applications to roll in (as he allegedly did in the football hiring process). Because unlike football, there's probably no Bubba out there who is both well-qualified and who sees this as his dream job. If we want somebody like Walthall, I don't believe he's going to apply without some "assurances" that the job is his. If there's truly no way for that to happen under the current hiring rules, then we may want to prepare ourselves for another hire of somebody as dubiously qualified as Jones was 10 years ago. I hope I'm wrong.

While I certainly understand people wishing the football crowd had been a bit larger yesterday given the circumstances, UND did have over 22,000 at its three home games on the day.

Matt Kellogg's contract will not be renewed: http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4154101-und-soccer-coach-will-not-have-contract-renewed-next-season

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4153154-und-negotiating-conference-move-missouri-valley-football-conference-summit-league#.WB5nPPp4KhU.twitter

UND started 9-0 in 2005. Then the infamous collapse against Omaha happened...

Per Tom Miller and SFI, UND has received a commitment from DE Ezekiel Ott of Caledonia (MN).

Buchanan has committed to UND.

Akealy Moton from West Fargo has committed to UND.

Interestingly, a few hours before Kvilvang's announcement, UND received a verbal commitment from 6'5" Melissa Leet from Portage (WI).

Miller is going to a juco.

UND shot a higher percentage than Weber, out-rebounded them, made as many 3's and only turned the ball over 12 times, and still somehow managed to lose.

Dyer went scoreless again. Hard to believe.

That third quarter was about as bad of a defensive performance as I've ever seen.

It seemed like more than that to me, as well.

UC-Irvine's RPI is 75. Other than maybe UNI, this might be the best team to play in GF in the division I era?

The tough part is that even though UND returns everybody and adds Baker, Weber, Montana and Idaho return a lot too, and UND was just 1-5 against those three this season. Personally, I think UND should be better than Weber minus Bolomboy, and Montana minus Breunig (regardless of who else they may add in the off-season), but it definitely won't be easy.

You are correct. I specified Freije and Klabo mostly because I think they can, and will probably need to replace the production of Loyd, who is obviously a big loss.

I expect Freije and Klabo to take big steps forward next season. Hopefully the Denver transfer can be a big contributor, too.

Has UND offered Akealy Moton from West Fargo? She's an impressive athlete.

http://www.wday.com/sports/3983797-watch-live-100-pm-ndhsaa-super-state-basketball-tournament

I believe Nagy's .780 winning percentage in nine years as a dII coach at SDSU bought him more time than most coaches would have gotten under the circumstances.