Shawn-O

The spin control from the Gopher faithful will be very entertaining!

If the announcements are in regard to the lawsuit, I'll give credit where credit is due. I think he's handled the matter with the NCAA very well. Let's wait and see. My other guess would be large financial gifts? It seems to me that Tim and his team are the ones carrying the mail there, but I don't see what goes on behind the scenes.

Since you bring up Strat Plan II, let's talk how we're doing on fall enrollment relative to that plan. http://www.und.edu/stratplan/tables.html#9 Looks woefully short to me. Let's just take a step back and be objective for a change. On Kupchella's and Chapman's watch, NDSU has grown faster than UND, period. The constant pom-pom waving for Kupchella doesn't do anything to help matters.

This was an interesting look back: http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/our/dimensions/november2004/

I've driven through that campus. How anyone gets out of there with a degree is beyond me.

I gotta believe we're looking at July 1, 2008 at this point.

How about a CanDo'er?

Better donate one more....the league schedule won't be going over the 28 games anytime soon.

Is it a showstopper if someone doesn't have a doctoral of some sort, J.D, Ph.D, etc.?

I would like to see a broad background in both the private sector and university administration, which may be tough to find. I hope UND does not go the route of a career professor/administrator, like Dr. Kupchella.

Regarding ESU, here is a post from the d2football.com message board: http://www.d2messageboard.com/showpost.php...amp;postcount=8 Sounds like the money was there, and ESU said no thanks.

Tough loss talent-wise for the Gophers. With that said, if the kid can't be forthright with his head coach....maybe Minnesota is a better hockey team this afternoon.

That is ten years down the road....fast tracked. Personally, I don't ever see it happening, but I don't follow it as closely as some others.

Our experience was great, four of us went to Madison about three years ago. A dad with his two sons went so far as to pick up our dinner bill before the Friday game. We said no way...he insisted. Good group of fans, on your a$$ during the game, and happy to hash over the goings on from the previous game over a beer.

I don't think you'll hear any argument here. But for the next four years, anyway, new hockey programs will have to come from the ranks of Division I. No playing up in one sport, per the four-year moratorium. Looking at the existing D-I's, I just don't see any startups happening, but I hope I'm wrong. Syracuse is a possibility, I guess.

This surprised me: This is a good piece of information:

Definitely. If someone could post that to YouTube, that would be golden.

What about the out-of-towners that want to tailgate? I'm cool with the 10 bucks, but it sounds like there might not be passes left by gameday? Can we call it with a credit card and pick up the pass on gameday for the $7.50? Dropping by the Alerus offices ain't an option.

UN-Omaha is the only team out there that would fit your criteria....and I do think they'd be a great addition.

Look for them to win the Director's Cup in Divsion II for about the next 10 years in a row (after 07-08 that is...UND's winning it this year ). Isn't their enrollment about 23,000? Gigantic compared to the rest of D-2.

The NCAA freeze on D-I move-ups had me thinkin' (and I've been drinkin') about the future of college hockey. The CHA needs to be toast. Four 12 team leagues and one 11 team league, assuming no drops or adds, is what needs to happen (60 would be nirvana, 58 would be fine, too). Speculate on the reshuffle however you like, but here's one scenario. How about the two Alaska schools together in our league...(which they say can't be done). It would require six trips to Alaska every five years, but I think it's doable. Nothing earth shattering here, just the CCHA cluster system with the rivalries built in. Marquee teams at the REA 3 out of 5 years instead of 3 out of 4, but I'd take it. Discuss. P.S Bemidji gets in too.

Have ya' heard about the Lindbergh baby?

Eaves is at about $200,000/year base, plus a deferred annuity making it about a quarter mil a year. What does Johnson make in Lincoln? What's Lucia making? What's Gwozdecky making? The data's out there, it's not that complicated of a negotiation. Get it done, Mr. Buning!