Matt

Per his own Twitter, Robbie Grimsley commits to the ac.

Very difficult to establish yourself as a smashmouth running team without the O Line to make that happen. Defensive improvement will be even more necessary.

I understand why you would say this, but it is never easy. Yes I'd prefer doing it with a few rings on my hand, but staying there takes a lot of hard work and focus on the recruiting trail. It is very easy to get arrogant and complacent while your competition is humble and outworks you (see Rocky vs Roger in the 90s). If Klieman has learned that already he's ahead of the game.

Per Dom Izzo, UND offeree Ty Brooks from Fargo South has verballed to the ac.

They are familiar with Bubba.

Ok...I'm gonna say (type) what we are all thinking...that "elite" camp is fairly light on the "elite". I'll stash this in the large "things Bubba will improve over time" file.

I get you. I wasn't looking at it from a UND/NDSU vs MN perspective. I fully expect other FBS schools to offer him, so from that perspective Minnesota's front runner status will be short lived. Unless of course he has some personal connection which makes him more likely to want to go to MN. However, when you grow up in Fargo watching your home town team beat MN it is less likely that he would view the gophers as a better option than some other FBS school that is likely to offer.

Why?

No I do not. High expectations for the program. I was pretty clear in outlining the problems the 2014 team is facing.

It is clear there is a new system and new players being brought in to run it. So to circle back to the specific thread topic of the SJSU game: I think playing your FBS game in the very first game when all these changes are being implemented is the worst case scenario. No, I take that back. Another season of Muss' and the gang was the worst case scenario. This scenario is one rung above that, because short of the O and D looking good in this game (highly unlikely), I don't know that I will take much away from this game but getting quality snaps under the players' belts. Seriously...if the team goes out there and looks bad (highly plausible)...what do you take from that? It's their first game...with a roster full of new starters, transfers, new staff, new system...vs an FBS team...on the road. Heck, if the team were playing at home vs a pioneer league team I would expect them to start slowly. This is not about diminished expectations. I have high expectations for this program. I really wish the Robert Morris game were the season opener, so we could really evaluate things. The SJSU game is just a bad situation in which to begin the new era with Bubba, but you play what you are dealt. I just think some folks' expectations of what we will see in game 1 is unrealistic.

We have absolutely no idea if this team is even capable of resembling a power running team. I'm aware that is the intent, but it is pure hyperbole to describe this offense that way on July 22nd.

Voted on by Media 1. Eastern Washington (34 first-place votes), 464 points 2. Montana (1), 416 3. Montana State (1), 364 4. Cal Poly, 329 5. Northern Arizona, 328 6. Southern Utah, 299 7. UC Davis, 228 8. Portland State, 227 9. Sacramento State, 222 10. Idaho State, 124 11. North Dakota, 121 12. Weber State, 103 13. Northern Colorado, 61

BIG SKY FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLLS Voted on by Head Coaches 1. Eastern Washington (12 first-place votes), 144 points 2. Montana (1), 130 3. Montana State, 111 4. Cal Poly, 108 5. Northern Arizona, 100 6. Southern Utah, 89 7. Sacramento State, 79 8. Portland State, 71 9. UC Davis, 66 10. North Dakota, 34 11. Weber State, 30 12. Idaho State, 28 13. Northern Colorado, 23

Sports Network Report http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/archive/haley_7_15_2014.htm

This program really needs a season that will bring some measure of respect both in the conference and in the community. Too many years now of being lumped in with the irrelevant programs in the conference. Being 1-6 at that point would look really bad, even if the coaches feel there is improvement.

He's in a necessary spot given his BCS ambitions. Listened to him do a radio interview when the news broke. The advice he'd been given by people that he trusts is that the people which been getting BCS (yes that is his stated goal in the interview) AD positions have been getting them from positions as assistants at larger schools. Not from ADs at mid majors.

There are hockey fans that have indeed been saying that for years.

That should be Big Sky territory.

Lovely. Until the game is played this is the sort of banter we are left with. A mix of "wait 'till next year" and "our attendance isn't as bad as you think".

Then my next question would be "why the heck not?".

Did surprise me too, but then again the BSC and by extension UND (to most on BV any UND coverage is too much) has no where near the share of voice in the Fargo media market as the mvfc/summit. While you can certainly find the scores (minus the games in progress by the 1020 sports), the sports discussion on tv, radio, and print centers around the standings and games with mvfc/summt. The hockey team gets good coverage though.

Maybe still a little work left to do on the perception of the program to local athletes. Getting on the same field with the ac won't hurt. http://recruiting.sc...ning-steam?s=73 Ben Ellefson is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end prospect who shows impressive ball skills on tape. His recruitment is beginning to pick up and he now holds three football offers. "Air Force and South Dakota State [offered] and I have a D2 scholarship from North Dakota and one for basketball," he said. "It's really humbling. It makes you think about it a little more. It's definitely a fun experience getting that call telling you're getting an offer and paid schooling. It's a reminder that hard work pays off." "I haven't finalized it yet, but Air Force and I might go to Wyoming for camp and then I have Iowa State early in June and Minnesota camp as well, then a couple closer to home like North Dakota State, South Dakota State and possibly Northern Iowa."

If Inniger couldn't sell the hockey program playing in a freaking downtown arena, i don't believe anybody can. Even with the word "downtown" attached to that project, which is guaranteed to get some level of support, it went down in a landslide. For goodness' sake, the forum is now endorsing a downtown convention center location which is projected to operate at an annual 600k-700k deficit, rather than the dome (projected at a profit). There's just not enough support to add hockey at the ac in Fargo, even with a brand new downtown arena.

I'm predicting a 5 win season and I still like the Bubba hire, but holy crap there's some hyperbole here for someone that hasn't coached a meaningful down yet.

Programs are utilizing their summer camps as a significant recruiting tool. I have no idea how the UND camp attendance/quality compares to the BSC competitors or the regional recruiting competition from the mvfc. Anyone with knowledge have any input?