BisonMav

From the game results I would say Saragin has a better perspective on Grambling and I-AA, than USA Today/ESPN. The Grambling talk isn't meant to down play Rislov's play. Grambling is probably over-rated by ESPN.

If you look at the Saragin Ratings: Montana is #80 - 66.79 San Jose St #91 - 63.80 UC-Davis #116 - 59.25 N Colorado #149 - 51.93 Grambling #159 - 50.18 I know it's a poll, so take it for what it's worth. San Jose was playing a team ranked around the same position as N Colorado. Saragin Ratings

When was the last time NDSU won a National Championship in Division II in these sports? Northern teams traditionally do not to well in these sports. Minnesota did win a recent golf championship. Since the NCAA changed the regional format for the baseball playoffs, very few northern teams make the College World Series. Same here, when was the last time NDSU won a Divison II title in men's basketball. Not in my lifetime. That first trip to the NCAA's would be better than the Division II history at NDSU. If in the future the NCAA told UND it had to move all sports to Division I, or move hockey down, we know what the decision would be.

I don't disagree with UND hockey attendance being larger than SDSU's total sports attendance. Comparing SDSU and UND, would it be better to compare the sports that they have in common. Basketball vs Basketball, Football vs Football etc. UND and SDSU are small in the total picture of college sports. SDSU currently does not have a big-time sport such and UND Hockey. That is why I took the Michigan example, they have big-time hockey and football. How many states have college hockey, 20? How many have Football, Basketball, etc, 50.

I like hockey, but the comparision is not fair. That is like comparing apples to oranges. In this case you could compare UND Hockey to Michigan football, over 100,000 per game. I am sure the Michigan Football team outdraws the Michigan Hockey team also. So football must be more popular.

Congratualations, and all the best to South Dakota State on their move to Division I athletics.

Today's Argus Leader: SDSU will announce intent today. I think it will be a great day for the Jacks Argus Leader SDSU D-I

I added the USHL analogy because you can spend a couple years there to improve your skills. Plus there are several players that have gone to college, not played much, bad grades whatever, then left for the USHL, and came back as Junior's in college. That can happen with JUCO's in basketball and football. They may not have lost eligibility, but a player can spend more time in the USHL, comparable to Jr College time.

Grades are not the only reason for an athlete to go thru the JUCO ranks. Playing time and developing skills that they would not have a chance to do sitting on the end of a Divison I bench. Much the same way the USHL is used for Division I hockey.

God Bless Herbie!

DeSautel should be a good player at whatever position he ends up.

There may be too much water under the bridge to reorg the NCC. NDSU's conference search may be plan B, but there are still some great conference possibilities. There is much enthusiasm with the Divison I move. I think the 18 month rule the NCC came up with, may have persuaded SDSU to move forward with I-AA now.

I guess I am mildly surprised that DeSautel is playing DB. He is tall and Athletic, not sure about his speed. Started out as a QB in High School, but had a hard time hitting his target in games. Converted to WR and DB, and did a great job.

The Board of Lincoln Alumni in Nebraska was looking at cutting sports at UNO because they didn't think a Commuter school should have sports. UNO was in favor of moving to Division I, but the Board of Lincoln Alumni put and end to that. Hockey has always been popular in Omaha. From the Omaha Knights with Gordie Howe, Marcel Pronovost, Terry Sawchuk etc to the Omaha Lancers. The UNO Hockey team was a great move.

I can't see the NCAA splitting up the WCHA in the near future. But this brings up the old idea of a Big 10 Hockey Conference. They would need to add some hockey schools, or else have some current members add hockey as a sport. Would UND at that point be a possibility for an addition to the Big 10?

It is hard to gauge Newberry. They lost to NDSU's first opponent Tusculum 24-7. The yardage was more dominant than the score 501-117. Newberry did play some tough teams, Wofford, Carson-Newman, Catawba. If you look at the bottom of the NSIC, the Division II label doesn't always mean better. Concordia-Moorhead D-III leads Moorhead St D-II 45-23-12 in their all-time series.

NDSU - UND Rivalry The Fargo Forum back in May reported that a contract for four more years had been agreed to, but not signed. I could see them playing during the NDSU transition, but I am not really in favor of the game after the four years is up.

So it actually originated in South Dakota? Would be ironic if it was Russell Means that came up with the idea.

So far it's Late 1970's (1978), for North Dakota State using "Home of the Bison". Anyone hear it earlier than that?

Actually one-third of North Dakota was Home of the Sioux. I am from the home area of the Chippewa, Grand Forks area and north. The rest was home to the Arikara, Mandan, Hidatsa, Assiniboine. The Bison made the whole state of North Dakota home.

I guess the Bison and Sioux are stuck with each other.

I get what you mean, they needed the Bison to Survive. The Bison provided food, skins for a roof, clothes, tools etc. I wonder if the Bison could have survived without the Sioux.

It sounds great in Grand Forks! I think Bison makes the most sense in Fargo!

It is probably a Bison/UND thing. I know the Bison were shouting "home of the Bison" back in the late 1970's. Being a Bison fan I never paid attention to what the UND fans were saying, but I am sure they claim they were saying it too, back then.