FSSD

Correct, I would be shocked if that is the number.

First, transparency is a good thing. Second, the AD is in charge of seccession planning for all athletic programs. If you take a step back and look at the last year of UND football from an organizational management standpoint. It has been a complete cluster. I don't see one aspect of it that has been handled appropriately. So, I think it is OK to question what is going on. As far as the power of social media, I think the single most damming thing for Bubba was the image posted on social media. If you track number of people and comments before and after that picture being posted. It was an inflection point for the entire discussion the tone changed overnight. Last point, UND athletes is not self-sustaining. Approximately 50% of funding is coming from a publicly funded school. Many of the recent football improvements have leveraged public and private dollars. I believe TIF dollars has driven a fair share of the recent improvements. IMO, releasing names of three finalists is not that large of ask when they maybe one of the highest paid public employees in the State. It comes with the territory.

They did it for the University President position. It is BS if they don't release the finalists. If they don't release the names, IMO it just because they don't want to take heat for screwing up, again. We need to know this information, so we can HOLD our AD accountable.

OK who is going to complete a FOIA request for HC responses to UND?

I think that one is on me. Just to make it more clear - I am from South Dakota - I have family and friends who played football/ WBB and track for USD/SDSU and SDSM&T. My USD football background goes back to "the Pitch" and USD vs NDSU national championship game. I currently have family playing on SDSU football team. So, McFeely reads my comments and doesn't understand my USD/SDM&T undergrad side and numerous connections on the SDSU side of things. I am more active on the Sioux Sports board because this board obviously covers UND sports and it is generally more active. So, if McFeely comments are based on my numerous recent posting it is really off the mark and misguided given my USD/SDSU bias. And for that I do apologize. But, the error by McFeely is really on brand for him IMO.

Just an FYI, SDSU numbers include stadium capital costs.

Is there a link? Or is everything behind a paywall?

I don't think SDSU is too execited about going to Fargo. See previous post - 7 point swing advantage NDSU. I would say USD indifferent, MSU and NDSU are laughing all the way to the bank.

IMO, none of your arguments hold up to any scrunty. In the purest form of competition many DII teams are significantly better than the bottom of the FCS. Your argument that DII doesn't count is based on some random committee emphasis that changes from year to year. Over the years it has been: quality losses, strong finishes, rewarding strength of schedule, they had an FBS win, apparently this year it is they played a DII school. These are all random rationalization by committee members to do what they want. So given this point, I am going with Occam's razor. NDSU as #2 and Ten St. as the 3rd team in from the BigSouth/OVC are because they had reps on the Committee. More political wins by NDSU at the expense of conference team members. If SDSU and NDSU meet in the semifinals, NDSU has gained a 7-point advantage before the game starts. I think this is a big deal for the student athletes and programs involved - SDSU got worked. One more point, MSU had the weakest schedule of the four and if you go with the "Recent" predictor they are the lowest rated of the 4 seeds and 9-point dog on a neutral field with SDSU. And 11-point dog using the "Strong Recent" if they play SDSU. The Big Sky doesn't want to see SDSU they want NDSU in the finals. The Big Sky knows its best chance is USD at home and NDSU in Frisco. Again using Sagarin Predictor: Schedule Rank Predictor Golden_Mean Recent Strong Recent 34 South Dakota State AA = 78.20 10 2 57.05(135) | 79.27 30 | 76.49 35 | 79.39 34 | 83.24 25 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA) 44 North Dakota State AA = 75.64 10 2 56.00(140) | 75.44 48 | 75.70 42 | 75.71 46 | 78.41 38 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA) 63 Montana State AA = 71.88 12 0 48.89(173) | 71.43 66 | 73.36 56 | 70.22 63 | 72.51 58 BIG SKY (AA) 68 South Dakota AA = 70.61 9 2 54.03(146) | 70.76 68 | 69.63 71 | 70.80 61 | 73.86 53 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA) NOTE: I have NDSU with a +4 home field advantage and SDSU with the typical +3 SDSU @ NDSU - (79.27 - 75.44 -> 3.83 with +4) makes the spread Even NDSU @ SDSU - (79.27 - 75.44 -> 3.83 with +3) makes the spread NDSU +7 with rounding.

SDSU - #4 USD, #6 Incarnate Word, non Playoff Team SE La. (MR 29/SR 32 - 50.50) NOTE: SE La. 4 wins against Top70. Two FBS games more than likely kept them out of the playoffs. NDSU - #3 SDSU, #12 ISU-r, nonSeed Ten St (MR 46/SR 39 - 49.51) NOTE: Ten St 1 win against a Top 70 Team - No FBS games - and bakery full of cup cakes. Ten St. in the playoffs pure politics. Your 3 playoff team is pure BS. Massey Ranking - MR Saragin Rating - SR

A quality loss? OK.

Yes, but apparently we don't mow it enough/or properly according to those in the know.

How so, the next best wins goes to SDSU with them beating a #6. NDSU is clinging to an ISU-R win. ISU-R is a bad team. SDSU looks slightly better to me because of the Incarnate Word win. At worst a draw. Non conference: SDSU: 8 - Incarnate Word, 29 - SE La, Augie, L to OSU NDSU: 30 ETSU, 31 - Towson, 46 - Ten St., L to Buffs. Conference: SDSU: 9,22,28,42 YSU, 56,110 - removed NDSU and USD games NDSU: 9,11 ISU-R,22,28,56,110 - removed SDSU and USD games And ISU-R is highly overrated: They played and beat N. Alabama, W. Ill, E Ill in nonconference and didn't play either of the South Dakota schools this year. Conference wins: SIU, MuSU, YSU, UNI, ISU-B and UND. They don't even have a quality loss this year. Outside of the top three team in MVFC. The conference was way down this year. And Both xDSU schools beat Missouri St.

To be honest, prior to SL/Midco it was hard to find a number of UND and SL games on ESPN+. If the long term is to bring NCHC and SL on to Midco then it a good deal for a number of SL teams (Omaha, St.T, Denver and UND). Plus, I like Midco production quality. Did you watch the ISU-R/UND football game it was the MVFC game of the week. No comparison between Midco and that other crew. Anyway just my opinion I am big fan of Midco+ (NOTE: Do they have work to do on the App - yes).

I think your missing USD vs NDSU was #1 vs #4... the other was #2 vs unranked. It shouldn't have been close. The #1 vs #4 is expected to be close. That is the difference.

You nailed it - if USD couldn't get #2 - they got the best possible out come. It is going to come down to Mellott vs USD LBs. Are the yotes healthy at LB?

Seriously you are trashing D2 and pimp'n those schedules. Have you looked at the Ten St and ETSU schedules.. Here are TSU wins: 127 (+20), 125 (+13), 100 (+4), 69 (+4), 83 (+24), 105 (+13), 89 (+25), 72 (+3), 27 (+7) - that is one win in the top 70. It would have been a recieving votes team. Here are ETSU wins: 107 (+7), 26 (+3), 55 (+17), 58 (+3), 62 (+17), and something called UVA-Wise - that is one win in the top 50. It would have been a recieving votes team. NDSU is bragging about the nonconference - If you watched the ETSU game, they should have lost.

What was agreed upon by the conference? Sagarin, if all teams being concidered for the seed are MVFC schools - why let the failed ex-HR Executive with a degree in Divinty who has never played the game decide!?!? I mean they know best, right. NO.

Sounds like CB 2025 is going to be DL 2024 - Lots of minutes available. I am not sure I am a fan of the Portal lower level route we took last year. We need to hit on the portal next year because the D needs serious help. To be honest, every postion group needs some serious help.

I believe your comments about DII is incorrect. It is DII wins that don't count toward the 6 DI wins required to be eligiable for the playoffs. SDSU and USD have far more than 6 DI wins. There is no little difference in quality of oppenet when playing a quality DII team vs PL or Big South/OVC/Pat, MEAC, SWAC, NEC teams in general. Have any of you tried to watch a NEC or PL game. It is my understanding that all members get spliced game film to review on a weekly basis. They are watching all of the games. NOTE: At one point, I believe that DII wins counted a 1/2 win toward eligiablitiliy. Otherwise, opponets are evaluated the same. The Tiers of FCS: MVFC/Big Sky (2 of 14) - MVFC very similiar to a number of G5 conferences. Big drop to what is the Avg FCS conferences (6/14) - CAA, United, Southern, Ivy, Southland and Big South. Massive drop - DII and lower - (6/14 43% of FCS) Pat, MEAC, SWAC E/W, NEC and PL Here are the Sargin Conference Rantings. 7 SUN BELT EAST (A) = 65.28 64.95 ( 7) 7 64.95 ( 7) 8 MOUNTAIN WEST (A) = 63.02 63.95 ( 8) 12 63.95 ( 8) 9 AMERICAN ATHLETIC (A) = 62.90 62.89 ( 9) 14 62.89 ( 9) 10 SUN BELT WEST (A) = 62.23 61.88 ( 10) 7 61.88 ( 10) 11 MAC (A) = 57.73 57.40 ( 11) 12 57.40 ( 11) 12 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 56.22 56.79 ( 12) 10 56.79 ( 12) 13 CONF-USA (A) = 55.72 55.93 ( 13) 10 55.93 ( 13) 14 I-AA=>I-A (Aa)= 55.70 55.70 ( 14) 2 55.70 ( 14) 15 BIG SKY (AA)= 52.34 52.24 ( 15) 12 52.24 ( 15) The drop off is steep at this point 16 COASTAL (AA)= 47.50 46.93 ( 16) 15 46.93 ( 16) 17 UNITED ATHLETIC (AA)= 47.25 46.73 ( 17) 9 46.73 ( 17) 18 SOUTHERN (AA)= 46.45 46.38 ( 18) 9 46.38 ( 18) 19 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 46.34 46.32 ( 19) 8 46.32 ( 19) 20 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 45.77 44.93 ( 21) 9 44.93 ( 21) 21 BIG SOUTH/OVC (AA)= 44.72 44.93 ( 20) 9 44.93 ( 20) Insert any number of DII conferences at this point. If not higher 22 PATRIOT (AA)= 40.73 41.04 ( 22) 7 41.04 ( 22) 23 MEAC (AA)= 39.30 39.67 ( 23) 6 39.67 ( 23) 24 SWAC-EAST (AA)= 38.73 38.52 ( 25) 6 38.52 ( 25) 25 I-AA IND. (AA)= 38.65 38.65 ( 24) 2 38.65 ( 24) 26 NORTHEAST (AA)= 36.71 36.58 ( 26) 8 36.58 ( 26) 27 SWAC-WEST (AA)= 35.88 35.22 ( 27) 6 35.22 ( 27) 28 PIONEER (AA)= 35.18 34.59 ( 28) 11 34.59 ( 28)

As I stated on here previously, if those schools all agreed on how to break a tie given this exact scenario for the AQ. Why wouldn't the conference rep carry those wishes to the commitee. Why would the conference want the Big Sky and other conferences to have a decision? All the other conference don't want the MVFC domination to continue. They are simply looking out for their conferences best interests. Have you even looked at the qaulifications of the committee members - what a scary group. In addition, IMO SDSU is playing the best football right now. They look locked and loaded and why shouldn't they be the #2 team. Winning in Fargo is not going to be easy and draggin the Bison down to Brookings in late Dec would be a much better match-up for SDSU. The Big Sky and Montana St got exactly what they want. SDSU their biggest threat going on the road in the semifinals. I don't understand rewarding a team who !@#$ the bed when they could have won it all and claimed the #1 seed easly. Did you see that secondary with multiple blown assignments? Players literally standing by themselves waiting for passes to reach them. Coaching staff pissing there pants at crunch time. Yep, let's give them the # 2 seed. Again, my position #1 MSU, #2 SDSU, #3 USD and #4 NDSU And all this BS about D-II scheduling is pure crap. Teams in the NSIC, GLV or RMAC would beat 50% of the FCS. This is FCS football we are talking about. Maybe 50 of the 100 or so teams playing at this level care about football. The formation of FCS football is for schools who care about other sports more than football and to parse D-II vs FCS teams is a fools errand. Anyway cheering for a SDSU/USD Frisco final. Let's see it happen.

I am going for a Yote vs Jacks final.

Well, the last time we opened it up. The cream is currently the HC at Alabama. I think the problem is who is making the decisions not the talent pool. We should be putting together our list of decision makers. Who have you got? I have no clue.

You are correct MVFC commissioner can not call the NCAA and say this is our team. But, the conference representative can say the following in the meetings. We as a conference have decided this is the best approach for handling this situation. Think about it, why would you want other conferences gaming the system for themselves. In this example, you have 4 clear cut teams for the top 4 seeds - 1 of them is the number 1 and the 3 others are from the same conference. You now allowing the conference of the number 1 seed to decide it's path to Frisco. Is this in the best interest of the MVFC? I would say no. And looking at the brackets, the Big Sky got exactly what they wanted. A home game against USD to get to Frisco. And is the team facing them in Frisco going to give the MVFC it's best chance to win?

You and I can go back and fourth finding stats. What I am saying is that agreements matter, your word matters. So, the agreement that NDSU/SDSU/USD and all of the MVFC had on how to decide this exact scenario should be followed through to it logical conclusion. SDSU is the AQ. If a seed comes down to three conference schools for that seed. It should go to the AQ. SDSU has every right to be upset and should be calling out the conference commionsioner.... Let's see, what has Larson done since he has been conference rep... allowed the breaking of rules on hosting home games (impacting a conference rival UND) which has lead to a complete reworking of the playoffs system. Now, completely ignoring a conference AQ. (once again impacting a conference rival SDSU) At this point, it really calls into question how is he representing the best interests of the MVFC? It is clear he has no integrity. And at this point IMO, the school President needs to start asking questions. As all NDSU fans say, athletics is the front proch of the school. What message is he sending on behalf of the school? Agreements don't matter. Really?!?