SloStang

Lennon named to the four finalist for the Montana State job and will be on campus for an interview this next week.

Not now but maybe in the future when one or more of the current members (So. Ill., Ill. St, Mo. St,) move to the FBS. Then it would be a very good posibility.

Great news. I am looking forward to playing UND in 2009 and hopefully every year after that for a long time. Welcome to the GWFC.

I think that UND's uniforms look great and there is no need for a change.

I glad you play inside now. My dad was at that game and said he froze and the fans and players from UND seem to enjoyed it. I am looking forward to our first visit to the Alerus Center.

Thanks for the info.

My bad. Getting back to what this thread is about, do "you" have any thoughts on UND and why the will be good again in 2007?

The GWFC is not going anywhere, but if it merged with the Big Sky and included UC Davis and Cal Poly as football affiliates and SUU, UND and USD as either full or football affiliates I would be all for it.

What about Nebraska Omaha? They seem to be a solid program with nice facilities, but I do not hearing anything about them possibly moving up. Does anyone know what they are planning?

NDSUFreak10, I am both looking foward to UND and USD joining the GWFC and the game this season against NDSU. Both UND and USD have outstanding programs and will be welcomed additions to the GWFC. I understand why the state schools are leaving for the Gateway. I think that had they stayed, the GWFC would have been a better conference than the Gateway with the addition of UND and USD and possibly one or two other schools. Give the GWFC time and it will be right back to the top as the number one rated FCS conference.

I know that you do not have the final schedule, but you should have a good idea who you are playing next year. What do you think of the teams on your schedule? What games are you looking forward to the most? Here is how I see Cal Poly's games in 2007: Sept. 1 @ Texas State: Texas State will start 2007 under the direction of a new coach. Brad Wright replaces David Baliff who leaves to take over at Rice. Wright was on Baliff's staff and has only one coach from last years staff on his new staff. He does however have Cal Poly's 2006 LB coach Terrol Dillon on his staff. That should add some spice to the game. Wright is changing both his offense and defense next year so it is a good thing we get them early in the season. Cal Poly is 1-1 against Texas State winning 38-21 in SLO in 2004 and losing 14-7 in the playoffs in San Marcos in 2005. Texas State has some very talented athletes and should be a good team. It will very hot and humid in Texas in early Sept. Should be a great game, but one Cal Poly should win considering this will Texas States first game with a new offense, defense and coaching staff. Sept. 8 @ Idaho: Second game in a row that Cal Poly will face a team with a new coaching staff. Dennis Erickson left after just one year to take the Arizonia State job and I do not know much about the new coach other than he come from Washington State and this is his first head coaching job. Cal Poly was 1-1 against I-A/FBS teams in 2006 losing to bowl bound and 9 win San Jose State 17-7 and winning against San Diego State 16-14. Idaho should be favored in this game, but this is a FBS game that Cal Poly could win. Sept. 15 vs Weber State: Weber State is a well coached team led by former Utah coach Ron McBride. Cal Poly won on the road against Weber State in 2006 17-0. Cal Poly should be favored in this game, but I expect it will be a tough game. Sept. 22 vs Western Oregon (DII): When I heard that Cal Poly was having a hard time getting another home FCS game to complete their schedule and that they would most likely play a DII team, I was hoping that it would be either UND or USD because both are probable future conference partners and quality DII teams that would give Cal Poly a good game. Western Oregon is not nearly as talented as either UND or USD and Cal Poly should win this one big. Sept. 29 vs Northern Colorado: This once proud former NCC team has fallen on hard times since moving up to division I. I think they are getting it turned around and headed in the right direction, but they have a long way to go. Cal Poly should be favored in this game. Oct. 13 @ UC Davis: This is Cal Poly's biggest rival and you can throw the records when these two teams meet. Davis is openning a new stadium in 2007 and Cal Poly would like nothing better than winning their first game in it. Should be a great game that could go either way. I think Cal Poly will win it, but I know I am very biased when it comes to Davis. Oct. 20 @ South Dakota State: South Dakota rallied from being down 28-6 in the fourth quarter last year to come back to win with a TD and a 2 point conversion in the last minute of the game. That loss kept Cal Poly from the playoffs in 2006 and the players will want to get a little pay back. SDSU is tough at home and this should be another great game. SDSU at least must replace their QB who played like Joe Montana in the fourth quarter. Oct. 27 @ Idaho State: This will be the third team that Cal Poly faces who will have a new coaching staff. This staff will be a big upgrade over the previous staff and by this point in the season they should be hitting their stride. I think that Cal Poly will be favored, but should be a good game. Nov. 3 @ Southern Utah: This will be Cal Poly's fourth straight road game and SUU returns the most starter in the GWFC. SUU also added 17 scholarships in 2007 and will bring in a lot of JC transfer to plug holes and even out their recruiting classes. I think that SUU will be the most improved team in the GWFC and get a road weary Cal Poly team. This game worries me. Nov. 10 vs North Dakota State: I know this wont be big with UND fans, but I think the Bison will be the best team Cal Poly faces in the regular season. Cal Poly suffered their worst loss in a long time last year in the Fargo Dome losing 51-14. Both Cal Poly and NDSU are better at home. Cal Poly beat NDSU at home in 2005 36-7. I am glad that this is a home game and it could decide the GWFC champion. Cal Poly players will definately have this game circled and should be a great game. I know the Mustangs would like nothing better than to send the Bison to the Gateway conference with a loss. Nov. 17 vs Iona: Iona is a FCS non scholarship team and not a very good one at that. I am hoping that this will be a tune up game before a deep run in the playoffs. Should be over by half time, but on any given Saturday.... Anyone game to break down UND's games?

Great answer. Any insights on UND's team in 2007? What player are you most excited about? With a new QB will you be more of a running team? Ect...... Cal Poly had a disappointing year in 2007 and finished 7-4 and missed the playoffs. They had four returning defensive All-Americans and there was some talk of a possible run at the National Championship. Cal Poly blew a 28-6 4th quarter lead against SDSU and lost 29-28 in the last minute and lost on the road to 3rd ranked Montana 10-9 on a field goal 5 seconds left in the game. Win either of those games and we would have made the playoffs. High points would be a win over I-A San Diego State and LB Kyle Shotwell winning the 2006 Buck Buchanan award given to the best defensive player in I-AA/FCS. It is the third staight winner from Cal Poly. LB Jordan Beck won it in 2004 and DE Chris Gocong won it in 2005. Beck plays for the Atlanta Falcons and Gocong with the Philadelphia Eagles. The offense struggled in 2006, but returns 7 starters including RB James Noble, WR Ramses Barden and Center Stephen Field. James Noble ran for 1,578 yards (over 7 yd/carry) and 16 TDs his freshman year in 2005 and 1,009 yards and 7 TDs in 2006. Noble was I-AA.org's Freshman of the year in 2005. Ramses Barden, 6'6" 227 pounds, returns after catching 42 passes for 824 yards (19.6 yd/rec) and 5 TDs. Barden was named to the 2006 I-AA.org's Fab Fifty team. Center Stephen Fields returns for his junior year after 24 starts and is a two time All-GWFC player. Cal Poly will switch to a two slot back formation in 2007 to get both James Noble and Ryan Mole on the field at the same time. Ryan Mole is a transfer from Sac State who was the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 2004. Cal Poly also has a JC transfer, Jonathan Dally, who will challenge returning starting QB Matt Brennan for the position in 2007. The battle will continue into the fall as no starter was named coming out of spring. The defense must replace 5 six starters. 3 DBs, 2 LBs and one DL. Top returners are Rover Mark Restelli, LB Jason Relyea and DE Ryan Shotwell (Kyle Shotwells brother). Restelli has over 80 tackles as a freshman in 2005 and led the GWFC in passes defended in 2006. Jason Relyea is a two year starters and had 71 tackles in 2006. DE Ryan Shotwell recorded 7 sacks and 51 tackles as a freshman in 2006. I expect the offense to be much improved in 2007 and to carry the team early in the year until some very young and talented defensive players gain some experience. It should be a fun year and if the defense comes together I could see a deep run in the playoffs.

The Sioux are coming off another big year. What do you expect for the 2007 season? I know you return a lot of skilled players on offense but must replace your QB. Who is the leading canidate for QB? How many starters return? What are some of the biggest position battles for this spring and fall? Who do you see as the biggest competition for the Sioux in the NCC next year. Which side of the ball will the Sioux be most dominate next season, offense or defense? I have been following the Sioux at a distance since the forming of the GWFC. I thought back then that UND and USD would make great additions to the GWFC and think so even more now. I will be following the Sioux closely this year and pulling for you. It would be nice to add another DII NC before making the jump.

The commisioner of the Mid Con, Tom Duple, is the former AD at Southern Utah so they are a great school to become friends with. I think that SUU will be better next year than a lot of people are giving them credit for. They were tough three years ago when they had a large class of senior starters and the last two years they have started a lot of freshmen and sophomores. They return the most starters in the GWFC next season and have added 17 additional scholarships which allowed them to go out and add quite a few JC transfers to even out this years class. I do think that they are a team that UND can and probably will beat, but I do not think they will be a push over.

I think that UC Davis has an eye toward moving to the FBS, but I think that move is probably 10 or more years down the road. I think that Cal Poly plans on building a top FCS teams and will go to the FBS only if they are left with no other options.

Cal Poly released their schedule this week and unfortunately we did schedule a DII team and it was not UND or USD. They scheduled a home game with Western Oregon. I was hoping if we did schedule a DII that we could get the ball rolling with future GWFC mates UND or USD. Here is Cal Poly's 2007 schedule: Sept. 1: @ Texas State Sept. 8: @ Uninversity of Idaho Sept. 15: Weber State Sept. 22: Western Oregon Sept. 29: University of Northern Colorado Oct. 6: Bye Oct. 13: @ UC Davis Oct: 20: @ South Dakota State Oct: 27: @ Idaho State Nov. 3: @ University of Southern Utah Nov 10: North Dakota State Nov. 17: University of Iona Overall not a bad schedule with the exception of four straight road games. I hope to see UND on the 2008 season.

Aggie6thman did a nice job on the site. It is worth stopping by. You can find all of the FCS/I-AA fan boards by going to collegesportingnews.com and clicking on the fanzone link. Stop by the Cal Poly board. I am hoping that soon we can add UND and USD to the GWFC boards.

That is what I am hoping for. Also, UND is a top DII team and Humboldt State and Fort Lewis are not. If we are going to play a DII team, I would like to see a top team like UND. The bonus would be that hopefully (at least in my opinion) UND will be in the GWFC in 2008 or 2009 and we can start to build on that by playing in 2007.

Cal Poly just released their Spring Perspectus. The 2007 schedule said to be announced in late Feb. and that it included a home game against a DII team. I am pulling hard that it is either UND or USD. We will know in the next week or so.

Hey Sioux fans, this is my first post here. I am hoping that both you and USD will become members of the GWFC. Cal Poly is still trying to schedule their 11th game which would be their 5th home game. I am hoping if they schedule a DII team this year it is either UND or USD. I have great respect for both schools and there is no time like the present to build some history with two teams that will hopefully become futue conference members. What do you think?