Bison06

What's funny is I actually read that here. So maybe what's thrown out on Siouxsports isn't always reality, believe it or not. With UND's history with the NCAA, do you really not think it is a possibility? They do what they want as history has shown. Keeping a team in transition because you won't abide by their rules would seem like business as usual for the NCAA.

I may be wrong, but isn't it possible that the NCAA wouldn't allow a team that is currently on the sanctions list to transition until they are off the list. Again, that has been thrown around a bit, but not sure if it has any truth in it.

How far is your drive to GF darell?

I disagree, the only reason this rivalry isn't considered similar to all the other "Big" rivalries, is because people in our part of the country have more respect for each than to turn it into a violent life-altering rivalry. ie. Texas fans cutting the testicles off an Oklahoma fan. The other reason would be the size of the fanbases.

For those of you who are actually willing to change the name, what are the criteria you will use to determine your front runner. Originality, connection to the state heritage, connection to the University's history? Just curious.

Let's just say it would be the biggest event in the state of North Dakota from the perspective of the people of North Dakota.

Who is Alexander Ovechkin?

I don't think the stats in this case tell the entire story. Simply comparing run yards vs. pass yards/game to determine if the league is "finesse" can be misleading. It is a style of play that earns the Big Sky the label of "finesse" and the MVFC "smashmouth". For example, West Virginia with Slaten and White, was the epitome of finesse, but they gained a large majority of thier yards on the ground. This years SHSU team is another great example of this. I actually think that UND being built as more of a smashmouth team will benefit you guys in your early years in the Big Sky, the styles tend to clash and you can have an advantage if you can not turn the ball over and play decent defense.

That was my understanding as well. The game will be played within the next 3 years I believe.

What is the word on the Nickel if/when the Sioux name goes away? Never to be played for again I would assume. New trophy?

The only argument I believe makes sense is to play the game just to continue the rivalry, which IMO is enough reason to get it done. But, UND fans seem to be trying to come up with some sort of logical reason to continue the game, IMO there isn't one. It will be an emotional decision to continue the rivalry because it is fun for the fans.

I gotcha, it would be interesting to see what the numbers look like from the UND side of the financial equation. Big gain for UND in playing NDSU is my guess. Also, your equation is predicated on NDSU only getting 18,000 for the game against the other team. I believe within 5 years it simply won't matter who we are playing it will be a capacity game. Not necessarily butts in seats, but from a tickets sold perspective, which is all that matters when talking money.

What does that argument have to do with NDSU v. UND? Every situation is different, I can't speak intelligently about the non-conference scheduling strategies of those schools. What I do know is UND fans on this board seem to be throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. First we talk about financially why NDSU is making a bad decision by not playing UND, then when that is disproved we talk about the state deserves the game, then it's we are rivals we have to play each other. I am in the camp that would like to see the game played, but UND has far more to gain than NDSU does financially. When it is a rival institution, you think twice about helping them out. If the situation were reversed UND would be doing the exact same thing.

Nothing has been officially announced yet, but there have been many discussions about where the season tickets would be capped. What is a reasonable guess? 12,000?

Love how you added the last part just to be an a-hole. There is nothing confusing about it, I only asked where does the "premium" tag begin and end? Put the premium price on the UND game and now UND, SDSU, UNI, USD, SIU and homecoming all have the possibility of being "premium" games. No need to price gouge just to get an extra buck.

I would agree that DL football is traditionally the better program, but that isn't at all what I was saying. The opponents are what matters, and in that sense DL and GFC don't play a significantly different level of talent and speed on a weekly basis. Point is, Mollberg will be good, but will be better after a year of sitting and learning.

Ok, but he redshirted. I doubt that he would have been as good his true freshman year as he was his redshirt freshman year. I am not saying it can't be done, only that players who come from programs who have played against stiffer competition and faster defenses have less of a learning curve than those who have seen that speed already.

Yes, coming from where he came from. I am not talking about winning games here, I am talking about style and speed of play. It wasn't meant as an insult, QB is the hardest position to transition from HS to college. Like it or not Minnesota is not a hotbed of football talent. There are some great players that come out of Minnesota no doubt, but you just aren't going to go up against the speed that you will see in college on a consistent basis. One of the better high school programs in the upper midwest? Only if you define upper midwest as Minnesota and North Dakota and even that is a stretch. Nobody outside of Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota has heard of Detroit Lakes. And Detroit Lakes doesn't even play at the highest level in Minnesota Football. They aren't even playing the best programs in their own state. This isn't the point I wanted to discuss. I have seen the film on Mollberg and he appears to have the skills to become a great college QB, I just feel he will greatly benefit from sitting for a year to allow his eyes and arm to catch up to the speed of the game.

I am not sure the QB situation could turn out any better for you guys if he turns out to be a good servicable guy for this fall. Mollberg gets a chance to sit and learn for a year and you still have a guy who can sit back and make the passes needed to win games in the big sky. That year sitting is essential for a QB IMO, especially coming from where Mollberg came from. The speed of the game will be too much for him to deal with as a freshman and that year sitting will give him a lot of confidence.

Remind me the kid's name who is coming in from North Carolina. And is it pretty much a done deal that he will be the starter game one or will he have some pretty stiff competition?

Not sure if or when that will happen, but for the size of Fargo and the ever growing fan base 19k will not be enough in the coming years IMO.

That, of course, goes without saying. But what I am saying is that the FargoDome is so small compared to what demand is expected to be, that I see even in down years a sell out will be very likely. Even when we were 3-8 I believe attendance averaged over 15k.

I think we are all discounting the good will that goes along with a championship and the momentum that NDSU has built with season ticket holders. IMO, NDSU will be in a similar situation to Montana in the next 10 years. Montana stadium capacity is a little over 25k IIRC, but if the capacity was 30k they would still sell out because demand is so high. The FargoDome will be seen as a liability to attendance within a decade and a game with UND at home will be inconsequential.

Correct, we have trouble getting teams to Fargo because they have similar mentalities when it comes to scheduling. Everybody wants home games. That doesn't change the way we try to schedule. GT continues to try and get high quality OOC opponents to the FargoDome.