Herd

The whole DAC would never move up because he whole DAC does not belong in ncaa DII. This is not just an athletic change, it is an institutuional change. Only Mary and Minot from today's DAC really are fit to make this move, and it won't be easy to make happen and fund it in Minot eaither. NDSU's move into DI was a much larger change institutionally than it was athletically. You have to fit the profile and be prepared for a lot of hard work. It is not as easy as you want to make it out to be. Do Mayville & Valley City belong in DII . . . absolutely not. Do Jamestown and Dickinson . . . probably not.

So, in your opinion, its a UND issue, and the new nickname should be decided by UND without any state help. Even though you'll gladly take state funds (instead of UND funds) to make the changes to your buidlings and arenas. So in your opinion, it's a UND issue sometimes, even though its all NDSU's fault. I think I understand your logic.

If your admin makes a wise naming choice, 95% of your fan base will be converted in 5 years as they go through the normal change acceptance process. The examples are numerous, but Marquette, who won a DI basketball championship as Warriors, is a good example. While there will be some diehards, it will not be "the thing" to promote the old nickname after 5 years. That's just the way it is. A wise choice would be something with history like Roughriders, or something that defines the state and helps fans of ND to get behind it. The better the new nichname, the sooner the masses will convert.

If Uncle Joe had been in charge up north the past 10 years . . . The Sioux Tribes and the NCAA would be best friends with UND A 30 year agreement would be in place for the use of the nickname All licensing proceeds for the nickname would be in UND's hands NDSU would be in the NAIA Someone would always be in town and available for comment

The Rocky Era . . . does that mean we'll win the national title 3 out of 4 years in a row again? I hope so.

Let's be clear on one thing, the Summit doesn't need UND. Because the other 3 state universities are in, the Summit is graciously tyring to throw you a bone, which it looks like you don't want. Hum, that sounds about like NDSU waiting an extra year to try to uncourage UND to go division I, and we all know how that went. So if the nickname is the most important item to UND, fine, the Summit moves on . . . and they are perfectly OK with that, I'm OK with that, you're Ok with that. If UND gets locked out of a real DI conference for the next 5 years, don't come complaining to the Summit League. I'm quite sure that UND brass will lament that decision as much as they are now lamenting their late arrival into DI.

That is as blatantly disrespectful of a post as I have ever seen on a message board. You are lucky that I am not an administrator or it would be siouxyoulater. How someone gets away with posting that kind of 4 letter garbage directed specifically at someone on a message board is beyond me.

You are talking about dollars, I'm talking about fan support, fan momentum, fan excitement. You can generate this in all your sports with success at the DI level. It doesn't have to be hockey, kinda football, and nothing else matters. Yes, I understand what makes the UND athletic department work in DII from a fan support standpoint . . . it can greatly improve. Do you understand what success at the DI level can do for your sports other than hockey, and what it can do for your national fan base?

Glad to see the excitement over giving Oklahoma it's first home playoff loss in 19 games. You'll have to tune into ESPNU on Friday night at 6pm (I'm sure you will) to see the game against Arizona State, then catch game 2 Saturday on ESPN. Thanks for the great support! Should be some great games with the final 16 being . . . Florida, California, Arizona, Stanford, Michigan, Baylor, Jacksonville State, Alabama, Washington, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Georgia, North Dakota State, Arizona State, Missouri, UCLA. Yeah, I miss the good old days of DII. Did you know that there is actually 218 schools that sponsor softball in DI?

Hockey drives UND in DII, but not in DI. When your basketball teams start to make runs at the NCAA tournament, when your football team makes FCS tournament, when your other teams are competing against the top level . . . this hockey is all that matters mentality will change. When all your sports are DI, people will see it differently. DI is relevant, DII is OK, but its a big difference. The UND alumni need to wake up to this fact.

Let face it, a future with the nickname isn't much of a future unless there is an 11th hour miracle from the gods of Thundar. The only caviot is to try to salvage something as you lose the name. If you sacrifice the nickname quickly for achieving conference affiliation, that seems like about the best option you have right now. Those who would rather fall on their sword aren't thinking very clearly and don't have the best interests of the university in mind. Ask your coaches of every sponrt what they would do (except possibly hockey).

Yes, that's the group that would be happy in DII. Now DI or DII is all the same. UND wouldn't get into the Northern Sun any easier than they would get into the Summit or any other DI conference. The NAIA probably would be the only affiliation that wouldn't care about the nickname.

You could be right . . . but judging from many of the statements that Douple has made, he seems like he is a pretty good historian on the entire DI histroy in North Dakota. Seems like he is also paying close attention to the newpapers. Presonally, I think Douple does way too much talking to the media for his own good. Again, you could be right.

I think the Summit really wants UND, and Kelley/SBoHE is working hard to make that happen. The other thing that is clearly aparent is that the Summit Commishioner is paying close attention. It isn't helping your university that many people on this board are bashing both Douple and the Summit League. With some of the statements that he has made, it wouldn't surprise me for Douple to promote grabbing Denver or Utah Valley if the nickname situation is significantly delayed or the fan base continues to bash the Summit. I think your president has some vision on this issue and is trying to move swiftly.

If the people on this board think that the nickname is more important than real conference affilication, they are dead wrong. If they think UND can make it work in the Great West, or that other conferences will come calling to the Canada border, dead wrong again. If you think that the nickname is the most important thing, you might as well stick a fork in every program you have except Hockey. If you think that a nickname is more important than baseball, volleyball, soccer, softball, track&field, etc . . . get your DII application ready because you will not be able to recruit as athletes will choose ncaa eligible options. Yeah, I expect everyone to fight for the nickname and thumb their nose at trading the nickname for a Summit bid . . . but let's face it, if you want to be DI it's your only option unless you can get all your sports into the WCHA. The SBoHE will be burned at the stake for their decision, but they are actually doing UND a favor. I really believe that most people actually know that, it just isn't easy to swallow.

Young Kareem was completely dominant. That Sky Hook is the great shot in basketball history, no competition.

An O-for-season in the Summit leaves you at home. Only the top 8 make the tournament. The path as an 8 seed is daunting, that's why the #1 seed is so important.

Easier than both of these is making the final five in the wcha and stepping into the ncaa tournament. To win the Summit regular season and get the #1 seed to set yourself up for winning the tournament, we had to go 16-2 and 26-6. You can mail it in at just above .500 and boom . . . final five . . get a hot goalie boom . . . ncaa tournament. You can stumble for half the regular season and pull out ncaa berth from nowhere as more than 25% team make the national tournament. If the gophers happen to get in this year, case in point. It seem like reputation and fan base are as important as anything in making the ncaa tournament in hockey, espcially where MN is concerned. Just an outsiders view.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid . . . until you realize that you'll be signing the same contract to receive no tournament money also, unless you'd prefer to stay an independent forever. I'll fax that over and show you exactly where you will be signing. It's a standard consession for the priviledge of joining a DI conference, other than the Great West.

Currently ESPN's Joe the Bracket Man has ND State as a 13 vs. Marquette. If we can win the tounament (big if), we should be able to get a 13 or at worst a 14 at 26-6. Yeah, a 16 seed vs. Carolina would be a quick out, but a 13 vs. the current list of 4's (Marquette, Washington, Clemson or Illinois) wouldn't be quite as bad. Thank goodness these games are on neutral courts.

It was been stated again and again in the Omaha papers by fans and program people . . . UNO's preferernce and choice is the CCHA, their current home. Omaha fans much prefer games against Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, ND (the football powders of DI) versus the WCHA teams. They actually pass out 3-D glasses to big red fans who then see the puck 10x larger than normal and oblong. Just the Facts: (for MPLS to begin absorbing) UNO doesn't want the WCHA WCHA doesn't want UAH Bemidji will most likely get admission to an 11 team WCHA NDSU is not close or interested in hockey at this time What else is there to say . . . not much! It would be good for MPLS not to post every erroneous thought that crosses his mind.

The era of top notch basketball is Fargo is at its beginning. The kid from Redwood Valley is the next thing at NDSU, and the kids from WI is the next floor general. Next year they will complete for the title again. This whole thing is just getting started, its just warming up. When the new arena gets built, this whole thing will really take off.

3 wins away from a Basketball Town!!! Never to return.

His lips are moving, but he not saying anything. Blah, Blah, Blah. Putting ice in a basketball addition is so far away from a priority that it's not worth even discussing. Blah, Blah, Blah. It's a basketball town!

Until the end of March, Fargo is a Basketball town . . . end of discussion! People will be hanging from the rafters for the final 3 homes games in this era of Bison basketball. Make it to the dance and Fargo will be a basketball town for the next 5 years. Build the new arena and Fargo will be a basketball town forever. Go Bison!