Few questions:
1) Are you aware of what is costs to support TRAVEL alone for an independent Division 1 program? How would you propose to maintain those w/out a legit D1 conference??
2) Would you, if you had your choice, have every non-Hockey sport still in D2 in the non-NDSU/SDSU NCC? Maybe the new NSIC??
In reading this thread, as it has been forever only confirms this time after time....90% of you only care about two things: 1) UND Hockey and 2) The Fighting Sioux name. Football....a WAY distant 3rd on the list.
Next, are you aware that since the REA was built and in essence handed the keys to Athletic Marketing that the Women's Hockey team receives more Marketing resources than the Football program? How do you feel about that??
Tell the old wrestling program coach and athletes UND "sold out" for minor sports...they'll love that one.
Were/are you aware of the role NDSU's increasae in football scholarships affected football recruiting in the past 6 years? How this affected the eventual departure of Dale Lennon?? How UND may have never went Division 1 had it not been for UND's football community noting their fiscal donations were creeping into the Ops budget instead of football scholarships...and their threat to UND to begin w/holding those donations??
For some and it's understandable...you've never followed the entire UND Athletics community at large. You've only seen the tidbits here and there about dropping the nickname, how the Hockey/Football team are doing, etc. There are those on this board that have...and I think they are the more reasoned ones posting today (DaveK a great poster and proud person THE noteable exception to caving into PC thought).
I am grateful UND is taking the steps necessary to get into the Summit Leage. Hockey and Football are on pace to do well into the future. At least now EVERY sport should have a conference title to play for AND an NCAA berth soon enough.
While nobody wins with the eventual retirement of the Fighting Sioux name because it was never resolved outside of NCAA legislation, non-binding Tribal votes and the legal system, UND will live to see another day. I don't see a natural successor to the Fighting Sioux coming anytime soon...and so in large part for the future the UND faithful will still end the National Anthem with SIOUX!!!
