The Phoenix

Hi, my name is Bubba. This is my Super Bowl. Yes, I know we have to worry about other games, but this is my Super Bowl. Yes, I know i got my ass kicked by NDSU the last 3 times, but this is my Super Bowl. I know we did okay in the Big Fluffy, but I need to beat these guys as they kick my ass in recruiting. This is why I wanted to go to the Valley, as I know i can beat these guys if I just get them at the hilarious center. Hell, I hoped the Gene Taylor "home and home" contract would work, but it didn't. This is my Super Bowl. We win this and I magically win every recruiting battle from here on out, as this is my Super Bowl. Coach Entz is a moron for not realizing this is also his Super Bowl, but screw him, he'll never beat me in recruiting again. Everything will magically be well at home now that I have my Super Bowl.

Okay, time to get real. Did you actually expect to beat NDSU? You guys are something else.

I seriously can't figure you guys out. Here is reality: 1. You stink. 2. You got owned. 3. You have hockey, so that is fine.

Can't argue with your final point. And yes, the FCS title game is sold out for the 5 year in a row and has been so for months. Now who would have bought all those tickets? (Feel free to flame; ripe for the pickings as it makes your point)

I liked your post, but we can easily answer this with semi-final historical context:

I think hockey will always be king at UND, but to suggest it is somehow more popular than NDSU football is hard to justify. The NDSU/UNI game on ESPN had over 1.6 million viewers. Here are the numbers from the 13 televised NCAA hockey tourney games last year: BU-Prov 635k ESPNBU-UND 290K ESPN2Denver-BC .1 241K ESPN2Prov-Omaha 196k ESPN2UMD-BU .1 158k ESPN2SCSU-UND .1 148k ESPNUQuinn-UND .1 122k ESPNURIT-OMAH .1 115k ESPNUMN-UMD .1 113k ESPNUProv-Denver .1 84k ESPNUYale-BU .0 63k ESPNUProv-Miami .0 62k ESPNURIT-Mankato .0 57k ESPNU With all this said, if UND wants to be noticed on a national stage, they need to invest in basketball and football. I do not think that needs to be mutually exclusive from supporting hockey, but some sports may need to be shuttered.

Oh, good grief; what a load of crap. Larson was clear from the beginning that NDSU was going to do this. Right after it came out, he was on Steve Halstrom's show and all but said they would. I pointed that out on this board and was told I was a moron, and stupid and there is no way NDSU was going to do this. All I did was point out what Larson said and if I knew, Faison should have damn well known. It is his fault if the Big Sky was not discussing it, as isn't that his job? Well, now those posters, and UND administration yet again have egg on their faces.

What part of "Sicatoka Math 101" did you fail? When you sell out your football games, and have 1000 person backlog for season tickets, you have options.

I do enjoy the wishful thinking that maybe NDSU will not do FCOA in football and MBB. You can keep telling yourselves that if it makes you feel better. Read what Dom Izzo is saying and others "in the know." Much of the discussion (ie silence), currently, is likely about which sports and staying Title IX compliant. jdub and fightingsioux4life are correct; you are in big danger of becoming a hockey only competitive school when it comes to the big money sports. If I was a fan of your school, I'd be burning up the e-mail/phone lines to your leadership. It feels like 2003 all over again.

Sadly, NDSU is getting little to no support from the MVFC in media coverage; what a joke they are for that and I will gladly admit Big Sky is much better for this, even if the level of play is way worse.

It does seem that way to me, but cannot confirm. Some speculation on Bisonville on why we are not also simulcasted on Midco with NBC, and could be same reason. I am betting they made an exception for the SDSU game, since most in SD who watched the game would be using Midco and since they have a contract with SDSU.

What is really interesting to me about Midco is that, in theory, they are like Comcast Chicago and other cable company owned sports networks. Does anyone know if Midco will ever be available as part of a "sports pack" on Dish and Direct? That would substantially "change the game" as it would give alumni all over the country the opportunity to watch games. On other comment on NDSU media; being on ESPN3 has been huge. It give a very good way for folks to watch anywhere in the nation. I live in Sioux Falls, and use my Xbox and even get an HD feed. It has been very good.

I agree with this, plus folks have to remember you get into many homes not in ND. We had this philophical debate on bisonville and while we agreed NBC is clearly a better deal, the distribution out of ND makes Midco better than many realize. NDSU needs to find a way to simulcast on FSN plus or something, then they will be lightyears ahead of the flagship.

Can't believe I missed this thread! My goodness; great work geaux_sioux. (mirroring your excellent thread on Bisonville) I am very glad the game is happening to show just how far apart the programs are, plus, we needed a home game, and you guys are getting paid basically nothing and basically getting no tickets. Win, win, win. And this is not smack, but reality.

Woo hoo! Way to go Flagship!