ksixpack

That's it? That's the best you have? Of everything I have written that is all you can come up with? The fact that the ND economy is doing well is not a big reason to want UND but it helps contribute to the viability of UND. Greater population, increased alumni giving, increased advertising revenue, increased research grants for EERC partnering with Oil boom in the western part of the state, UND aerospace partnering with UAV's for research and technology, lots of good things happening financially in this state and who wouldn't want to be a part of that? Put your feet back up on the desk for awhile as I don't have time to get in a pissing match with a half-wit.

I did graduate from UND...I am a season ticket holder for sports other than hockey. I was at the volleyball game against NDSU. I was at Purpur arena to watch the Women's hockey team beat Bemidji in overtime of the WCHA playoffs last year. Don't put me in a box. Being ranked #23 is not my goal for the football team either but I think it is a pretty good start for a team going through D1 transition. I am very excited for all of UND sports as we go forward in D1. I just don't have the belief that the nickname or sanctions will harm us as we are hearing. I also think that there is the ultimate end game that will end off of this controversy once and for all and that is a vote from Standing Rock and I think we are one step closer to that now.

The last football poll I saw had UND ranked in the top 25 which is better than 100 schools in FSC football. UND beat Montana and NDSU in mens basketball. The other sports are all doing well. Not bad for teams in transition without any playoffs home or away! Now that we are playoff eligible and in the Big Sky I think we will be just fine thank you. So I guess if you look at the facts recruiting will not be an issue now will it?

Well pick it apart then. Enlighten the rest of us with your wisdom. Easy to sit there with your feet up casting stones. Very sad.

Might be the dumbest comment I have read so far...they did just fine recruiting during the transition didn't they when they were guarenteed no playoffs for 5 years home or away! You realize there is no home playoffs in D1 for basketball and hockey right? There is not a UND recruit for football that would ever say that I am not coming because I can't play a home football playoff game in front of my friends...come on you have to be kidding me? Furthermore it was not clear that UND was dropping the name when the Big Sky accepted them, as a matter of fact the SIoux logo took up about half of the Big Sky home page when they welcomed them to the league on their web site.

We are in the 10% of the mid-majors that do not lose money. Funny, based on your logic they would have voted us out after South Dakota left, or maybe after the constitutional amendment to keed the name, or yesterday. Well they haven't have they? Fullerton is on record as saying they are taking a wait and see aproach and we are in the Big Sky as long as we are a viable member...I say we will be a viable member for a long time...you obviously say we won't. Time will tell my friend...

See my original post...revenue less expenses = profit...our revenues far exceed travel costs...take a look at the map of the Big Sky teams, this isn't the old NCC. Nobody is just down the road (Vermillian is even 350 miles away)...those states in the West are large!

1. UND is not a member yet, duh, but will contribute when they are starting this Fall. 2. Entry fee is do in July and will be paid then 3. NCAA sanctions are well known and on the table...no further "counselling" will exist. We will be a viable member for the Big Sky with or without NCAA santions. Obviously more viable without the santions but still vialble with them.

Every president would have to vote us out, that is a fact stated by Fullerton yesterday. Why would they vote us out if we are making the conference money and contributing to their schools bottom line? They voted us in when we were the Fighting SIoux didn't they? Your argument doesn't make much sense.

What? Get a clue! The Big Sky conference like all other conferences are a for profit organization. They pay Fullerton's salary. The more money BSC makes more money Fullerton makes. Fullerton could care less about the nickname and has said so publically. He just wants it resolved. Why? Because he sees UND as an asset to his company. If we are under NCAA sanctions we would stand to make less money for the conference (i.e. road football playoff games). To him less money is not good. He is protecting his asset and wants to be able to get as much money out of it as he can. As long as we make money for the conference (and we will with or without NCAA sanctions) we are good but more is better and that is why he wants this resolved. Always follow the money and you will see the answer!

Folks, remember the Big Sky is a business. Plain and simple they, like all businesses, are out to make a profit. Fullerton said that UND will compete in the Big Sky next year but if they become a non-viable member of the BIg Sky at some point they could be voted out. We will be in the Big Sky. He said so on tape yesterday. Look at it like this...if you owned a business and had an employee that led a life style away from the office that you didn't care for but he was one of your top producers and made the company big money and minded his P's and Q's while at work would you fire him? Of course not. He would probably only be fired if his sales eroded to the point where he was not an asset to the company. Fullerton basically said the same thing yesterday. I highly doubt UND would ever become a non-viable member of the Big Sky. Fullerton runs a business, the Big Sky, and UND is coming on board as a recruited member. Fullerton said they are taking a wait and see approach. They brought UND in because they believed UND could be a viable member of the Big Sky and make the conference money. It's all about the money. It always has been and always will be! UND is very attractive to the Big Sky for many reasons, but first and foremost is the money it could generate the conference. Does the Big Sky need UND more than UND need the Big Sky? Hell no, but they see the potential for making money from UND being a member. UND will be a very competitive member. Even though we just went through the tough D1 transition we are already better than 80% of the FSC football programs and both men’s and women’s basketball are ready for the Big Sky with the future looking very bright as is all of our sports programs. Our facilities would probably be the best in the Big Sky. Our fan base is large and full of passion. Sure Fullerton is tired of the nickname issue but at the same time he has to be intrigued by the fact that the whole state is weighing in on the issue and there is so much passion behind it. Ask any sports franchise and they will tell you that apathy will lead to demise...well we certainly don't have apathy for our sports programs here at UND! We have our own sports network that has games picked up nationally which is a huge asset for UND and Fullerton and the rest of the Big Sky see that. No other current teams in the Big Sky have the exposer that UND does on the national stage. That is a fact and NCAA sanctions will not interrupt this exposer. In addition, academically our school is also very attractive to the Big Sky. We have a medical school, law school, and the top aerospace school in the nation. UND's research programs and alumni foundation are raking in the money. The Big Sky presidents love what we have to offer as an academic partner. In addition, North Dakota, the state is on a big time roll. The oil boom and economic vitality of the state is best in the nation right now. Yes we are 600 miles east from the rest of the conference but that is uncharted territory for the Big Sky. UND's footprint reaches all the way to the Twin Cities. That new exposer for the Big Sky is a good thing. Example, UND is talked about daily on KFAN and written about daily in the Twin Cities newspapers. Is the Big Sky? I don't remember the last time anyone on KFAN broke down the competition in the Big Sky Conference. Fullerton and his members see this as new exposer. As a business you like that new exposer. You like the fact that UND's hockey team is a national power and gets lots of publicity. Exposer equals money. Bottom line is economics. As long as UND makes the Big Sky money UND will be a member. The sanctions from the NCAA are not enough to cripple UND where it is not an asset to the Big Sky. They will have no trouble filling out the rest of the minimal non-conference schedules, fans will continue to support UND and probably more so now that the will of the people is being heard, and I believe that the will of the people will prevail and the NCAA will at some point hear the state of North Dakota loud and clear and will give in...and if they don't...well f#ck 'em!

Wow could McFeeley be any more obvious in his bias against UND...what a blow hard...that is the worst journalism I have every heard. He sounds like a giddy 5th grade girl that just talked to Justin Beiber! Nice leading questions that makes it sound like everyone who supports UND thinks that the Big Sky needs us more than we need them...a couple of petition gatherers say this and he presents it as gospel from everyone that supports UND to Mr. Fullerton. Way to sensationalize and put all 17,000 petitioners in the same box! As one who signed the petition I would love to be in the Big Sky and do not want to lose that opportunity and I don't think we will because Mr Fullerton said that it is not imminent now that we will be thrown out but if we are marginalized as a D1 school because of NCAA sanctions in the future to the point we are no longer viable or the protests at the athletic events are too big of a distraction than at that point discussion could be brought up to eliminate us. He was clearly talking about a future chain of events clearly after we are in the Big Sky. One, we are definately a viable institution now and will remain so for as far as I can see, we have been before and during all of this nickname debate and will be long after it. Two, there have never been protests big enough to label us a big enough distraction mandate us out of a league.

They didn't even quote Gene correctly in the Herald story. His comments were a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "Sioux suck" chant by NDSU...since we are no longer named Sioux they must be talking about the Native Americans which would make them racist. It was a harmless comment at Sioux Boosters which is basically a pep rally and did not warrent a written apology to the president of NDSU. For God's sake Faison wasn't even there and nobody cared or was even talking about it but this administration used it as fodder to once again make their anti-nickname case and show everyone 'see here is just another reason why this nickname is destructive'. They use Gene as a pawn and create negative PR for the very University they represent to further their agenda to do away with the Sioux name and every tradition that came with it. How pathetic! Just falls in line with all the other half truths this administration is pushing to the media. Ever since Gene made the comment that he would chose the Sioux name over Summit League membership this administration has been on his back. Gene has done a lot for this university in his 25 years and doesn't deserve the kind of treatment he is getting from this administration. Gene is not retiring any time in the near future unless he is force out by our administrators who are in the process of trying to eliminate everything that has to do with the Sioux name and its traditions!

2 left on the isle...make an offer 701-739-5623

I have 4 tickets together for Saturdays game...Section 104 on the isle directly behind net Sioux shoot on in 1st and 3rd...easy access to bathrooms and beer stand...$40 each or $150 for all 4. Text 701-739-5623 if interested.

I have 2 tickets for the Sunday game in Bemidji...$40 for the pair...text 701-739-5623 if interested.

If you are Brian Faison, Josh Morton, or someone else in the know at the athletic department I would love to meet with you and discuss why UND didn't secure more tickets...I am guessing you are not so our conversation is over ....bottom line is that UND could have, should have, and now wishes it would have secured more tickets...I called them on it and yes, looking back I was too harsh, but I, like you, want as many Sioux fans in the building as possible...my frustration with UND on this matter stems from my knowledge on this matter and what opportunities for tickets were available and lost. Last comment...those of you without tickets who are on the fence ...make the trip...tickets will be available on the street...championship game tickets will be easier to get as the losing teams will be selling...even if you don't get tickets the atmosphere will be awesome and you won't regret it even if you have to watch it in the bar acoss the street.

Of course...nice try...

Bingo...1600 minimum are given to the NCAA...there are the tickets I am talking about....these are the tickets given to other schools...surely you don't believe that there are 1600 + stuffed shirts from the NCAA at the game.

I have tickets. Yes I too believe that their will be tons of Sioux fans in the Xcel but I think it is too bad there couldn't be more...you are missing the point...and please stop with the Draft Lottery talk...a lottery where everybody that enters wins...

Your proof shows where 2400 of the 18,500 tickets go...there are still 16,100 remaining...other schools do get tickets for the event. I don't see many Duluth fans looking for tickets do you? Look at the ticket requests on the websites. Surely they don't travel as well as we do and we would blow them away in ticket sales but I am guessing UMD secured more tickets for them then UND did for us...I wish I was wrong but I am afraid there will be hundreds of UND fans left out...I would still encourage our fans to go anyway without a ticket as it is always a great time!

I stand by my statement that other schools besides those in the frozen four have tickets to the event...probably not 600, but they have tickets. UND was alloted 600 from the NCAA but only 200 and change made it to FSC members. If UND didn't think they could lobby other schools for their tickets then why did UND email the entire 2300 FSC membership to put in their ticket requests? UND obviously anticipated getting more or they would have only had contacted the first 100 on the FSC priority list and not the entire list as only the first 100 FSC members got tickets. Yes this year is a high demand year for tickets because of the market it is in and the the teams that made it, i.e. UND. But this event isn't as big of an event that many of you make it out to be. I love the talk of the lottery to get tickets to the Frozen Four. Lottery...really...do you know anybody that put in for tickets in this so called lottery that didn't get them? Not much of a lottery. I was in Columbus a few years ago and watched my cousin buy championship game tickets for $15. They were nosebleeds but he was able to work his way down through the many open seats to a decent seat. So you see this event is not always a high demand event like it is this year and yes other schools do get tickets for that very reason.

That is not correct...the other 12 teams on the tournament also got tickets...Denver gave UND the cold shoulder when they called them on Monday for their tickets...