SooToo

Geez, that's an easy one.

...And yet in four of the last five years -- 80 percent of the time (including, apparently, 2010) -- Taylor has been unable to reach this goal. In the single year he managed six at home, the schedule included that perennial powerhouse Central Conneticut and fan-favorite Austin Peay. Last year, the AC handed out wads of cash to lure in Wagner College of the Maritime Arts and Knot-Tying, just to get to five. Assuming this was a serious argument from the outset -- and I have my doubts -- recent history has proven it to be a fallacy. Virtually no respectable team with hopes of reaching the play-offs is willing to sign on for a one-and-done deal on the road. As conferences get larger, there are dwindling options for OOC games, and when the Bison find an opponent for sale, they're settling for yawners -- at a big price. It's in the hands of Kelley and Hanson now, but according to Faison, there won't be a game until its an annual contest. What will Gene T's next objection be? Too expensive to travel?

The focus here isn't whether NDSU made a mistake in its media dealing but what opportunities those changes might hold for UND. Obviously, the old days of awarding a radio contract to a single station are over, but you certainly want stations with broad coverage areas among your affiliates and there are only so many of them out there. I agree UND should continue its partnership with KFGO in Fargo, but what are RFM's intentions when the current 3-year deal expires? If a decision is made at RFM to limit KFGO coverage to professional sports (and KVOX is all Bison), WDAY-AM certainly would be a desireable broadcast alternative. I agree with Sic that the FCS deal is far superior to a local TV network, but what percentage of viewers in ND and NW Minnesota -- our prime terrritory -- are offered or purchase FCS (premium) channels? If allowable under the FCS contract, a few games via "traditional" TV available across the region would be a great addition to current coverage. Minus its prior affiliation with SU, Forum Comm could provide that. (If I'm not mistaken, they actually own four stations in the state; WDAY, WDAZ, KBMY (Bismarck) and KMLY (Minot). I agree with you, Hammer, in that I don't understand Bison fans' objection to a deal with RFM. It's been widely speculated since RFM "upgraded" its sports station that this would be the eventual home of NDSU sports and, as an all-sports station, they may give even deeper blanket coverage (if that's possible) to SU sports than WDAY. As an aside, I'm astounded by the collective the-world's-against-us paranoia gripping Bison fanatics. The objection to RFM seems mainly to center on Joel Heitkamp and on Dan Hammer, whose "sin" is that he's the (paid, professional) broadcaster for UND football. As to The Forum, I think it still has (like most papers) an inherent bias in favor of its local school. Don't blame the messanger when it (megalomaniac president on a personal spending spree, buildings falling down, tuition waiver give-aways to inflate enrollment -- you get the picture) hits the fan.

If you know anything about Bill Marcil -- and I do, just a little -- he's not likely to take lightly the way Gene T. and Co. have walked away from their long-term relationship with Forum Communications. He's a good member of the Fargo-Moorhead community but he is a UND grad, and he may be open to considering statewide broadcasts of some UND games if for no other reason than to spite NDSU. Prather's appearance at Sioux boosters spoke volumes. Agree that UND is w-a-a-y ahead of the AC in regards to broadcast media, but you've got to wonder what KFGO's long-term interest is in UND football (and other sports), and WDAY-AM must have nearly the same footprint as KFGO. The FCS agreement is excellent, but it'd also be nice to see a few statewide telecasts of UND games over traditional commercial stations, and Forum Com could deliver that.

WDAY pulls offer At least as of now, Forum Communications is dropping out of the bidding for NDSU radio rights, apparently ending a 43-year relationship on a sour note. Interestingly, Mark Prather, GM at WDAY, was in attendance at Fargo Sioux Boosters this week and was recognized for his station's recent support. WDAY TV (for the first time in my memory) has been running some promos both for the Sioux coaches' show (which I believe still out draws the Craig Bohl show) and the booster club. Coming on the heels of the switch of TV rights to KVLY, could this open some doors for new relationships between UND sports and Forum Communications?

Per Roebuck, in comments today, UND is scouring the region for 3 Juco's for next year to fill in the scholarship/player void in this year's sophomore class. Hoping to find a point guard, someone to play low post and an "athlete," hopefully an outside shooter. Also according to Gene, Sharakova (sp?) "meets NCAA requirements but not UND requirements" to play -- sounds like a grade-point or credits issue. Not sure what her future is, but I would presume that if she's still with the team now there's hope she could play next year.

<<SIGH>> 82 Sioux Guy, you have the patience of a saint.

All for the betterment of ND, I understand. However, it seems more than coincidental that: 1) Fargo Chamber types for years have hoped to see NDSU outgrow UND; 2) Ol' Joe publicly stated his goal last year to boost graduate and foreign enrollment (which jumped more than 21% and 34%, respectively, just this year), and; 3) the AC gives away more tuition (more than 13% last year) than any other school in ND, save Dickinson State. IIRC from an earlier article, tuition waivers jumped nearly another 20% just this year at NDSU, presumably pushing the total towards 1/2 of the all waivers given through the NDUS. UND, by the way, feels the need to shell out just half the tuition waivers compared to NDSU. Tell me again, what's the motivation at Old Main?

Real-time trolling, by "fans" who don't care. Niiice.

Thanks, but I prefer to believe my computer has something against goophers this week.

Is it just my computer or does the link open a story about that poor damned cat glued to the road by vicious gopher fanatics?

I know that you know that I know ...

Some real, honest mental health issues there to be sure. On another recent sports-blog thread, one of the posters in question claimed The Forum is "out to get" NDSU, while the other labeled Sioux fans on this board "a dangerous threatening group."

In fact I would guess a large majority of UND fans are ready to move on. While there always will be die-hards, I think most fans -- though they celebrate the nickname -- are weary of the battle, understand the implications and are ready to respectfully retire the nickname and, with reservations, transition to the future. I've never understood the "nickname>>>university" crowd.

Here's hopin' with ya......

The currency of the day over at Bisonville: Rampant paranoia and wild-eyed speculation posing as "a couple of facts." The Bison faithful can't comprehend that Joe Chapman's say-anything, hide-the-numbers, in-your-face style brought a jump in enrollment (tuition waivers?) and research dollars (federal earmarks?) but perhaps at a significant cost in terms of good will. SBoHE members and legislators (UND grads, of course) wonder about cost overruns at the new president's home. The downtown businesses community, as reported in the "anti-NDSU" Forum, is offended by SU's decision to open a bookstore downtown in direct competition with private business. (Needed to cash flow excess space leased downtown?) And now income is falling below projections, perhaps because the university is giving away the store (nearly twice the tuition waivers as UND) to buy growth in graduate enrollment. My own speculation is that we haven't seen the last of the bad news out of NDSU, and Hanson, at the urging of SBoHE administration, is trying to build good will by taking a transparent, cautious approach before the next shoe drops. But this isn't good enough for many of the Bison faithful, who long for more of Ol' Joe's style and are ripping on Hanson at every turn. Not everyone is buying into it, though. As one Bisonville poster wrote recently, "bull$%!# and bluster aren't going to cut it this time."

Wasn't it just six or nine months ago that Faison was talking about a rehab of the Old Ralph as the top option for attaining an indoor facility? I wonder what the change in plan says about the success of "pre-campaign" fund-raising efforts...

I don't know the policy at UND but I believe the children of NDSU employees get/can qualify for full or partial tuition waivers as well. Could run into some pretty significant numbers. I never worry about the NDSU athletic budget; they've always got it covered -- to the penny.

He may be the poster boy for obnoxious fan behavior -- or maybe unmet mental health needs -- but LakesBison has friends. You need to do a little review of some of the classless, anti-UND comments posted here, on newspaper blogs and at Bison fan sites; they don't all originate with this nut case. Shawn O's got it pegged.

Based on ....

Seems we have something of an epidemic recently of new, ultra-critical "Sious fans." Good thing they "got over" us and moved on years ago.

Per Marlin Lee at Wisconsin Sports Network, UND now showing interest in Homestead DE John Laihinen (6'3", 240). He reports a walk-on offer from Indiana but no other FBS/FCS offers. Names to 2009 1st team defense by Wisconsin High School Coaches. Oh and don't blame Nick Mertens; I fear he suffered from "average" coaching after he left high school.

Always a possibility. He was D-coordinator at FBS Wyoming last year, and SU could have been a one-year option while he pursued other jobs. However, seems a bit unsual to me that he would have been on the road recruiting for NDSU a few days before his departure. No one seems to have heard anything about another job and Breske apparently is unavailable. How many coordinators/assistants have "resigned" at NDSU in just that past two years -- four? five? Someone failing to accept the ultimate responsibility for failure there? Oh and for the Bisonville faithful who love this one, Bohl apparently is out of town and unavailable for comment.

Never listed as an offer but previously on our "interest" list, Justin Sinz of Edgar, WI, apparently has verballed to Purdue, per Marvin Lee at WSN. Apparently that makes 15 Wisconsin FB players going Big Ten. On the "Don't Count Your Chickens" front, I believe Marvin also reported recently that LB Cameron Botticelli has dropped his verbal "commitment" to Ill. State in favor of a walk-on invite from Wisconsin. I presume this could be a big weekend for player visits at UND. Info?