jdub27

While I agree that would be the simple solution, I also think that NDSU would have a legitimate beef losing a cheap OOC game. Something would (is) likely being figured out with the discussions before UND would be formally invited to join. Due to cost, UND obviously wouldn't want to be seen as the ones "walking away" from the game. Without seeing the contract, it could be possible that there is some sort of clause in it that addressed the possibility of the two being in the same conference. Yes, was announced when the games were announced and there was rightful anger about it then as well. Another one of the crazy thing GT threw in while moving the goalposts again, thinking the offer wasn't going to be accepted. He (and most others) underestimated Bubba's determination to play the game again.

I know it is in jest but considering the buyout for UND to back out is $250,000, I don't think it will be happening. I also am very curious to see what happens to this game if UND were to perhaps be in the MVFC at this time? NDSU would rightfully be upset because they aren't going to get a home game for anywhere near that price ($140,000). Would they play twice?

Things are going to get worse before they get better: My guess is that the recent round of cuts and plans would handle the initial 6.55% + the 15%. The additional 5% proposed by Burgum probably wasn't planned for.

Was announced in October, just an FYI.

Every DaveK post summed up.

Pretty sure that was known as a Genoway and Finley ended up being the recipient of it the majority of the time.

No one disputed that is likely the WAC still has the ability to operate as an FBS conference. What is now being questioned is your comment that the WAC will operate as an FCS conference until everyone is ready to move up, which would be unprecedented. Can you provide a source where the WAC will be able to retain its ability to be an FBS conference if it starts operating as an FCS conference? You also still haven't directly addressed what happens to your plan if UND joins the Summit (and MVFC) in the next couple of years.

Their other two OOC games are against two of the worst 20 teams in FCS. At worst they will go into conference play at 2-1 and likely 3-0 since they are catching EWU in their first game.

So UND is going to switch to an FCS WAC and then an FCS conference is going to move up to an FBS conference (which isn't allowed)? And if UND doesn't have the funds, they will move back to the Big Sky? You also didn't actually address the question about what happens to your plan if UND moves to the Summit/MVFC. No one is saying UND can't be aspirational, people are saying what you are proposing doesn't make sense, won't be beneficial or is based on a lot of conjecture.

Yeah, send the goalie with the better stats down to the AHL! Get rid of the 22 year old goalie on the rise who has outperformed the 32 year old goalie the last two seasons! Brilliant. Fleury currently sits at 370 wins, meaning he needs a minimum of 80 more wins to get into the top 5, and that includes passing Luongo and Lundqvist, who are going to keep adding to their totals and he has Ryan Miller nipping at his heels. Just because he won a lot when he was younger, doesn't mean he'll keep doing it.

Strange that they'd both fly out to meet with Patty V. or that Kennedy would go down to the NDSU/SDSU playoff game she also happened to be in attendance at. Keep living in denial, the holdup right now is making sure the football team isn't on an island for multiple years. And they're sure as hell is more documented instances of Kennedy discussing the Summit and than there is of him talking about the WAC. He specifically had the IAC consider Summit requirements when doing their review. I also want to point out the the Summit/MVFC isn't what I'm advocating for, there is definitely advantages and disadvantages, I'm just pointing out what seems to be very obvious and the likely end game at this point in time.

Frankly, I don't care what the other schools are doing nor the reasons they are doing it. Things are also changing constantly and some of the stuff you are pointing out is almost a decade old. What I am concerned about is UND and that is where my knowledge lies, so that is what I will focus my response on. I will point out however, that Fullerton fully admitted his plan to get to 16 teams and opening up the possibility for a split failed because he couldn't get support from the University Presidents and the new commissioner has shown zero inclination of going down the same road. -UND dropped baseball because it was low hanging fruit. If it was inevitable that UND was going to join the WAC, it seems odd they would drop their only affiliation with the conference. UND not having baseball will not prevent it from joining the Summit. It isn't a core sport requirement and they need a 10th team. Douple had his chance to shore up his baseball problem and decided he didn't need to. That ship has sailed. Tennis wasn't dropped because it is a core sport in the Big Sky, the conference they are currently a member of and would offer minimal cost savings. Swimming and diving wasn't dropped because of some strong voices in the athletic department protecting their pet sports. -Any source on this? Gene has said a lot of things in his time and also doesn't make any final decisions. Not to mention a ton has changed in the 5 years since he retired. If you think a quote from 5 years ago, with no real proof from UND since then that something is imminent, then you're really grasping for straws. -The master plan was drawn up in 2007, before UND had even decided to go Division 1 (or while they were making the decision). FBS was not even remotely on the table at that time, but having a "master plan" makes perfect sense considering the practice facility was something that they had started working on, so having a future vision to tie things together makes sense, regardless of whether some of it is not realistic. They are currently having issues fully funding Phase II of the HPC and finding money to support athletics, those are priorities, not FBS. You keep talking about all these things that are happening before our eyes and hidden messages/signs in actions, yet you completely ignore actual documented communications between UND and the Big Sky regarding when they could leave the conference and UND and the MVFC/Summit on when they would be able to join. How much more of a smoking gun do you need? The proposed WAC conference doesn't offer any value to UND in terms of rivalries or travel cost savings, and in fact, makes it worse due to increased costs associated with being a lower level FBS team. That is exactly the opposite of what UND is looking for right now, especially as the higher ed budget continues to get shredded by the state legislature.

Do you have anything to back up this claim? I'm having a hard time coming up with which Big Sky presidents have this mindset and any sort of source that back it up.

How in the hell are any of those schools going to lead to less travel? If you want to reduce costs, than its the Summit/MVFC. If UND could get a something worked out with leave/join dates between Big Sky and MVFC for the football team, it'd pretty much be a done deal.

Very true, I should have said nothing of positive significance is coming out of it.

Press conference at 5:30 on a Friday (mountain time even!), the time when news is released to get the smallest reaction possible? Nothing of significance is coming out of this.

I don't have a clue what you are trying to get at. Who said anything about attendance? All I said that the Big Sky managed to have a pretty normalized schedule with an odd number of teams, even though it is much easier with an even number, which you said isn't possible. Clearly it isn't logistically possible to make it perfect with an odd number of teams but the Summit seems to be going out of its way to make it as convoluted as possible.

Obviously an even number of teams is more ideal, but you can still have a pretty normal schedule with an odd number of teams. The Big Sky managed to do it before Idaho joined with one Monday game a week, and every other game on Thursday/Saturday. I have no clue why the Summit has one of the strangest set-ups out there but it really isn't that surprising.

My guess is the feed was somehow tied into one of the video board lines.

Pretty sure Rico Blasi will be speaking at the fan luncheon tomorrow. He's always done a good job, very honest in his assessments and comments.

With the rumblings coming out of Bismarck, it is going to be very interesting to hear what their plan is. I'm still as dumbfounded as you on their decision to do nothing.

That was what should have been expected before conference play started. Bad assumption on my part thinking they were going to show up at Portland State.

This is as dumb as commenting after every loss. Should be 4-0. They did what they were supposed to once and blew out a team that they should have.

Old Market is fun before the game, lots of bars and restaurants. Have always had a good time at DJ's Dugout or Mattress Factory afterwards. Unfortunately that is when Omaha still played at the CenturyLink Center, so all of that was walking distance.