CRH

With all the debate here about which playoff system is better 1AA or DII I would take either over the BCS tainted, money dominated bowl system in D1A. When only the major 6 conferences have a realistic chance of getting into the BCS and the championship game there is something wrong. When a bowl can take a team with a worst record because they travel more fans to their fair city there is something wrong. Maybe there needs to be some tweaking on how teams qualify for the playoffs, but at least the teams that qualify are able to settle the debate on the field as to who is the best team rather than through a poll!

I think maybe the North Dakota schools may be down this year for various reasons,however SDSU,USD,UNO should represent the conference very well. I also think Minnesota State will surprise some people. SDSU has a very tough pre-season schedule and so far has not had any letdowns. I suspect the NCC will be a battle as always with wins on the road tough to come by. The SDSU women beat two very good teams by double digits last weekend Ne Kearney and the team they beat in the Championship Northern KY.

What ever happened to Robert Lollar. I was very impressed as he had some good games against the Jacks. Jacks beat UMD 102-84 at Pepsi Classic in Mankato.

I don't disagree with you on that point. Even with all your departures I believe UND will be in the top half of the conference. I'm going to miss the harrasing the big kid this year! He loved to play off the big crowds in Brookings

I guess what that study didn't tell us was that no DI conference will consider you until you put your money where your mouth is and formally declare. Otherwise they won't take you seriously.

With SDSU and NDSU gone you shouldn't have much problem winning with the conference with the cast that you have. I feel the Jacks have all the tools to win the conference and go far into the tournament!

I'm told from a legislator that it won't get that far, in large part because of the people that are sponsoring it. Mike Rounds an SDSU grad has said privately he is in favor of the move. The BOR who voted on the issue last December were largely connected with USD and that alone made me wonder how they would vote. Now, the makeup of the BOR has a majority largely of SDSU grads because of Rounds appointments. I don't know where those regents stand, but I would be surprised if they would want to go against the SDSU administration,Powerful Alumni Assn and Student Assn. I think when it comes right down to it the bill will get raised and than shot down. A lot of the SDSU people who make the larger contributions are behind this move and I believe there will be no turning back! I think Gov Rounds would veto the bill. The positive thing about this whole situation is the passion for SDSU on both sides of the table. I think after the dust settles both sides will come together and put the school first and let the differences die. I think 25-30 years from now people will look back and say this was a great move and the begginning of something special at SDSU and NDSU. If there was no debate and nobody cared than I would be worried. Those people who are against will still come out and support the school and the Jacks.

I was not referencing any D1 kind of accreditation for academics, but rather an analogy that SDSU has recieved grants and research accolades comparable to institutions that happen to be large D1 Universities who have recieved similar designations.

Were happy you for you! Will see if you maintain that kind of enrollment with the kind excitement that will be generated in Fargo.

PCM-In response to your statement that SDSUFan and CRH are the same person your inacurate along with about 90% of the rest of your dialogue. I really could care less what UND does or does not do in the future as it relates to which division you participate in. Are you not already a division I institution anyway because of revered hockey program you have. PCM- If your so disgusted with the fact that SDSU is making this move than keep your money and allegiances with UND. I think will get by. SDSU went to great measures to insure they were making the right move beyond the Carr report. Fred Oien and Co. held forums all over the state to answer questions and explain the rational behind the move. The forum I went to in Sioux Falls was packed and the majority were in favor. Many of those who were against spoke their peace. The SDSU student congress came out in favor of the move and so did the Alumni Assn. Every entity that wanted to give their two cents had the opportunity. SDSU did not have to get the approval of the Board of Regents but I thought it was very prudent we did so. The conference membership was not mandated by the BOR, but rather self imposed by SDSU officials. The bottom line is in their quest to seek conference membership along with NDSU they were finding no interest because no conference would take an institution seriously until they officially declared their intention to move up. SDSU essentially had to announce and put their money where there mouth was or this was a futile attempt. The NCC deciding to increase the timeline and penalty for notification of departing the league was a direct shot at SDSU that backfired and also played a role in pushing SDSU to make the move sooner than later. Would the SDSU officials liked to have secured a conference before announcing? absolutely. Has finding a conference been more difficult than anticipated (absolutely). Would SDSU have preferred to have the entire NCC Conference move up (You bet) they lobbied heavilly on this issue. Most of the NCC with the exception of Augie already operate like a D1 institution. The Argus Leader has been very vocal against this move and they certainly have that right. Those views do not represent the majority of people I have spoke to. I attended the annual Stan Marshall Golf event this year and they had to create two shotguns and had more participation than ever before. I attended the pregame party and game at the Jacks only home game so far this year and people commented that there was a buzz and excitement level like never before. President Elliott got a rousing applause. This move is not about a few vocal people and media outlets that are intimidated with change. This is about taking an institution of 10,000 that is D1 academically to the next level in athletics. This move will also help recruit new students (last time I checked North Dakota was losing population and South Dakota had slight growth and the number of kids in High Schools in the two states is projected to decline. Many think this will help us recruit students outside the State. This move is already paying dividends with alumni that are getting reconnected with the school. Maybe there is hope for PCM. Do we care what UND fans think about our move and the tactics? NO Do we care what PCM and his relatives think about the move? Not anymore as we are just looking forward to the opportunity to compete against that more resemble SDSU. It seems UND is comfortable competing D1 Hockey and playing the Crookstons and Newberry's of the world in everything else(have fun). Winning championships against the watered down DII will mean nothing in the future. Go ahead and continue to speculate what the Jacks may do next. Look forward to seeing you in Brookings for the October game. In the meantime, on the hockey front I do admit I've become a bit of a fan and look forward to watching my adopted team the Gophers win a 3rd championship in a row!

PCM, Glad to see your keeping up with the SDSU student newspaper. Could you be a closet Jack fan? As I mentioned in a previous post I spoke to a couple of legislators who informed me the two legislators who are looking to sponsor this bill were soundly shot down last year and will certainly meet the same fate this year. They also happen to be the least respected lawmakers in Pierre and thus have no credibility. Those of us who support the D1 move which are a much larger majority than these two clowns understand couldn't have handpicked two better candidates to lead and take the stand against SDSU going D1. I think UND faithful should spend more time gathering support for your own eventual move than paying attention to these grandstanding legislators who's bill is DOA!

The two legislators that are leading this bill happen to be two of the least respected officals in Pierre. I would say there chances of getting this thing off the ground are slim to none. I would say your predictions of SDSU staying in the NCC have no chance.

Which Sports does UND not compete within the NCC that the Jacks do. I don't recall hearing anything about the Sioux in Wrestling? I still stand by the fact that the Jacks have won 6 of 8 All Sports Trophy regardless of who decides to participate. No,I have not started down the road of throwing around our women's records. However, we did win the Womens Basketball National Championship this year and recently were second in the nation in volleyball.

I've been on the road and want to respond to some of the comments made in reaction to statements I've made on this site. First, I want to retract any statement that I made alluding to UND and USD being in the same league in terms of their ability to run their programs. Clearly UND is far superior in terms of their on the field successes,facilities and Marketing of their respective sports. If you have ever been to an event in the Dakota Dome you know what I mean when I say it is the most bush league excuse of a facility and the inability of the athletic director to manage a sporting event and raise dollars got him fired. I wish UND would recognize the collapse of DII and raise the balance of your sports up to the D1 level along with SDSU and NDSU. Regarding the prominence of hockey lets agree that we disagree. I would like to respond to where SDSU ranks in terms of athletic success compared to UND. Rather than argue about individual sports and the fact that we don't have a hockey program and don't plan to have one, lets look at recent overall program success. SDSU has finished in the top ten of the Directors Cup the last 2 years including 5th in the 2002/2003 season. For those of you who don't know the Directors Club is a competition amongst DII colleges where you accumulate points based on how well your teams were able to compete and advance to post season play. Where was UND? In the competition for the All-Sports Trophy in the NCC the Jackrabbit Men have been absolutley dominant. SDSU Men have won 4 consecutive All Sports Trophies and 6 of the last 8 years. Since 1971 when the competition began the Jacks have won 11 times overall. 2003 Mens Standings SDSU 119 SCSU 110 Mn.S 105 NDSU 102 USD 100 UNC 93 UND 81 Augie 75 UNO 55 Finally,I understand the atmosphere at a hockey game in Grand Forks is quite an event. I would also tell you that there is no better place in DII to watch a basketball game than Frost Arena. When we pack 8000+ into our homecourt we are virtually unbeatable. Just ask a certain Miami Heat player who never did win at Frost in regular season or post-season. While I had hoped that the NCC would move up as a group its not going to happen. I hope the UND administration wakes up soon and realizes its time to get off the sinking ship. Yes your Hockey Program competes at the highest level but that by itself does not make UND a DI program.

Your assuming the rest of the world considers College Hockey a sport of any significance.i

Maybe with SDSU departing you can finally advance in the Basketball tournament, illegal players and all. Enjoy DII!

I agree with Charger. The BOR are not going to step in at this point and reverse there decision. This is an institutional decision at this point and BOR opinions and the individuals spewing negativity about Dr. Oien and Pres Miller are irrelevant as SDSU is moving up where we belong. Besides the makeup in the BOR is much more pro SDSU than it was during last Decembers vote thanks to an SDSU grad in the govenors office. NCC Fan and Sikota should be more concerned about their own clubs are going to compete in the NCC than worrying about SDSU which has always been in a different league anyway.

Damstraight, You keep talking about the best scenario would be for the majority of the NCC move up as a group to D1 (Augustana) would never do it.. I don't think anyone disagrees with you that this would have been the best situation for everyone. In fact if you go back and see some of the comments by the SDSU,NDSU and UNC administrations and they were pleading for this to happen as you could control travel expense and a multitude of other costs and maintain those regional rivalries. I think in short order this could have become one of the best D1AA conferences in the country. The problem is clear the balance of the other schools feel they are already D1 via their hockey programs. They have no stomach for additional scholarships as they don't want to drain money from their cash cow and that is hockey. I know the Sioux Fans don't want to hear this but my feeling is either you go D1 all the way or you don't. I don't think you should be able to field a D1 program in one sport and not others. I still think the Sioux are one of the few NCC schools that will move up, but I'm doubtful based on comments I've seen that the other schools have any interest. Mankato and St. Cloud seem very quiet on the whole issue.

It appears Kearney is not interested which I think is the NCC first choice. I've heard some talk about Upper Iowa who I know nothing about. It sounds like the NCC commisioner and the AD's would like someone within the region that does not require a plane flight. I would think Northern,Southwest State and Winona State would all get a look if they are interested.

IT'S OFFICIAL. THE JACKS ANNOUNCED AT 10AM THIS MORNING AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN BROOKINGS THAT THEY HAVE NOTIFIED THE NCC THEY WILL BE DEPARTING AND JOINING THE DIVISION I RANKS. IT BECAME CLEAR TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT D1 PRESIDENTS AND ATHLETIC DIRECTORS WOULD NOT TAKE SDSU SERIOUSLY UNTIL THEY DECLARED THEIR INTENTIONS FORMALLY.. SOUTH DAKOTA WAS THE LAST STATE WITHOUT A D1 SCHOOL AND NOW JOIN NDSU IN FINDING A CONFERENCE.

I believe a conference announcement for both NDSU and SDSU will be happening in the very near future. It was the NCC who dictated the terms when they created this new 18 month announcement rule and forced the SDSU leadership to react the way they have. I think SDSU administration has been very clear from the beginning they want to move the program up to DI. The BOR gave no stipulations about conference membership or affiliation. I think the ongoing change in DII is also accelarating the process as they see institutions very unlike both SDSU and UND joining DII. I will take the leadership of Peggy Miller and Fred Oien over the UND Brass anyday.