dakota fairways

A Nordique is a Native Canadian from northern Quebec. Doubt it will pass the PC test. Then again, the US has always treated Canadians differently, so maybe the NCAA would be ignorant of the source of the name.

Is NDSU going to be that accommodating... scheduling UND at times that are convenient for the Sioux and in Grand Forks. 13 is the tough one, with or without divisional play. Fullerton was aiming for divisions before USD got the MVFC invitation, but even 7 team divisions is awkward: 6 in-division games and 3 opposite division games means there is a team you will not play for 2 seasons. Since the Sioux are happy to be in the Big Sky, what is ultimately the answer? Does the Big Sky add a team or lose a team or teams?

Geographically, there is no divisional alignment that would not put UND in the same division with Montana and Montana State

Cedar Rapids Roughriders (USHL) use this image (even the colors are right) on some t-shirts: their actual logo is a horsehead: thank you sioux7>5 for this lead

I missed that... where?

agreed. in fact, this arrangement will likely have recruiting focii in different parts of the country precisely! So, using this logic, since UND is in transition, UND does not count against the 'new' Big Sky? I already hear your argument that USD is also in transition, so don't waste a post. Give the Sioux a chance to recruit with the Big Sky on the schedule, the players will come. I still believe that Bozeman, Misssoula, Cedar City, Flagstaff, San Luis Obispo and almost everywhere else in the BSC give the recruits' families destinations they want to visit and will be a positive recruiting tool. Actually, Grand Forks will be the least desireable destination on the Big Sky schedule.

What? ^ || Huh? Before NDSU & SDSU joined the Summit (Mid Con), I would be willing to go out on a limb and state that the Big Sky coverage in our area eclipsed the sum total of Gateway and MidCon coverage. When the Bison and Jackrabbits moved to D-I and began playing in the Summit and the MVFC, that all changed. Today, coverage of the Summit and Missouri Valley are relevant to and well covered in the Dakotas. But while NDSU and SDSU have been members of the Summit and MVFC, we are still exposed to the Big Sky in both national and regional sports coverage. The Missouri Valley Conference is a strong basketball conference and I understand that the Bison are dreaming of one day being invited to the MVC, but the Bison are still playing in the Summit for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, historically the Big Sky is a strong mid major conference and has had a lot of coverage in North Dakota for many years. That is why NDSU and SDSU wanted to be invited to the Big Sky when they moved to D-I in 2004. They have made the most of their conference affiliations and probably elevated and stabilized their conferences by their presence, but admit it, the Big Sky was their first choice too. As for strength of football conferences, you cannot claim the MVFC is stronger than the BSC. The BSC has had more FCS championship game appearances and FCS Championships than the MVFC in the last decade, two decades and three decades, pick your timeframe.

Thank you, 82Sioux. You understood my intent exactly.

Sorry, guess I didn't do my research very well. I have never heard of a sea-grant or space-grant university before.

Considering where USD is located and the size of their athletic budget, it would seem that they are in the conference they wanted to be in all along. I also feel that the Sioux are in the conference they want to be in. As big as the Big Sky's footprint is, it isn't any bigger, especially when it comes to basketball, than the Great West. As for NDSU, it seems like there are more flagship/land grant separations than there are parallel affiliations in athletic conferences. The Iowa/Iowa State, Colorado/Colorado State type arrangements in different conferences outnumber the Kansas/Kansas State, Arizona/Arizona State affiliations, so why do North Dakota and North Dakota State have to play in the same conference? If the ADs want to have an OOC game that will pack fans to the rafters, they will see to it that the Sioux/Bison rivalry is restarted. If not, life will go on as it has since NDSU moved to D-I in 2004. The other thing about those divergences of schools between conferences, almost every split has put the flagship school in the more respected conference than the land grant - for example Indiana/Indiana State, Florida/Florida State, Utah/Utah State. The list goes on with very few that can be argued - Iowa and Iowa State come to mind (Big Ten 12 vs Big 12). UND and NDSU playing in different conferences can also be viewed in that light. At best (from NDSU's point of view), the Summit/MVFC combination may be considered in the same light as the Big Sky, expecially with the conference's presence in the region due to the Dakota schools affiliating with them, but, historically, the Big Sky has been viewed as a more prestigious conference by the residents of our area, like Colorado being in the Big 12 (or now, the Pac 12) while Colorado State is in the Mountain West. Seriously, how many people knew what conference Illinois State or Missouri State was in before the Bison joined the MVFC? But nearly everyone could have told you what conference Montana State is in.

Herd, you may very well be right. NDSU is about farming (and ranching), so they would not look to the oilfields and think there is support for the Bison there. The SBoHE budget will trickle down to all schools and will, indeed, be fed by oil money, so what's the big deal? I also do not know about where alumni go from either school, but maybe NDSU needs the Illinois, Kansas City, Tulsa connections more than UND does? Not making a statement here, just asking a question. You are also probably right that NDSU will not look to the Big Sky for membership. Since the Sioux got there first, the egos in Fargo would not allow the Bison to "follow" the Sioux into the Big Sky, no matter the consequences. If that is the case, so be it. On the other hand, if the WAC survives, and I think it will rise once again from the ashes (they have been given up for dead at least twice before), the Big Sky is one of the main sources for the WAC and with that comes an FBS conference home. How many teams have moved to FBS from the MVFC/Gateway? Western Kentucky is the only one I can think of offhand. The story has been different with the Big Sky/WAC/MWC (Idaho, Boise, Nevada Reno, not to mention the open invitation to Montana that has been turned down again and Gonzaga and Cal State Northridge in basketball), so NDSU can go ahead and stay in the MVFC/Summit while the Sioux groom for an FBS upgrade sometime in the next decade or so. Who knows, maybe UND will be like Montana and decide the Big Sky is better than FBS, like the Bison have decided that the Summit is better than the Big Sky.

One of the first Alaskan bush pilots was a graduate of UND from Hatton, named Carl Ben Eielson. He started air mail in Alaska, was one of the first to fly over the north pole and died flying a rescue mission to a stranded freighter off the Siberian coast. So, how about Bush Pilots? Still not my favorite, though.

just look at the posts from Idaho & San Jose State fans about the new WAC. Without tougher competition, postseason games will be something they can now hope for.

you mean like Sanford or Scheels?

Conference realignment on a smaller scale: Dickinson and Jamestown have been invited to the Montana to Oregon Frontier Conference in NAIA. Minot is looking to join the Minnesota based D-II Northern Sun. Where can Mayville and Valley CIty go? MIAC and Great Plains Conference are private schools, Upper Midwest Conference is a long ways away. Its not like either Mayville or Valley City are national powers in fb or bb, but Mayville is almost always competitive in baseball. Hate to see them facing a future with less prospects than Idaho.

just curious about this forum's reaction to the domino effect of the rumor surrounding Tennessee State being invited to the SWAC. This creates an opening in the OVC. Rumor is that one of the leading candidates for moving to the OVC is Western Illinois. This would create an opening in the Summit/Missouri Valley. Opportunity for the Sioux to join the other 4 Dakota schools or for Nebraska Omaha to move to D-I? It would actually disappoint me if the Sioux dropped the Big Sky in favor of taking the Western Illinois vacancy. What do you say?

so you can keep trollin' and hopin' for tidbit of news that NDSU will get invited to the game too

Big Sky has been a better breeding ground for the FCS, if that is something the Bison are hoping for. On the other hand, in this part of the country, FCS is still the biggest football game in town, so maybe the Bison are content to aim for the MVC as their ultimate goal. If that is the case, a conference home equal to the Big Sky is the highest level the Bison are hoping to achieve, anyway, so why wait, holding their breath and hoping for a MVC invitation somewhere down the road?

You are right, it will take wins to put the Sioux in the spotlight, not just being in the Big Sky. However, I think you missed my point - UND has been at a huge disadvantage trying to recruit since the Bison had such a big head start in D-I. The Sioux now have a home in a respected D-I conference and the recruiting competition should be less one-sided. Your comment that it doesn't matter which conference you go through to get to the big dance sounds like an off-handed admission that the Bison got to March Madness because the Summit was weaker than the BSC is. The Bison and the Jackrabbits bolstered what was a weak Mid-Con and the Summit is now a decent League, but the BSC is already a very good FCS conference and the Sioux will learn to win in the Big Sky, just as they have learned to win in the old NCC and the WCHA.

So, UNO to the Summit/MVFC. Actually makes sense... Omaha is a stepping stone to Kansas City & Tulsa from Vermillion, Brookings and Fargo. Good I-29 connection. I still doubt that Omaha is in Fullerton's sights. Even though NDSU & Idaho aren't publicly seeking membership in the Big Sky, they are both better fits than Omaha.

from bisonville.com ---- AND ---- WYO, you sure are the source of some great quotes! If the offer comes, NDSU may turn it down, but they would have to think hard about an invitation to the Big Sky. Idaho & San Jose will resist FCS as long as they possibly can, and may even go independent instead of moving to FCS. Wyoming Cowboys would also be a good fit, but they won't make the move to FCS, either - especially since they are not in the WAC.

You still have to fly through MSP. I don't think this sounds like they are thinking Nebraska Omaha. The "ideal" travel partner for UND must be Minnesota Crookston.

I would be willing to bet the Bennett Brien will create another artistic logo for UND that will look every bit as good on a cap for the new nickname, whether a Roughrider, Nokota or even a Roughneck. One of the really appealing things about the Fighting Sioux logo is that it stands by itself and it is readily identified without the need for the Sioux name sprawling across it like so many nicknames.

more likely, huh?

To survive what has gone on with the WAC, they should be pleading with Sacramento St, Portland St & Seattle U. Add those 3 markets and the conference may be able to survive. Also, for those schools, FBS level should help them elevate their coverage in their cities. Yes, the U of Washington is in Seattle and Oregon St is only half an hour out of Portland, but moving the commuter schools to FBS may give them a chance to compete for a little media coverage. On top of that, the divisional breakdown should be to Sac St & Portland's liking, since they are complaining about UND. Then add Lamar and you have an easy conference divisional split.