ShilohSioux

NDSU wants to it both ways -- to declare superiority without proving it on the field. Once we are in the Big Sky and recuriting as well or better than NDSU (roster talent should be comparable by 2014 at latest), they will have even less incentive to play us.

What's the genesis of the "Jets" name and its connection to Winnipeg? I know it was the name of the WHA/NHL team and before that a minor league team but were airplanes once manufactured there? What's the historical connection, if any? Also, would going with "Manitoba" over "Winnipeg" make others in the province feel more ownership of the team?

Big 10 and Big XII schools. Going to the West Coast to play Pac-10, MWC teams gets us nothing except maybe a beating in an area we're hoping to recruit. We're going there anyway for BSC games and a win over Sac State or Portland State gets us a lot more than a blowout to Cal or Oregon. Besides, I believe there are more winnable games against Midwest teams than when we go farther afield. Besides Minnesota, I'd put KU, KSU, Iowa State, etc... on my near-term list, then Nebraska, Michigan, etc... on the long term, when we're more competitive.

And neither are Boise State and TCU. Your point??? Also, Idaho has 20 more scholarships than any Big Sky team and had four players drafted the past two years. If you're going to come onto our board, please be knowledgeable first.

I completely understand the attraction of a Saturday evening game and even for Fargo residents (who don't have young kids) I don't think it's out of line, but for those who are driving farther (such as Bismarck) and who value attending church Sunday morning (there's more than a few of us in North Dakota), Saturday afternoons -- even 4:00 p.m. -- are better than evening. I might consider attending one 6 p.m. or later game a year but that's my limit. That said, I realize most Sioux fans are within a two hour drive and those of us further out probably don't have a lot of say or clout.

I would LOVE to play KU and K-State. Can get to those games, they may be winnable some years, and they can help with recruiting. It's not an either-or choice. We can play FBS against Midwest/Plains teams and those out West. Just stagger things. And for those who thing these are somehow inferior schools and we should only look at Nebraska, Iowa, etc.... The pair have been to a couple of BCS bowl games this past decade: Orange and Fiesta.

Right now, South Dakota is scheduled to open with Colgate on Sept. 8, 2012. They have one open date. Why on earth would we refuse to open with USD on Aug. 30 and play Mines instead? Unbelievable if we had that opportunity and turned it down.

Great insight! Yes, the UND-NDSU game should be played regularly FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTH DAKOTA and all the other reasons mentioned here -- creates excitement and fan interest, good attendance, easy /low cost "away" game for one team, etc.... Yote, I don't know why our administration is blocking an annual or semi-annual game with the Yotes but if it isn't because they hope to have a regular series with the Bison, they are missing a good bet, for many of the same reasons why the NDSU-UND series should be played. At least one if not two of our OCC games each year should be played against the regional Dakota universities. We could do both -- playing one game in Grand Forks and the other in either Fargo or Vermillion each year. That still leaves one non-league game for an FBS school or a patsie FCS team. But if that's not possible, then an every-other-year game with the Yotes would be most welcome.

So it's fine for you to admit NSDU wants to play and in fact purposely schedules "patsies" but you still bash UND for its 2011 schedule? Oh, the hypocrisy.

The Iowa-Iowa State contest has been very lopsided for two decades. Florida-Florida State is intense and Utah-BYU will be for years to come even though they are in separate conferences. If both teams are strong, this will remain a good series. Also, we could open the year with it or make it the second game of the year like Colorado-Colorado State often do, which would allow all summer to build up expectations.

I don't think this is personal against UND or the other new BSC teams and I do understand his disappointment. 13 is a very awkward number for a conference. Right now, the Big Sky has a true champion -- everyone plays everyone and it's clean-cut. With 13 there will be disputes. How can you legitimately crown a conference champion if two teams go 8-0 or 7-1, or what if a team goes 8-0 but doesn't play Montana and another top team, while the 7-1 team plays a much tougher schedule. With USD there would have been 14 and a two-division setup but 13 is an awful number for a football league.

That's true if the game is played in Hawaii. If it's played on the mainland, it counts against the 12-game limit for FBS teams and 11/12-game limit for FCS teams. Same with basketball games in Alaska or Hawaii. The rule was implemented to encourage teams to travel to Alaska and Hawaii. Without the waiver, it's unlikely those teams would play many home games... this was particularly the case before Hawaii joined the WAC and the D-II Alaska and Hawaii schools their various conferences.

Seems to be a lot of different views on this one.

Actually, that's not true. The state did not say this nor is there any provision written anywhere. However, along with citing the cost of moving up, Montana expressly stated they wanted to maintain the Cat-Griz rivalry and stay in the same conference as MSU. http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_65c1336c-edbf-11df-9a9d-001cc4c002e0.html. Maintaining the rivalry with Montana State University is "essential to the state's cultural fabric," Engstrom said during a news conference in Main Hall on a day when campus was quiet - as classes were canceled in observance of Veterans Day. WAC rules prevent its members from playing Football Championship Subdivision schools. The WAC made an exception for UM, indicating that it could allow Montana's long-standing cross-state rivalry with MSU to continue even if the schools played in separate conferences. Even so, Engstrom said, if MSU and UM weren't competing for the same conference championship, that rivalry wouldn't "exist in the same way." "We're proud of that great rivalry," he said. "It's part of who we are." http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/article_4316d652-ee2b-11df-ba32-001cc4c002e0.html In the end Montana's relationship with Montana State, the Big Sky's own expansion and costs kept the Griz rooted in the conference it helped form in 1963.

What years can we play 12 games? 2012 Schedule (Completed) 8/30 South Dakota Mines 9/8 Central Arkansas 9/15 at San Diego State 9/22 at Sacramento State* 9/29 Cal Poly* 10/6 at Eastern Washington* 10/13 Northern Arizona* 10/20 Montana* 10/27 at Montana State* 11/3 Southern Utah* 11/10 Open 11/17 at Northern Colorado* 2013 Schedule (10 of 11) -- I think they mean 11 of 11 or 11 of 12 8/29 Valparaiso 9/7 South Dakota State 9/14 Montana (non-league) 9/21 Open 9/28 Montana State* 10/5 at Idaho State* 10/12 Eastern Washington* 10/19 at Portland State* 10/26 Sacramento State* 11/2 at Northern Arizona* 11/9 Northern Colorado* 11/16 at UC Davis* 11/23 Open 2014 Schedule (9 of 11) -- of 12? 8/30 Open 9/6 Robert Morris 9/13 Open 9/20 Open 9/27 at Montana State* 10/4 Montana* 10/11 Portland State* 10/18 Open 10/25 at Southern Utah* 11/1 at Eastern Washington* 11/8 Weber State* 11/15 Northern Arizona* 11/22 at Northern Colorado* 2015 Schedule (9 of 11) 9/5 at Wyoming 9/12 Open 9/19 Open 9/26 UC Davis* 10/3 at Portland State* 10/10 Idaho State* 10/17 at Weber State* 10/24 at Montana* 10/31 Montana State* 11/7 Open 11/14 Northern Colorado* 11/21 at Cal Poly* Home games in bold * Big Sky Games

Or Iowa/Iowa State, or Florida/Florida State, or Goergia/Georgia Tech, and now BYU/Utah.

There's a novel concept - reward achievement. I've never been a fan of the conference tournaments. Sure, they're exciting for fans, keep mid-level teams interested until the end, and bring in TV money, but they greatly diminish the regular season, and the effort put forward by teams. I've occasionally asked myself -- why go this week since we all make the post-season tournament anyway? It's especially frustrating for one-bid conferences where the regular season champ loses out in the tournament then cannot generally fall back on an at-large bid. If we play a true round-robin schedule, I'm all for it.

I posted these by school on the Big Sky Schedules football thread, but collectively, the nine Big Sky teams next year are playing the following in non-league encounters: 11 FBS 9 FCS 5 Division II 1 Division III 1 NAIA

Now that they are all out, here they are by university. Collectively, the nine Big Sky teams next year are playing: 11 FBS 9 FCS 5 Division II 1 Division III 1 NAIA ------------------------------------------- 2011 non-conference opponents Eastern Washington Cal Poly Washington (FBS) South Dakota Idaho State Washington State (FBS) BYU (FBS) Western State (Division II) Montana At Tennessee (FBS) Cal Poly Western Oregon (Division II) Montana State Utah (FBS) UC Davis Minot State (Division II move-up) Northern Arizona Arizona (FBS) Southern Utah Fort Lewis (Division II) Northern Colorado Colorado State (FBS) Lindenwood (Division II move-up) North Dakota Portland State TCU (FBS) Southern Oregon (NAIA) Willamette (D-3) Sacramento State Oregon State (FBS) UC Davis Southern Utah Weber State Wyoming (FBS) Utah State (FBS) Southern Utah

Portland State is the last BSC school to announce their schedule. Non-leaguers with TCU, D-3 Willamette and NAIA Southern Oregon. Yuck! http://www.goviks.co...?path=football 2011 Portland State Football Schedule Sept. 3, Southern Oregon, Jeld-Wen Field Sept. 17, Northern Arizona*, Jeld-Wen Field Sept. 24, @ TCU, Fort Worth, TX Oct. 1, @ Idaho State*, Pocatello, ID Oct. 8, Montana State*, Jeld-Wen Field Oct. 15, @ Montana*, Missoula, MT Oct. 22, Willamette, Jeld-Wen Field Oct. 29, @ Eastern Washington*, Cheney, WA Nov. 5, Sacramento State*, Jeld-Wen Field Nov. 12, @ Northern Colorado*, Greeley, CO Nov. 19, Weber State*, Jeld-Wen Field

Where have you been the past three or four decades? Even if you're a young guy some very basic research will show you that this is an incredibly uninformed statement. We have 14 D-II post-season playoff appearances compared to 16 or 17 at NDSU; and 24 outright or co league championships. "never really been a football school" -- Hardly!

You may be bored but many of the rest of us are engaged on this topic. May I suggest you go somewhere where you'll be entertained and let those of us who find interest in this topic continue to debate it.

The new piece here is SD Mines. I think we are all resigned to the fact that this coming year is what it is but we were hopeful things would change in 2012. Some are of the opinion, starting in 2012, there should be no D-II or below games on the schedule. Others look at how most of the BSC teams schedule one of these games a year and understand we may need to as well but are scratching our heads over Mines -- a team currently moving up from NAIA and not an established D-II program with a history of playing UND. Whichever way we fall, I think most of us thought the SD Mines-type games would be a thing of the past starting in 2012. The other issue -- we have apparently turned down games with NDSU and USD that year. Possibly to play a sixth home game, but perhaps for other reasons. Many believe a road game with them would be preferable to a home game with Mines, particularly if it means an annual or semi-annual series that would bring them to GF next time.

So, we passed on a chance to play USD in Vermillion and likely keep that series alive as a home-and-home for the foreseeable future for a home game with SD Mines? Is getting a home game next year with a weak D-II program more important than playing USD in Vermillion, but also getting them at home every other year from here on out? Maybe it is, I just don't understand the rationale however.

We spend $1 million a year more on football than either of the SD schools yet can't outdraw them! Football expenditures (2010) 1. NDSU – 3,332,907 2. UND – 3,145,714 3. SDSU – 2,028,925 4. USD – 2,005,800