UND-FB-FAN

why do they sell out games? Think higher order. The Ralph is the Ralph. $100M facility (in 2001), but also, don’t forget, REA Inc. plays a major role in marketing and promoting the facility. Alerus Center and UND football has Spectra Venue Management … UND athletics is the common denominator between REA and Alerus … laziness towards one sport, effort towards another.

Q: Why only the Ralph? A: Laziness. UND athletics and marketing only has time for one sport, and it’s not the most popular collegiate sport in the country … there’s no question that UND athletics marketing should be promoting package deals, because until the Alerus is being sold out for games, you keep doing everything in your power to increase exposure to the product and have someone in each and every seat in the building. Not rocket science, it’s marketing 101. But again, UND athletics, lazy.

On paper, this is a good matchup for UND. Youngstown’s QB/passing game isn’t that explosive, but UND’s secondary has holes also. YSU does have a good running game, though, and their defense isn’t too bad. Off paper, as we know, UND needs to get over the hump and win a couple big road games per season. It is as much mental/confidence at this point as anything.

It’s a team game. Entire team, coaches included, need to be looked at. Quarterback position is a focal point, though, for good reason. In big wins, like vs #7 Missouri State, Schuster deserves a ton of credit. He played very well in 2nd half of game. But so did the entire team, namely the offense next big game? The game on Saturday, where UND can prove to everyone, including themselves, that they can follow up a big win with a win on the road to keep the momentum going. a loss here would be crippling as it would push the team back to the status quo- what the track record of Bubba has been. Win and the narrative potentially changes.

Could be a positive for UND this recruiting cycle in keeping current commits from Wisconsin and getting others. Watch for it.

Agreed, a major part of the problem is laziness.

I agree with all of this. UND needs to actually be committed to improve this, which, dare we say it, requires them to put their money where their mouth is … Spend some actual money on football and you will grow as a university, UND.

I get what you’re saying, but having options, especially on your own home field, is a good thing. Ultimately, UND is 18-1 at home since 2018. Yet, can’t sell out the Alerus? Either the road losses are killing attendance or there still are issues with game day production/seating? - honestly, it’s a little of both.

I thought you knew football … would be nice to have the option of verbal communication on the field when you’re at “home” …

Absolutely embarrassing. Bubba needs to speak to the band director.

-Trap game. -Need to see UND win this game before an open week. -Historically, this is a game UND loses. -Hope UND comes out prepared and gets out of Ohio with an important win.

The music wasn’t the problem. Don’t act like you’re 90 (although you may be). The issue in my opinion is how close the damn band plays the music to the snap, even UND has the ball.

Danny Freund shouldn’t have to buy a drink for the next year …

Well, they go hand in hand, ya know? Win against top 10 Missouri State and you’ll see the theme change a bit.

Agree, have always had that “gut feeling” with Bubba teams. They just want to go “toe-to-toe”. Which is why I think his teams will always underproduce for UND, unfortunately.

UND extended a coach after a 5-6 season. That’s the issue. Nothing else. Nothing more. Culture and expectations are not where they need to be. Matter of semantics, really.

I’ve said from the beginning of time … Change the culture of DI UND football … start expecting wins rather than hoping for wins. Not anywhere close to that with Bubba at this time. “hoping for wins” doesn’t fill the Alerus. UND thinking about how to enhance the REA 99.99% of the time rather than the Alerus game day experience is another issue …

Spot on.

I can compare, and I’m really just piggybacking at this point. I have friends who give $15,000 per year to NDSU in Team Makers and I know people who give similar annual amounts to UND Champions Club. NDSU TM buddy gets treated like royality - direct visits from FB head coach (primarily Bohl back in 2011-2013), calls, complimentary tickets, tailgating passes, etc. At UND, lucky if you get one phone call per year from an intern or random student athlete. CC leaders walk by you at functions and pretend to not even know who are (which they may actually not know who are!). Let me be clear; my main issue or complaint isn’t even what I shared above; it’s the failure in finding and retaining potential donors around UND. Additionally, how much work is being done keeping in connection with football alumni base? - which is massive!

You’re spot on you. UND champions club and alumni foundation is being run by fools, like I said. They’re missing the objective by a lot. Sad sad reality. You can’t just go for the home run donation all the damn time - appreciate the other donors and they will give more!

I would kill for numbers like that again … (relatively speaking of course)

Crowd should be decent … but if they witness a blowout that UND is on the wrong side of … well, then that changes things for the rest of the year.

Absolutely, it’s run by a bunch of delinquents. I know a lot of people in North Dakota with $ to spend but the Champions Club and Alumni Foundation puts up their noses to them. They spend so much time trying to get the big bucks (i.e., the big time donation) from select donors, that they fail to realize there are several moderate donations all over the place that they could be capitalizing on. I think UND athletics fundraising, beyond the hockey community, is god awful. I mean, how could you say it’s not? UND’s non-hockey sports budget is below average… not good enough to yield banners on a consistent basis, that’s for sure. Hate to say it, but NDSU Team Makers has blown UND out of the water the past decade.

Yeah that’s what happens when you get blown out by a team that lost to Incarnate Word … This is a recurrent issue with Bubba’s teams (and really all the DI UND football teams) … they aren’t consistent and can’t build any momentum to get fans excited. UND will have to earn back the masses on Saturday with a big time performance. The diehards posting on this forum don’t count … we’re talking about getting the laypersons around Grand Forks excited and interested about UND football again.

Well it certainly seems they need to do it again …