UND-FB-FAN

Because the difference between NDSU football and Ohio State football is comparable to the difference between NDSU football and UND football? Answer: No

There's a fine line between those two. As just a disclaimer, UND athletics is benefited very little by those who watch from afar and say they "told you so". Fanatics, a.k.a. fans, do not promote realism, but rather push the department and the teams to exceed expectations. UND football would have very little support right now if they "stuck to the script" and shot for only external expectations (see "realistic" preseason polls).

Too much pessimism within our own fanbase. UND ended the season on a three game win streak. I would have liked to see them keep playing and not get shafted by one of the most subjective processes in the NCAA.

I always like the addition of North Dakota kids; with the right coaching and development, they can turn into great contributors (see NDSU football). With that said, I sure hope this is not the only "QB" that UND adds. Bolinske does not have the credentials nor the tape to warrant being a top FCS QB prospect. He is a project player that doesn't positively affect the QB depth at all in terms of next season. UND better add a scholarship QB or else this year's recruiting class will be slightly tarnished. I love the defensive philosophy that Bubba is taking to build UND football, but QB is still a very important position. Other than Studsrud, UND has no capable QBs on the roster as we all witnessed last year.

We've got a winner. Universities do not need elaborate slogans to attract recruits and/or supporters, they just need something that "sticks" and promotes pride. Pride does not cost years worth of logo history or political unrest, but rather it only requires a certain level of commitment and belief. Holding out hope that UND will do well with the new nickname is not childish, but rather both prideful and novel at the same time.

There really is no choice but for the new nickname to "catch on". It may take several years, but it will happen. I won't fail to mention that the new nickname does not require complete riddance of "Fighting Sioux" in terms of its role and tradition; however, the new nickname does require some level of embrace. As for the notion that the University will be operating at the same level with or without the nickname, I do not agree with you. Several UND employees I have spoken to have reaffirmed the idea that continuing with no nickname would be detrimental. Why? Because the ideology that the state of North Dakota and UND do not need a nickname relative to every other university (including the Big Ten schools you continue mentioning) is distracting and, quite frankly, embarrassing. It took attention away from what the student-athletes were accomplishing and that is not something I can just ignore for the sake of political dialogue and intrigue. Your criticism of UND football's recruiting slogans are far more reflective of middle school literacy than the actual sayings themselves. How do you know they are having zero impact in recruiting? Again, quite the assumption on your part. I commend Bubba and the football program for embracing the nickname situation, rather than implying denunciation. Lastly, without getting into a credential battle, I am not just a fan, if that's the terminology you wish you use. I am an alumnus of the University of North Dakota (2 degrees), a season ticket holder in both football and hockey, and a lifelong UND supporter. Of course I do not speak directly for UND, as my opinions are my own, but is there something wrong with having thoughts that align with those of UND's administration? In some instances, bureaucratic stances are necessary. You may call me desperate, but as you stated, your opinions and predictions- as well as mine - are ultimately powerless. Nevertheless, if I can voice just a single unit of contribution towards advocacy over despair, then I will do it. I do not believe pessimism will carry UND athletics forward, so I do not regret voicing my opinion for the promotion of a positive nickname transition. My bottom line is that it is way too premature to denounce UND's efforts without at least allowing the logo development process and subsequent marketing campaign to occur.

Its likely that UND is underrated in the 2016 preseason polls (like usual), but I feel UND can easily beat anyone in the Big Sky Conference. Expectation next year easily should be to win the conference. Good things are coming for this young but talented UND squad.

I definitely see him at outside linebacker. His size will help at the line of scrimmage batting down passes but he also shows the ability to cover, which is required for outside backers in this defense.

As we learned last year with the running back position, just bringing in athletes can sometimes offer out the best solution. I think with the staff bringing in all of these defensive athletes that project at outside linebacker or defensive back, the safety position will work itself out. More athletes the better as far as safety goes in my opinion.

Defense wins championships. See 2001. But yes, always can use another explosive player or two on offense.

Your posted thoughts are based entirely on hypotheticals. Yes, of course the nickname is a branding move, but how do you know it won't sell? Wait until the identity and logo development process is at least finished before you come to that conclusion. Secondly, give the student-athletes and coaches a chance to play under the new nickname. University of North Dakota athletics consists of more students-athletes than just those within certian entitled programs that believe it's their God-given right to use the "Fighting Sioux" nickname. For example, Bubba and the football program are embracing the new identity, just as I would expect any innovative establishment would. They have used terms such as "another one lands in the nest" or "come fly with the Hawks" in recruiting, and the student-athletes (who I can't emphasize enough have a voice in this thing) embrace this. Lastly, if fans can give the identification/logo process a chance to work itself out and then watch those aforementioned student-athletes accomplish never before seen success in DI athletics for UND under that new brand, I do believe the new nickname will "catch on". Again, just offering the "what if the gear doesn't sell" argument produces no viable solutions whatsoever and it's an ignorant, complacent stance that I will not stand for. The "Fighting Sioux" nickname has a great history and tradition; however, it does not take priority over the university and the student-athletes. I for one will do my best to promote this transition to a new identity, because supporting the alternative is nothing more than stagnant procrastination. People can grieve over this "loss", but there's no reason to discuss restarting the process. That would send a message that redundancy supersedes innovation, and I do not agree with that, nor does The University of North Dakota.

Good point. Coaches should give each and everyone of SDSU's verbals a phone call. FCOA scholarships would be quite enticing, I would imagine.

Team played inspired basketball against NDSU, as one would expect considering the atmoshphere. The loss was tough, considering how UND fought and was playing so well to start the game, but the overall Jones era has left way more to be desired. How much longer is it okay to keep trying the same thing over and over again and yet expect different results? What has happened with the football team with the dismissal of Mussman and the hiring of Bubba is a huge driver in my feelings towards this issue. Even though NDSU continues to dominate FCS football, I'm more than content with UND football because I know Bubba has UND football going in the right direction. In just two years, UND improved from 3-8 to 7-4, not to mention they return the majority of the team for 2016. Basketball needs a shot like this by changing leadership. That's what makes the loss to NDSU so frustrating to watch; the talent is in place to beat NDSU, but the direction of that talent isn't. UND needs to scrap this stale product (Jones) and start anew, just like they did with football, which has given the program and fans a new light.

Good game to watch, but very disappointing loss. Obviously a lot of season left, but Jones overall demeanor and body language is childish and embarrassing from my vantage point. Team played great in first, but the coaching at the end (timeouts, technical, 3 vs. 2 decisions, etc.) was questionable (like usual) and team regressed back to old ways in the second half. Its quite ironic that Mr. Jones is so offended by the word "choke job", because he sure seems to embody that.

If UND and Jones blow this game like the UNI game, Jones best be packing his bags. I will be attending this evening and it's hard for me to get too excited; UND men's basketball just has no direction as of now.

From what I can tell, Chinn is a great athlete/prospect. He will be in the running for playing time right away. Great pickup by Bubba and crew, that's one way to improve corner play!

Yes, correct, but when you look at the state adjacent to North Dakota (Minnesota), NDSU has grabbed some really good ones, with the best DI player being Ben Woodside. North Dakota heavily focuses on Iowa due to Jones' roots; however, they also have attempted to recruit further south and that hasn't necessarily worked. Point is, there is a combination of recruiting and developing that goes into putting good players out on the floor. Jones has recruited talented players, but they don't seem to improve. Could where those players are recruited from make a difference in terms of their development and long-term commitment? When it all comes down to it, the coaching/teaching these student-athletes receive is the most important; NDSU has recently been superior in that category relative to UND.

Agreed. Very little North Dakota representation on the UND roster whereas NDSU has been to the NCAA tournament with solid production from North Dakota kids (Werner and Jacobson). Not acceptable. Reminds me of the issues coming out of the football program back in 2012 and 2013... If you can't recruit and develop local talent, you won't make it as a college coach - that simple. I'm disappointed it has taken this long for Faison to realize that.

I will be attending the UND-NDSU game on Friday, as well. Last season, I drove down to Fargo with an old friend of mine who is neutral (believe it or not) as far as UND and NDSU goes; he just expected a good game. Needless to say, that didn't happen. He wasn't too impressed by UND's lack of competitiveness. As for Friday's game, I will be going and not expecting too much. If UND doesn't at least play this one close, it won't go over well (i.e., attendance for Big Sky Conference play will be very, very bad).

I highly suggest the UND athletics department and the marketing division look into producing another "insider series" for the 2016 UND football season. The anticipation and excitement will be very high for UND football coming off a winning season and expecting a playoff campaign in 2016.

SiouxFBInsider reports he will play inside at ILB. So, recently, UND has gained two verbals from ILB prospects. Depth at that spot will be important with Mr. Ratelle departing.

Winning an FCS national championship almost guarantees a couple nationally televised games on either ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU, which in itself is a really big deal. Not to mention, everyone knows the top FCS team is better than a handful of lower tier FBS teams. It's a big deal to win an FCS title, and it would be a huge deal for UND and the community of Grand Forks. It also propagates continued success down the road.

UND is the only Big Sky Conference school offering full-cost of attendance scholarships; coupled with the HPC, huge advantages for UND.

It's over. Move on and support the TEAMS and STUDENT-ATHLETES. Go University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks

I'll answer this as objectively as I possibly can. Many teams in the Big Sky Conference play a pass-happy, spread offense and don't have top end defenses; however, that doesn't make UND's 7-4 season unsuccessful or less successful. Why? Because UND is only in the 2nd season of Bubba's rebuilding project; the team is heavily based on freshmen and sophomores, not upperclassmen yet. Thus, UND should only continue to improve as UND gains more experience and depth. As for the style of play, Bubba is building UND like the MVFC teams are built. UND recruits from the same footprint that MVFC schools NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UNI recruit from. I'll admit the top 3 of the MVFC (NDSU, Illinois State, UNI) in 2015 are better than the top 3 of the Big Sky Conference (Montana, Portland State, SUU) in 2015, but that doesn't negatively affect UND. If UND plays in a lesser conference, so be it; it will only ease the path to the playoffs. This season, playoffs did not happen (although it should have); however, UND easily could have been 9-2 this season and won the conference. Next season, UND returns the vast majority of its team, which brings with it a bunch of enthusiasm from the fan base because UND should be a favorite to win the Big Sky Conference next season and get the autobid. All of this produces excitement, regardless of how poor the Big Sky Conference is at stopping the run and running the ball. UND does things the "MVFC-way" within the Big Sky Conference. In my opinion, we started seeing that do good things this season (UND arguably was playing the best within the BSC to end the regular season). Next season, we should see that style of play take the next step and put UND in a position to win the conference.