UND-FB-FAN

Can't argue with that.

This all sounds good and by theory is correct, but it's more difficult than it sounds. NDSU is presently the king of football and basketball in the region, and UND beating NDSU --particularly in football-- will go a long way in building confidence and putting together a championship-type season. UND football needs to gain some regional momentum and the NDSU game is one such opportunity. UND fans will move away from NDSU comparisons once UND shows the ability to win DI conference and national championships.

Still is very important for confidence purposes that UND plays well versus NDSU. If UND doesn't show up and gets handled, the team won't hear the end of it all season. That will hurt confidence and negatively affect their performance going forward. Make no mistake about it, NDSU game is a big one.

Absolutely. I guess Mr. Haley doesn't understand the dynamics between UND/NDSU. I can see where he's coming from, as Idaho State does have a good offense, or at least they did last season. Nevertheless, to UND fans, the NDSU game is far more pivotal.

Both players did well in the weight room and are candidates to start on the offensive line in 2015.

The ILB over safety decision is based on speed and quickness, I believe. Need quick hips to play DB.

In line with what I posted last fall during all the QB depth issues, Hanson just isn't a DI quarterback, and Bubba and his staff realized that early on. With that said, he's a heck of a team player and it appears the guys really gravitate towards him being he's a local guy. Unfortunately, I don't think Mr. Hanson will be seeing much, if any, playing time at ILB either. Doesn't mean he isn't an important part of the team, though.

Very comprehensive and informative. Roster looks real good compared to last year for spring ball. 2015 should be a nice winning season that gets UND football back on the map. Go UND!

Man, would it have worked out nice to dismiss Jones following this season and then hire Chad Walthall after his potential title run with MSUM. I will say that I don't know UND athletics' financial details as far as funds that can be distributed to the various programs. However, if the funds aren't available for a buyout and new hire, then it's Faison's job to acquire the funds and get the job done. I sure hope UND athletic department employees are properly distributing the available financial resources and not just patting themselves on the back and pocketing it.

No one is implying this or that raising Jones' salary would make a difference in terms of on-court results. However, the modest salary for Jones does show that UND athletics is not currently heavily invested in MBB. In order to fire Jones and hire a superior replacement, Faison and UND athletics would need to make a conscious decision to invest greater in UND MBB. Apparently, after this season, Faison has implied that men's and women's hockey, along with football to a degree, will remain the only "focus sports" at UND; thus, a greater investment in MBB will not happen this year. That kind of mindset is disappointing to me, considering I'm a UND alumnus and annual donor through the Champions Club.

Ha! Well, if we're not sticking to the WWI theme anymore and we're looking at the entire 20th century, then things could get a little more complex. Let's hope this discussion doesn't go that direction.

No need for war here, just friendly discussion, so let's go ahead and sign that Treaty of Versailles.

Doesn't look like it's going to matter much longer. Big Sky Conference is looking like it will move to a predetermined tournament site, such as Billings. When you look at that setup, I'd much rather travel to Sioux Falls. I just think hosting the tournament in GF would make for a great event. Too bad that won't be happening anytime soon it appears.

Only one year as a cellar dweller? I hope it's comfortable under that rock you're living under. Also, how is it the fans' fault? We don't hire the coaches who recruit the players. Simple logic points at the line of command before the coaches (starts with an 'A').

The writer is absolutely correct. UND needs to raise it's expectations. Obviously, Jones will be back next year, but if the team doesn't make the BSC tournament next season, then it's time for Jones to go and a replacement with successful head coaching experience needs to come in. Administration also needs to work on upgrades for the Betty, namely video boards/electronic scorer's table. I just think Jones is a poor HEAD coach and the longer UND MBB sticks with him, the worse off UND MBB is.

Has an overall coaching record of 317–238 (.571). He's one of several available coaches across the country who would be an improvement over Brian Jones for UND MBB.

That's funny because I was thinking the same thing...

UND is not trying to recruit in the Big Sky Conference footprint exclusively, at least in football. UND football (now with Bubba) recruits the traditional areas of ND, MN, and Manitoba. From what I've heard, Bubba and his staff have found that a lot of recruits are interested in playing against the Montana schools and traveling to the west coast. As a result, the BSC becomes a draw to these same regional recruits who you claim dislike the BSC versus the Summit/MVFC. As for MBB, the extensive geography covered by the BSC is a plus for some and a negative for others. Comes down to the recruits preferences. I just don't agree with you, at all, that recruiting would be much easier for UND if they were in the MVFC/Summit. Future collegiate student-athletes don't concentrate just on conference locale, and the FCS/low-major conferences certainly do not produce a make or break difference.

These "kids" you speak of must be pretty oblivious to their surroundings if they haven't heard of Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington, etc. Point is, student-athletes aren't as unaware as you make them out to be; thus, they don't prefer the MVFC/Summit simply because there happens to be familiar Dakota schools in the conference. There are so many more factors than just conference geography, such as academics, program tradition, and facilities. To say that a student-athlete from North Dakota would rather play against South Dakota State every year rather then Montana is real hit-and-miss. That is, it's a lot less common than you make it out to be. The Big Sky Conference and MVFC/Summit are just too similar to make a difference. Sorry, but your argument is full of holes. It sounds nice and politically correct, but it lacks common sense.

So potential recruits from North Dakota and Minnesota haven't heard of the University of Montana and aren't interested in playing in California? The Big Sky is a better league than the Summit, in terms of basketball. The Summit has a nice conference tournament venue, but the BSC has a wider geography range and big name schools in MBB (Weber, Montana). Also, I prefer that the regular season conference champion hosts the conference tournament; makes for good crowds and would be exciting to one day host in GF. Going to the Summit/MVFC is not an instant recruiting fix by any means, and to believe that is a result of simplified thinking. Targeting the right recruits and then developing them is still key.

So if UND switches conferences they would suddenly acquire better, more talented recruits? You are delusional. Now, with that said, the Summit/MVFC is a better fit geographically for UND. Nevertheless, that conference change isn't happening anytime soon and playing in the same conference as the Montana schools is not a bad consolation prize. The Big Sky Conference is a good conference and is a good home for UND, with the only better fit being the Summit/MVFC combination. Fortunately, UND can still build championship-quality teams in the BSC, but the correct leadership is still required.

Most on this forum are not content with the current state of the men's basketball program at UND; therefore, a change at leadership (head coach) is the popular solution. Yet, you support Jones, and thus, the current state of UND men's basketball. Two 12-8 BSC seasons, followed by a last place conference finish, is fulfilling to you over the past 3 seasons? It just doesn't make sense, particularly knowing what the possibilities are (NDSU has beat teams like Wisconsin and Notre Dame, and made consecutive NCAA tournament appearances along with an upset win in such tournaments). This should be the goal of UND basketball, and yet, you believe the trajectory of UND men's basketball under Jones is up. I sure hope you're right, but I'm not holding my breath.

NDSU went though a transition; been to NCAA tournament. SDSU went through a transition; been to NCAA tournament. Stop using the transition excuse! It's been shown, right here in this region, that a DII to DI transition is not the ultimate barrier. (queue nickname issue for next excuse)

Barring spring ball and fall camp injuries, that should be the case. The offensive line will be better this season relative to last season, really no matter what. A year training with the mindset of being a physical smash mouth team should help get the hogs ready for a physical, grind it out offensive year. Expect a lot of Arrington, Olivera, and Norberg right up the gut taking it right at the defense.

The depth at the LB position is more established than DB, particularly safety. I could see Javen Butler playing either OLB or safety, but because of the safety depth situation and Butler's familiarity with the defense relative to transfer safeties Arnell and Johnson, Butler may get a shot at safety again.