Siouxperfan7

Yes, its been talked about extensively..... http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/17471-student-attendance-thoughts-and-how-to-fix-it/ http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/17498-alerus-design-affecting-attendence/ http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/17339-ideas-to-fill-the-alerus/ http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/17304-und-students-at-football-games/

Don't we have a game Friday against K-State??!! Geez, I would hope the NCAA would at least decide something by then, good or bad!!! You would think that the new rule would not apply to cases where the student already transferred and is practicing with the team. But wait..that would mean that the NCAA would have to make a reasonable and fair decision!!

Westhope/Newburg/Glenburn Sioux will play the Hazen Bison in the Class A Football Championship on Friday at the Alerus Center!! Were you expecting something else??!!

Sept 1, Drake - 8484 Sept 24, Black Hills St. - 8545 Oct 8, Montana Western - 6407 Oct 22, Cal Poly - 9930 Nov 5, Sioux Falls - 6279 Nov 19, South Dakota - 7400 So twice last year there were less than 6500 fans at the game. Going into the last game of the year, we were 7-3, playing a familiar foe (South Dakota), and playing for a share of the conference title. There were 7400 fans there. This year, we are have a losing record, far from a conference title, and playing an opponent that yes, we have played before, but brings little excitement to the average fan. Sad to say, this game could be the lowest attended game in UND history at the Alerus.

There are many factors that we are all aware of that with attribute to the attendance being low tomorrow. Adding the fact that it will be 38 degrees and snowing, there will be many people who don't want to be out in that weather, even if the game is indoors. Unfortunately I see this being the lowest attended game of the year. I'll go with 6500. It is unfortunate to send the seniors out with such a lack luster crowd.

We are at a point in the season where we know we are not going to make the playoffs. So the "win and the people will come" factor doesn't really work for this game. We are at a point this Saturday where we have to win out to have a winning record and we have no chance of making the playoffs. At this point in the season for THIS game, I don't see any other way to get students to go to this game. We are a sub .500 team going into our last game. If UND does not do something like this, there will be less than 100 students at the game!! While I think that this is a good idea for THIS game right now, I certainly don't want it to become the norm. But difficult times call fur such measures.

News flash....the Fighting Sioux name has been retired by UND. Does it suck...of course. Is it going to be hard to not say Sioux at UND games..you bet. But we can't be still saying "Let's Go Sioux" 10 years from now. UND will be getting a new name. That is inevitable. Yes it will be hard to embrace a new name and logo and cheer it at games. But there will come a time when myself and other fans will be yelling "Lets go (insert new nickname)" I will probably still by habit yell "Sioux" at games in the next few years....but when a new name is chosen, I will chant and cheer for whatever that new name is. Sure there will be some fans that will refuse to cheer and yell the new name. But eventually (I hope) all UND fans will cheer the new name at games. The 3 year transition period where UND has no name will help fans transition away from the Sioux name and prepare for a new one.

Obviously UND cheer teams, bands, radio and TV broadcasters, PA announcers, etc., have been instructed to not use "Fighting Sioux" or "Sioux" in anything they say. It is the policy of the University. I wasn't trying to be any sort of conspiracy theorist, but you have to think that there is a good chance that the bands that play at games were instructed to not play any songs, or do any drum led cheers that would result in "Sioux cheers." UND is trying to transition away from the Sioux name. Playing the "Hey song" and having the drummers do a drum beat where fans yell "Let's - Go - Sioux" is not helping the cause of transition. Of course I have no proof that this is happening...but is it really that far-fetched??

Would not surprise me if the UND higher ups instructed them not to play it because it leads to "Hey, Go Sioux!!

Best hockey cheer ever IMO (if you can get enough people that know it to do it). Affectionately referred to as the "Funnel Cheer." I am sure there are other fan bases (WCHA especially) that will take credit for this one. Either way, still a great cheer Hey (Goalies name), you're not a goalie, you're a funnel, Hey (Goalies name), you're not a funnel, you're a vacuum, Hey (Goalies name), you're not a vacuum, you're a black hole, Hey (Goalies name), you're not a black hole, YOU JUST SUCK!! Sieve, Sieve, Sieve, Sieve.

Last five years of D2 Era 2003 - 12-2 2004 - 11-3 2005 - 10-3 2006 - 11-2 2007 - 10-2 D1 Era Transition 2008 - 6-4 2009 - 6-5 2010 - 3-8 2011 - 8-3 2012 - 4-4 (to date) In the last five years of D2, we won double digit games and made the playoffs every one of those years and made it to the championship game and semifinals. So you can obviously see why the attendance and fan atmosphere, support, and excitement was so high. The 5 years folloing the move to D1 there was only 1 year where the team won more than 6 games. And that was last year with 3 D2 or lower schools on the schedule. The problem is clearly not he design of the building or in game videos and promotions as to why the atmosphere is lacking the last 5 years. The team has not been as good as it has been in the past. Blame the recruiting, blame the strength of opponents, blame the play calling. But the fact is UND football has struggled in its transition period. And because of that, attendance and excitement for the team has struggles as well. The Solution: Win games, make the playoffs, win playoff games, and the people will come. That's it! Just win baby!!!

"The noise ... I mean, I've been to outdoor pretty big-time Division I football games that weren't that loud. Over 11,000 people in a confined area is pretty loud," Javs coach Bo Atterberry said. ​I think that the design of the building having the metal walls and ceiling make it even louder.

Proof that the Alerus can be a great homefield advantage for the team!!! "You couldn't hear anything, and they knew your names. It's something we should be used to, but some guys weren't used to it at all," said receiver Clavens Charles, whose 56-yard pass to Damian Couthren on a flea flicker set up A&M-Kingsville's first score. "It kind of got to the point where we couldn't understand what was going on, we couldn't get the signals to get the plays in. It was just a lot of mental errors and a lot of penalties that cost us."

The goal of the NCHC was getting schools that were committed to their hockey program and supports them financially. I don't know the athletic budget of either schools, but if I were a betting man, I would say that a school that is 4 times the size of MTU and is D1 in all sports has a bigger budget. While I agree there were many other schools they could have taken, the NCHC needed an eastern team to go with Miami OH. Choosing W. Mich. is clearly better than MTU. Anyway.....getting back to trophies...I think that the National can come up with some good trophies. God help us if it is anything like the Cy-Hawk trophy!! Man...that has to be the worst trophy design in the history of trophies!!!

D'oh kay!!

Making a trophy that has current member schools will be outdated very quickly if/when teams leave or the conference expands.

The design is not optimal. Sure it would be nice to have seating around the entire building. But history has shown that the Alerus can be a loud and intimidating place for opposing team. the atmosphere has been great in the past when the place is packed and people are cheering loud! So to answer your question whether you can create a football atmosphere in a building like this....the answer is YES!! I have experienced it. It is possible!

Whatever happened to the band playing right in front of the student section side right before the kickoff? They would always stop there on their way back to their seats and play "Fight on Sioux" as the team was taking the field for the kickoff...right up until the ball was kicked. That always got the crouwd into it.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/247752/ Article in the paper today sparked my interest to see what everyone else thought about what the names of the trophies of the NCHC should be. Also what should they look like?

What is disappointing is we heard all summer long how the marketing for UND football was going to be better. Looking around town and from what students have said around campus, it is very little. We all know that you don't really need to market UND hockey to students and the rest of the community. People will sell out the place no matter what. UND need to step up their promoting of the football team. Billboards, yard signs, posters in the dorms/dining halls/union/etc.

If you live on the south end of Grand Forks, The Eagles Crest Grill at Kings Walk Golf Course has a bus to the games as well. Not as rowdy and crazy as say Rumors or Southgate....but hey, maybe that's what you are looking for!!

I remember back in the D2 playoff era, that they had restrictions on how many players you could dress (for playoff games). They would put all the players that didn't dress in the student section! They were the most loudest boisterousness students in the entire section!! Can't blame them...its their fellow teammates out there. Not sure about what the rules are in that regard now...but that definitely was a great idea to do that!

To BIson fans and the UND fans that keep talking about NDSU. Here is a place you guys can argue all day and night and not bring it into unrelated threads and piss everone else who could care less about NDSU. Comence your "who's pecker is bigger" arguments here. Thanks!!

Are you seriously gonna go with the argument of 3 stop lights and a train that you MIGHT have to wait for maybe 5-15 minutes?!!! Come on!!! The students that live off campus can get to the game! How many of these students living on campus don't have cars? Really? If you don't have a car and want to go to the game...take the FREE shuttle!! You are acting like the Alerus is located out by the Air Port!!! Everywhere in Grand Forks takes what 15-20 minutes to get to? Seriously. This is by far the WORST excuse for why people can't come to the game!! People (students included) have no problem getting to the mall, the grocery store, the bars downtown, the movie theater, their favorite restaurant, Target, Walmart, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. The Alerus is no exception. No one is making these kids walk. Take your car!! They all have one....or know someone that does. Saying that a college kid can't drive a mile and a half and come up with 5 bucks (less if you have other people in your car) is beyond ridiculous Come on Darell.....you know better than that to give them that sort of ridiculous cop out!!!