fightingsioux4life

We have a lot of successful alumni who have done very well and would probably give back if they were courted properly. The key is percentage of engaged alumni, not total number of alumni. We have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to enrollment, numbers of alumni, size of metro areas, things to do, ect. Yet, we have 8 NCAA titles banners hanging from the rafters. There is zero reason why we should have to fade into oblivion because of NIL or whatever else. We have to adjust to changing times and we need to be proactive rather than reactive. But relying on one big donor is not going to get us there. We need to recruit and engage a broader spectrum of alumni who loved their time at UND and want to pay it forward for future generations. How we get there is a complicated question to answer.

Our move up has been a disaster. We are still trying to crawl into contention in a long line of sports. It's been 15 years since we moved up and we are barely treading water. What would you call it? I never said any of this is easy. Nothing worth having ever is. I am simply frustrated with the state of UND athletics and the whole defeatist attitude by some people on here. I don't question your loyalty to UND at all. I do think you accept official explanations for things way too easily. That can lead to a lack of accountability for people in high-level positions whose decisions have a huge impact on our success or lack thereof.

So we are just screwed? We should just settle for being the Valparaiso of college hockey? Cripes, the B1G has one good year in hockey (out of 10 so far) and everyone is running for the lifeboats. I am not ready to do that.

I was stating the obvious. Deal with it.

So our donor base is 100% tapped? Everyone who wants to give is giving? I don't believe that. Others on here have documented the lack of outreach and follow-up on the part of the Champions Club. Someone on here posted actual E-mail correspondence with UND officials and their responses were mostly boilerplate talking point drivel. Others get no response at all. There are real problems with UND athletics and fundraising, but all I get from you is impassioned defenses of UND officials and everything they do or don't do. This D-I move has been an overall disaster. Which is obvious to any objective observer, except those who cannot take their green-colored glasses off. We should not have moved up to D-I if we were not prepared for the increased expenditures that come with such a move. Now hockey is faced with the challenge of NIL and the response on here is more hapless shoulder shrugging and the loser attitude of "we can't do anything about it". Either we figure this out or we should just move down to Division III where none of these problems will exist.

We cannot rely on one single donor for everything. We must broaden and diversify our donor base. Also, local businesses need to step up on NIL since UND cannot get involved in it.

I never said anyone was making that argument. If putting words into other people's mouths was an Olympic sport, you'd win Gold every four years.

On a positive note, this does poke a hole in the "B1G Rules The World" narrative. Whether our coaching staff was interested in him or not is anyone's guess. But I know one thing, we cannot contend for titles relying too much on "culture" guys with limited skills.

The most succinct and accurate assessment of the current state of the program I have read so far. Agree 100% with all of it.

Exactly. We face serious challenges as a program and athletic department, but the whole "there's nothing we can do about it" attitude is infuriating as a lifelong fan of this school.

Cripes, the throw in the towel attitude on this forum is very disturbing. Minnesota produces so much talent and the B1G teams have the same scholarship limits everyone else does. There is also more U.S. talent available now than there has ever been. A program like ours has no excuse not being able to recruit high-end talent. None. This coming season is a big one for both the coaching staff and the program as a whole.

You need guys like him to win games. They do the little things that don't get much attention, but are important nonetheless.

Agreed.

I don't follow them closely, but I know enough about them to know they haven't been a factor for decades. And when they manage to make the playoffs, they get bounced immediately.

I wouldn't bring up the Twins at a party; it would kill the mood.

We'll counter with Red Pepper grinders. Sign with UND and you get free grinders while you are here. Problem solved.

Half? Probably more like 75 or 80 percent. Don't kid yourself.

They'll be out of contention by the All Star break. Then the annual handringing can commence.

Amen. Schools like UND and Mankato CANNOT accept being relegated to mid-major status in hockey. Too many people on this forum have thrown in the towel; I will not do that. President Armacost, please do not allow hockey (or any other sport) degrade into irrelevance. The tone needs to be set by your office or it won't matter what anyone else tries to do.

Was playing around on YouTube and dug up this gem from 2013. Not as shocking as Holy Cross, but still worth a look!

Tornadoes are strange creatures that way.

As long as he doesn't wait until the day before classes start in August, I have no problem with him signing a good offer. But I hope he understands he'll probably end up in the minor leagues to start with.

Cute puppy dog!

Then their stories should be taken with a grain of salt.

If it doesn't happen in the B1G, they don't know and/or care about it.