fightingsioux4life

I do think that the Bison went D-I in everything in part because Fargo wouldn't approve of money for the "multipurpose" arena that was to be used in part for Bison hockey. It might have happened anyway, but that decision by Fargo voters sealed it for NDSU's move up. As for flood protection, I don't think anyone from either party will play politics with things like that. It will always backfire on you in the end. Fargo needs, should get and will get the diversion project. It is simply unacceptable to just rely on temporary clay dikes and sandbagging efforts to protect Fargo in future flood events.

More apples and oranges from our friends in Bisonland. We are a third year transitional program and you are several years out of transition and are just now having your first real football success at Division I. But if that makes you feel better, than by all means, roll with it.

Most people I tell this laugh, but I think this could be a nice addition to our athletic department. I think we should think about dropping both baseball and softball (our spring weather rarely cooperates) and start up men's and women's lacrosse. We could play in the Alerus Center so weather won't be a problem. If we start it in the next couple of years, we will establish our programs at the same time the sport is growing nationally. It could give our athletic department a big boost at a time of increased costs and travel.

Good point. I think Augustana is getting better D-II players because all the competition for those players (UND, NDSU, SDSU, USD) have moved up to DI FCS and are targeting different athletes and are recruiting more nationally than they used to. Add to that the fact that Augie is far enough away from the Minnesota D-II programs to have an edge in landing local kids and the quality of education you can get there and it's not all that surprising that they are having more success than they used to.

Nobody stays on top forever. Everyone else works hard to catch up and will give you their "A" game every time. The law of averages always wins in the end.

One of my favorite UND sports moments of all time.

I personally am not that obsessed over playing the Bison again. If it happens, that's great. If not, life will go on, the sun will come up every day in the East and Bison fans will continue to insist that hockey doesn't matter (mainly because they don't sponsor it). I also have ZERO patience with some of our fans who wanted us in the Summit/MVFC because "I want to play the Bison again". We cannot make big decisions like that based on what NDAC does or doesn't do. Let the process play itself out. I think the game will be back on a year-to-year basis at some point, but until then let's focus on our own program and getting it back to what it was five years ago.

We beat GVSU 17-14 in the 2001 D-II National Championship game and 19-15 in the 2004 D-II Quarterfinals in the Alerus Center (the last really big home game for our program). It looks like "Tradition doesn't graduate" isn't what it used to be. I would love GVSU to move up so we can get some payback on these guys. I just hope our program is decent by the time that happens.

This is a bald-faced lie, pure and simple. How do you explain UND winning 10 out of the last 13 games against NDSU? Luck? I don't think so. Happy Thanksgiving troll. Now, go away.

I would give Mussman two more years. If there isn't dramatic improvement with the won-loss record and the on-field performance of the team by 2012, it will be time for a change. I do not want to end up like Northern Colorado.

I think I said I wanted to see some progress in 2012, I am not expecting an FCS title or anything. But that being said, I don't think Faison or the fan base will put up with Northern Colorado's long record of mediocrity without making some changes along the way. If this program is 2-9 or 3-8 year after year, the whole move up will be questioned by a lot of people. For the record, I don't think that will happen to us, but it's always good to practice eternal vigilance so that mediocrity doesn't become acceptable. It's happened to Men's Basketball and I don't want it to happen to football.

The transition will be over starting July 1st, 2012. That is also the date we join the BSC. After that, I don't think using the word "transition" should be allowed by any coaches and the local media (Wayne Nelson, Pat Sweeney, ect.) should really hold the program accountable in that regard. When we kick off the 2012 season, this will be Mussman's team, period. I am all for being patient in 2011, but if we don't start seeing some results by 2012, it might be time for a change.

Considering the up and down nature of this year's Fighting Sioux team, this could very well happen. And if Blais sticks around in Omaha, I could see you winning a national title as well.

People might not drive 4 to 6 hours to watch a game live on a regular basis, but they will tune in on TV and radio and become fans. They also will make the occasional trip to watch a game live (either in Grand Forks or a close road game). And you are underestimating the potential for new fans that have not been engaged in Sioux sports before, but might become fans through increased media coverage and interest with the BSC move. This is long-range thinking and planning and I am glad our administration understands the concept. I just think you are underestimating the impact of the oil boom on the state. Bismarck will see increased growth, Minot will grow instead of stagnating or declining and towns that were slowly dying (Williston) will see growth they couldn't have imagined just 10 years ago. That will shift at least some political and economic power from the east to the west. And as an easterner, I really don't have a problem with that.

This is the biggest reason why people are anti-Fargo and anti-Cass County. This whole, arrogant "Imperial Cass County" attitude of "The whole rest of the state can go down the tubes as long as Fargo and Cass County are rich and prosperous". You obviously don't understand the long-term impact of the oil boom in the West (it's not going to go away this time) and how it will change the economic, cultural and political dynamics of the state. But since some people in Fargo think of themselves as a state all by themselves, I am not surprised by your smart-mouthed comment. This attitude will probably hurt Fargo's effort for long-term flood protection and that is a shame. They are as deserving of flood protection as anyone else in the Red River basin. The bottom line is the move to the BSC will help UND long-term in athletics and in enrollment stability and growth.

Eventually, all television will be shown in HD. I like HD (it's awesome for watching NFL football), but as long as I can watch the games at home, I am happy.

This is a very important game, even this early in the season. A sweep this weekend would help establish momentum and help erase the bitter pill that was last weekend.

I share your concerns, but I think in a couple of years we will have a solid FCS foundation built and things will get better. Having a conference home will help with attendance and recruiting and then we'll find out if Mussman is the man to turn this around. We cannot allow the football program to sag into perpetual 3-7, 4-6 mediocrity and I think that Faison understands that.

I think that is standard procedure for recruits of all of our sports.

We could start playing our games at Cushman Field with these attendance numbers!

But I think that is the exception rather than the rule. Sioux Falls is pretty close to Vermillion and the coach in question probably didn't have a problem accepting a lower salary at an FCS school if he didn't have to move in the process. In order to compete for the best FCS coach talent, we will have to raise salaries.

This topic is based more on the total body of work from Mussman, not on last night's game. I think Mussman deserves a couple of more years, but after that, "transition" can't be used as an all-purpose excuse for losing and having to settle for moral victories. I don't want to hear anyone in the media, on this forum and especially on the coaching staff use the word "transition" from August 2012 and thereafter. If I hear anyone in 2012 say "well, we are still kind of, sort of a transition team", I think I will be sick. If we don't have the athletes and talent to compete in FCS by that time, then we might need to make a change at the top. Right now, I would be satisfied with a shake-up in the coaching staff.

I think technology and medicine have advanced a great deal since that time, so that should give this kid a chance to have a normal life.

LaPoint had a horrible night last night; was responsible (IMO) for two of the goals. Maybe a night sitting and watching will do him some good.

Let's also remember that Southern Illinois was upgrading their facilities for football (new stadium, strength and conditioning facilities, everything). They were willing to make a serious investment in the football program while UND was still treating football like Little Orphan Annie. Lennon would have been stupid to turn all that down. I agree that Mussman has not earned a huge salary increase. However, if Faison decides to get rid of Mussman and go after a big-time FCS coach, that checkbook had better not have some outrageously low cap on it. I do not want to become a low-major FCS program who has coaches stolen by mid-major and big-time FCS programs. If we lose coaches in the future, it had better be because: 1) We fired them for bad performance or 2) An FBS school snatched them away because we were winning big year after year. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.