Since football and basketball seem to basically be off the table for growth at NDSU, I would like them to look into hockey. I don't see FBS ever happening, and basketball as a low major is done. It seems impossible to retain players. So not sure whether it is worth pumping more funding into that when the results are going to be the same. Regular trips to Frisco and a plausible but unlikely chance at being a low seed in March Madness.
I don't think you'd ever see NDSU be consistently better than UND in hockey. Maybe stretches here and there. I do think a base of support would emerge pretty quickly.