JohnboyND7

Anytime you win a national title, it is worth it.

hopefully he ends up ok. Never fun to see anyone get seriously hurt.

Big Sky doesn't guarantee anything. Though I imagine they should grow somewhat I suppose. Lets be honest, there are only a few important sports that people actually care about. If those get better, I suppose UND fans should be happy. Just because Women's Hockey is #2 in attendence doesn't mean anything. Now if Women's Hockey is going to make money, that means something. I believe women's hockey at UND loses less money each year lately? This is good for UND but who knows if that trend will continue or not. I'd consider anything less than a total black hole for money in women's hockey a success. So in that sense UND is doing just fine in that area.

This is certainly good news for UND if there is an upgrade in that department. While it really is not a big deal, it makes the games more fun even if it is just 5-10 minutes at the most. I like that NDSU has some 3 PM kickoffs. It is early enough that it is bright outside for the tailgating, and when the game is over it gives people plenty of time to get home if they drove from say...Bismarck or something. It also allows them to leave for the game at a later time, such as 10 or 11 AM as compared to 8 or 9 AM. I, as a student, also prefer afternoon games to early or late kickoffs because I feel like more students come. I have no data to back this up, I just get the feeling. If you have it at noon, a lot of kids are not going to show up due to hangovers or sleeping in. If you have it at night, they complain that it cuts into drinking time. If you have it at 3 PM, it gives them time to get up, get rehydrated with the liquid beverage of their choice, get over to the game. Have fun, game gets done around 6 or 6:30. Get some food in your belly, then go live it up. Wake up at 11. Watch the Vikes lose, check that the (insert team of choice) won, and that my friends, is the perfect weekend. Just my two cents. I am in a good mood. I am going to go mow my lawn. Cheers!

Have only been to one game in the Alerus ('03 Nickel Game), so can't speak from experience, my friends up North however, say that UND football games(that they have been to, few of them) can be pretty cheesy for pre-game and in-game stuff. Like I said, that is NOT from experience, just from what a few friends have told me. NDSU has it's cheesy moments as well. In 2010, for the students they played a video that was intended to get a new chant to catch on. It was awful. Didn't catch on. Cheesy. Made my ears bleed.

I wouldn't say an easy buy on student attendence. Here in Fargo, even after a playoff run in 2010, 2011 wasn't much better for some games because the 2010 team went 9-5 and until the playoffs, wasn't always an exciting team to watch even though the 2011 team was exciting to watch. Just because attendence should go up for students, doesn't always translate. Especially in Grand Forks where football takes a backseat. If UND is exciting to watch, student attendence may pick up, but if they aren't overly exciting, or lose a couple games early, student attendence will not be impressive.

As far as a theoretical top end, you might be right. FCS is also vastly different than D-II and being a consistent contender is probably extremely difficult for even the football-centric schools.

football trumps all in Fargo regardless of how good the team is (barring a losing season and the basketball team being 'Woodsidesque'). I imagine in Grand Forks football trumps the non-hockey sports for the most part too. I think we are probably on the same page of thinking.

Montana, App State, Montana State, NDSU, etc. I'd put Montana at the top of that list, Montana is the big cheese in their state. Their state has more people. Montana, from what I'm gathered, has quite a few more fans than Montana State. UND will always have to share with NDSU. UND also doesn't have a large basketball facility, or a large football facility like the schools listed above. For basketball, games can be played in other venues like the REA or the Alerus if needed I suppose. Honestly, I think it will be tough for UND (or NDSU) to become anything special outside of a few sports and the occasional "Woodside"-esque seasons in the lesser sports.

Not too tough to swallow. It is a hockey contract. The Forum is in general, not a good paper. Good get for the Wild, I figured he'd go elsewhere.

Bohl screwed up. Bohl also proved he knew what he was doing. Came in after a 2-8 season and turned that around, back-to-back 10-1 seasons, etc. Mussman hasn't done anything yet. How can you say he isn't horrible, but he could be really good? He has done more to prove the former rather than the latter.

So...you were impressed with the way the 'Guins started playing like idiots after blowing a couple games? Tantrums on the ice, suspensions, malicious hits. The Flyers(my team) are never innocent, but to claim that the Penguins were just trying to give the Flyers a dose is ridiculous. They were mad that they were blew a couple games, and were not going to win the series. Crosby has never been the angel that some make him out to be, and that showed in the playoffs. When the going gets tough, Crosby and Co. certainly don't have any problem throwing shots below the belt. Accept it and move on. Oh, and I want Parise to go to the Wild, because that is a franchise where careers go to die. Or he can go to Phili and be the first UND alum in any sport that I don't actively cheer against.

So what would people on here be saying if the kicker didn't save the day at Northern Colorado? Or USF had played good defense at the end of that game? Do good coaches allow teams like USF and UNC to be ahead going into the last play of the game, especially if UND actually has the talent that the people on here believe that UND has? I don't know really about Mussman. For all I know, it was a good idea to give him an extension. I just find it odd that despite a mediocre track record as the head coach, no one is dissenting the idea of him getting some job security.

Oh, I think what you were looking for was "outgoing" or "personable."

One could argue that a good coach doesn't let his team go down that much against such a mediocre team at home.

What?

UNI played fine against NDSU. my thoughts exactly.

I took Stats. Very unexciting class. The best FCS teams are good was my point.

Why would I have been? UNI always chokes in the playoffs. Montana is tough at home. I believe it was a snowy game. And for whatever reason, after the NDSU game, UNI didn't play that well. Whether it was as a result of that game or getting dinged up or whatever, they were not very good down the stretch.

I'll get back to you on that when Bisonville answers.

ask my Fighting Irish or the Commodores of Vanderbilt where providing a good education gets you in the college football world

I believe as of a season or so ago NDSU spent about $300,000 more. Don't quote me on that though. May be misremembering it or may have misread the chart I saw it on. Selling on that, isn't the SDSU and Portland game in the first 3?

I never said money wasn't the solution. I said Montana won't give up their spot on top of the mountain. fewer scholarships=more parity.

NDSU got beat down by the scholarship rule and a rising UND certainly didn't help. Montana probably won't be dealing with the scholarship rule. Montana has an exceptional FCS program and UND has so far done nothing to show their ability to overtake Montana. Endowments and donors are great, but I'm sure Montana has them as well. And Montana's donors like football.

At this point, there is nothing to suggest UND is willing to put Montana-like emphasis on football, or is even capable of it. Nothing wrong with that, most teams aren't capable of it.