nodak651

I think the learfield deal expires at the end of the year as well, unless it is renewed. Pretty sure the current contract with learfield doesn't include the Midco rights, but it does include 3rd tier TV rights, which I guess would be something like the games Bally picks up.

UND also built a website that makes finding current proposal requests super easy: https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=UND This is the official state website, which is also very good. You can sort proposal requests by organization and date, and this one includes more archived and expired proposal requests, and it is also easier to find the associated documents/descriptions. https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/searchSolicitation.htm I wouldn't be surprised to see it show up here, as UND seems to do a good job of actually posting this stuff publicly. This is how I found the non finalized plans for phase two of the HPC. Proposal requests for things like football championship rings, athletics charter flights, and uniforms suppliers have also been posted there.

There's no issue between NCHC and Midco, because Midco doesn't stream the hockey games on their MidcoSN streaming service. NCHC has streaming rights only, while Midco has the TV rights. I don't recall any issues between FSN/Bally and NCHC.tv either, back when those channels were found on most of the streaming TV platforms, such as Sling, Fubo, Youtube TV, etc. So NCHC games can technically be streamed if the TV channel the games are aired on are packaged with other channels and marketed as some type of streaming television package -I'd guess there may be some type of industry standard that defines this. Companies like Midco and Bally that have or will have streaming services for their own networks wouldn't be allowed to stream the games (MidcoSN's streaming app for example). CBSSN must have some type of tier 1 deal that supersedes Midco and NCHC.tv's rights, as I believe they can select to broadcast whatever games that they want, and those games aren't included with NCHC.tv. Edit: I pretty much agree with Langster, in that there will be no change with NCHC.tv. Without any changes with the NCHC.tv contracts, Bally wouldn't be able to stream hockey on their new stand alone streaming service, but hockey could be streamed on an online TV streaming service if Bally was in the channel lineup. Bally would however be allowed to stream other sports, such as basketball and football (both are on Midco's app AND espn's app). In regard to a uniformed production accross the Summit league, Fenton has said in interviews that this is important, but he also said there could be hangups or delays if they tried to do something like the NCHC.tv app, because they would have to deal with each schools existing broadcasting and streaming contracts. He also also mentioned Midco as well, and how well they did the NCHC pod. My prediction is that Fenton works out an agreement with Midco for a league-wide streaming deal, because Midco would pay for it and ESPN would pay much less, if anything.

Interesting take. Not in a bad way. I would think the likely outcome is that UND remains with Midco, but I have a TON of questions running through my head, but first off, UND badly needs to improve it's radio network. There's zero UND sports talk and I'm sick as hell of having to sit through Dom Izzo's BS. PLEASE somebody start a new panel-style show that is roughly 50-50 UND/NDSU centric, that also discusses regional sports, as well as local/regional non sports topics... something like Dan Cole level of sports content. It's impossible to find anything that discusses UND to listen to, though, so even like a daily 30 UND focused show would be amazing. 1440 TheFan in Grand Forks doesn't stream any of it's locally produced shows - I think Hennessy still has a morning show and the coaches shows are all there is? I've been wanting to listen to Tim's show, but TheFan in Grand Forks can't be streamed, as any of the stream now links that I can find just air TheFan's broadcast out of the Twin Cities, and there's no podcast format for shows shows either. Hopefully UND can work to get something, anything, on the radio, and at a radio network that can be listened to out of just Grand Forks. If I have to listen to any more of Chaves podcast or Dom Izzo I'm gonna lose it... For the record, this isn't me bitching, this is me being hopelessly optimistic about new radio programming. I've heard that Bally is starting a stand alone streaming service like ESPN+. If that's the case, UND could potentially stand a chance at getting a decent offer from them if they think UND could help them with subscribership with their new platform. In the unlikely event that they are seriously interested in UND's rights, the biggest issue would probably be that they don't have the ability to air all of UND's games like Midco can, given that Bally also airs professional sports and they don't have enough TV channels. Perhaps they would potentially be interested in something like Football only, if UND is willing to split up the TV rights like NDSU did. Is UND willing to split up TV rights between sports? Would the NCHC allow games to be streamed on a Bally streaming service? Does the NCHC allow games to be streamed to Streaming TV Services that carry Bally, but not to a dedicated Bally streaming service? MidCo's streaming platform is not allowed to stream MidCo's UND hockey games, for example, but if MidCo Sports channel was on something like sling, that would be ok, correct? If Bally bought the rights, with their new streaming platform in mind, what would happen if the Summit Leage and Fenton decided to start up a stand alone streaming platform like NCHC.tv? Fenton has stated that this possibility with the Summit league interests him. If Bally offered a substantial offer to UND for something like football and 1/2 of hockey games, would Midco be willing to pay anything to produce the other half? With Augi hockey coming online, and in an important market for Midco, how much does that affect MidCo's desire to pay for and air all UND hockey games. Is MidCo interested in airing Augi hockey, and if so, how many games? Does the added supply of college hockey games to MidCo reduce UND's negotiating leverage? Will the presence of a new D1 hockey program in Sioux Falls bring more awareness and interest to college hockey and help to increase UND's hockey's TV ratings on MidCo? What are Midco's TV ratings for UND hockey and football? How does UND's ratings compare to USD and SDSU?

UND hosted a regional in the exact same arena the Summit Tournament is in, and we nearly sold it out before we even knew for sure UND would make the tournament and play there! UND fans have no room to complain about this... as a fan base, we have shown the ability to show up in huge numbers at venue's much further away than this, so complaining about other schools actually attending games while we hardly support our team IN Grand Forks is just sour grapes. It's our fault, not theirs, and we benefit as members of the Summit League, which pulls in hundreds of thousands in revenue from this tournament.

Complaining about the Summit Tourney location is a stupid crybaby argument, especially with the ticket policies changing. People literally want to move the tournament to a different location because it is too successful. This is also one of the main sources of revenue for the conference and the attendance here is impressive - it's something that can set the Summit apart from other conferences as the league hopefully continues to grow and improve. Were people complaining about the Red Barron Final Five in hockey because it was in the Gophers back yard? NO! The tournament was embraced and people were happy to travel there, and the tournament built upon itself until it became iconic. Pretty much any other potential would either be a further drive for most schools or be closer to a different campus. Would people be OK with a the Target Center being the venue if St. Thomas didn't show up like the Dakota schools and the attendance sucks? Because I'm not sure something like that is better, and I don't see how it would help with league wide recruiting or the general fan experience, either. If the Frozen Faceoff was in Sioux Falls, UND would sell the place out, so there's no reason for us to complain about a supposedly unfair location when we all know that UND has the ability to make our presence felt there. Moving forward, with the ticket policy change, if there is a lack of support for UND or NDSU or Omaha there, that's on our fan bases... it won't be the Dakota schools fault if we don't show up.. it will be our own. Most of the schools in our conference should be happy that the SD schools prop up our conf tournament, because most of the schools have a tough time drawing a thousand fans to home games! About the bands, and if I was commissioner, I'd require every school to bring it's band, ads a ton to the atmosphere of the games, and if schools don't bring one, they should pay a fine, IMO, and they sure as hell shouldn't complain about the tournament feeling like an away game if they can't at least invest enough in the tournament to do that, and the ticket sales SD fans generate more than covers that expense.

https://www.inforum.com/sports/mcfeely-blog-und-opening-its-athletic-tv-rights-to-bids-expects-competition-for-them The University of North Dakota will open its athletics television rights to bids, meaning there is potential for Fighting Hawks hockey, football and basketball to be carried by someone other than Midco Sports for the first time in a decade. "We expect competition," UND associate athletic director for external operations Kyle Doperalski said. "We are expecting that there will be multiple responses."

They were reportedly really close to announcing before covid.. I think it happens.

I don't follow..

At the Betty or Ralph?

I don't necessarily buy that. You have a valid point, but there's a reason Kris McGarry went to the press to complain about Kennedy while the negotiations for the lease agreement were taking place. Public sentiment means a lot in this day and age.

Also, is that contribution more or less than they demand the Ralph annually takes from football ticket sales.

My point wasn't necessarily that it should be used for that, more so that it should be used... somewhere, or let profits flow back to UND. Perhaps it could be used toward a basketball practice facility, or they could finance a basketball practice facility, which is stated as a need in UND's master plan, and it would be attached to the REA complex, which is within their purview.. A reserve fund makes sense, but I don't see how it's necessary to continue to build on the current balance, which is now well over 4 million dollars, while not allocating anything to UND that past couple years. Sure a nice reserve account is nice, but is it beneficial to UND to continue allocating resources to it while UND struggles covid related revenue losses? Maybe some of that money could go back to UND to help pay basketball guarantees, which could earn back in basketball ticket sales. There's just no investment in most of our sports right now, and the HPC isn't that new any more. Source?

Is that the best strategy when our athletics programs are failing and we are seeing massive inflation in construction, while we are also struggling to finance facilities improvements? With the delay in starting construction on phase2 of the HPC, inflation/increased construction costs essentially just ate up that fund within the last year alone. Not the best strategy if that is actually the plan, especially when UND can't technically finance facilities or facilities improvements, and the Ralph currently can. I don't think that is actually the plan, though, as the Ralph is generating enough cash flow annually to pay for any needed maintenance and repairs. Maybe some of it will be used for larger priced maintenance items, but it seems to be used mostly for arena enhancements, such as the new scoreboard, (where UND will only get 1/3 of the new ad sales it generates).

It's not obvious, at least under Kennedy it wasn't. He was publicly shamed for trying to rework the usage agreement with the Ralph. Those negotiations got some pretty large headlines and Kennedy spoke the truth about the situation. Without access to the cash flow that UND produces, we will are stuck with the status quo. Can't expect an athletics department to operate at a high level with donations alone. The Ralph is unjustly stashing money, and until I see anything that indicates otherwise, or an official comment that suggests the Ralph's stockpile of money will be spent on something like the basketball practice facility, found on UND Athletics Master Plan, I will continue to beat this drum.

The NCHC tourney makes too much money to move and rotating the tournament takes away any chance there is of building the Frozen Faceoff up to emulate the Final Five, especially if MN schools are added. I don't see much benefit in adding ASU, to be honest. If it's not broke don't fix it. Would losing Miami and WMU cause us to lose our CBSSN games as well? If anything, adding St. Thomas and Either Mankato or BG is the only thing that makes sense, but not until St. Thomas has a better arena situation and not now, IMO. I would hate to strand Bemidji alone in the CCHA if Mankato joined with Bemidji. Pros of Mankato and Bemidji joining is that the Frozen Faceoff would have more local interest, but again, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Having MN schools in a seperate conference also allows these teams to schedule cheaper non conf games (less travel).

I mean, if Chaves was going to extend his contract after a 5-6 season, at a point in time when Bubba still has two years on his contract, why didn't he just give him a longer contract from the get-go? Not that either are good ideas.

And didn't he just get fired?

That was a great game.... got Rudolph fired.

I doubt anyone who thinks they are a d1 player looks at our roster and thinks they arent good enough to play.

moot point. after next season he would have had another year, no?

Ahh. Didn't notice Vaugn running out there. Would be nice to have a normal camera angle... lol

57 seconds mark.. Not sure I'd call that a trick play, and I'm not really so sure that's his Weah's fault. Looks like the defense bit on the fake with Otis and UND would have had a first down, if not a TD, had the players executed. His other fumble after that, a vanilla run play, Otis got hit by like 4 guys at the los and the TE just randomly stopped blocking the guy who knocked the ball out.

Maag being injured was also a big deal, as he was pretty much our only deep threat in the spring, and he wasn't 100% for pretty much the entire fall season.. We need more receivers that can get open down field.

Better investment/resources increases the margin for error. And after all, we're still only looking at about a one score (or less) difference in each of our losses this fall. I guarantee you that NDSU didn't have the best coach in the country this past year, but they won the championship anyway, didn't they? Investment makes a difference. And if anyone wants to talk about culture, the two go hand in hand. Bubba is nearly a perfect reflection of the investment in our football program. He's probably better than most, but there are still obvious issues that need to be addressed.