nodak651

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.

Freund has the personality, which is huge in this day and age.

Seem to be spot on. From their 2019 990: That's enough to pay for FCOA outright.

That's disappointing to hear. Especially with Playmakers inside our own football venue. Say a hypothetical restaurant was built in the hypothetical South end zone, do you think UND would be interested in getting involved if the opportunity arose in a new location like that, given that it wouldn't be "taking" an opportunity away from anyone? If you want to avoid hypotheticals, what I'm asking is if it more about the principle of gambling than anything else? It just seems odd to me that anyone would be offended by it, since UND is a huge part of the community and the athletics department is starving for money. Curious what the local regulations are, so I'm gonna do my best to look them up when I get the chance, but this just seems like a huge opportunity that UND is missing out on, and it helps to explain the huge teammakers revenue that NDSU gets. Not participating just seems like negligence imo.

You trying to brag or something?

A big deck? That would be really cool. They could add a bar/restaurant between that deck and the arena, which could be accessible during the pregame tailgate and potentially during games (could also potentially be reserved for people with club seats or people with seating in high donation champions club areas, or not). If gambling is ever allowed in ND, it would be cool if you could place in-game bets there also... Speaking of gambling, does UND get any of the money from playmakers gambling? If not, what charity does that money go to? And if not, does UND or NDSU get any money from local gambling, besides 50/50 drawings?