Future Schedules

[Risky]

Now that UND is out of transition and in the Big Sky I don't think either school needs the game more than the other. With NDSU winning the National title last year it is probably easier for UND to fill their home schedule than NDSU. Didn't someone on here say that NDSU paid 200 thousand and some to get a team to come to the Fargodome next year. That makes giving up a home game every other year to play UND every year a no brainer. UND game has no expense or travel costs. The bottom line is just get the game going again. It will be way to much fun.

[geaux_sioux]

I actually agree. I think up until this point NDSU had too much to lose by playing this game, and I think if the situation were reversed UND would be saying pretty much the same thing.

As a competitor I say we should have been playing UND all along, but I admit, during the past 4 years, playing a game against scared me a little. Only because NDSU had moved up and SHOULD win the game. But it's a rivalry game and anytime that is the case either team could come out on top.

So it makes sense to me that NDSU has waited until UND was on equal footing in terms of scholarships. That way in the event that UND wins the game, which has always been a possibility, it is far less embarrassing.

Now before you say "I told you NDSU fans were scared", understand that UND would have thought the exact same way had they made the move up first.

I don't want this to come off as condescending, but I'm sure it will. It's similar to when UND played USF. UND gained absolutely nothing from playing that game. USF is considered by the public to be an inferior opponent, a savvy football fan knows that USF is a quality program and actually might have fielded a better squad than UND that year. It is still a point of major embarrassment for UND to lose the game. That's how I have felt the last 4 years.

I am confident we would have won, but I know how the game works and once you step on the field with a team you are opening yourself up to a loss, even if it seems like a remote possibility.

Long story short, it makes much more sense to get serious about scheduling this game now that UND and NDSU are back on "equal footing".

I wish we could've seen a Freund, Chappell, Dressler UND team against a Mays/Walker NDSU team, that would be a great game. After that though UND would've gotten killed because they sucked for a while.

[Dagger]

Actually what I would really like to see is UND be able to host a playoff game next year. It would be really neat if UND's opponent at the Alerus was NDSU. I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen. It would serve NDSU right the way they have delayed getting this game going for so mny years.

[UNDBIZ]

Actually what I would really like to see is UND be able to host a playoff game next year. It would be really neat if UND's opponent at the Alerus was NDSU.

Several things would have to go right for this to happen..... starting on June 12th.

[johnson]

Actually what I would really like to see is UND be able to host a playoff game next year. It would be really neat if UND's opponent at the Alerus was NDSU. I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen. It would serve NDSU right the way they have delayed getting this game going for so mny years.

The first game would've been played already if Faison hadn't refused the every other year offer that Taylor sent him. Now we have to wait until 2015 for the first game that is the same every other year plan that was first offered by NDSU.

[Teeder11]

The first game would've been played already if Faison hadn't refused the every other year offer that Taylor sent him. Now we have to wait until 2015 for the first game that is the same every other year plan that was first offered by NDSU.

You gotta give Faison credit, though, for sticking to his guns and demanding what the fans truly want -- and that is to see the great rivalry played out every year. Don't get me wrong, I will take every other year, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

[tnt]

The skirting around in a circle that UND and NDSU officials have been doing is getting really old.

Both schools need to just ****ing man up and get the games going again.

PS I actually agree with Taylor on playing every other year. I think it'd make the games even more hyped up since they won't play each other every single year.

I predict that they will be playing every year once NDSU gets beat at home and most of their fans have to wait 3 years to watch any chance at revenge in person. Would be bad enough sitting on a loss for a year, but having to wait 3 to win at home again would be more than some Bison fans could handle.

[JohnboyND7]

Johnyboy - Please tell us the significant benefit UND gets from this? Just for arguments sake lets say UND's football attendance remains the same as it was this past year (7,850). Assuming this is the only game UND can sell out your saying that UND gets a signifcant benefit by selling 4,000 extra tickets once every four years?

Right now, as people on here have even acknowledged, UND football is in a bit of a rut. NDSU's recent success has taken a lot of the state's focus away from UND.

As conceited as it may sound, this almost gives UND some attention out of nowhere, and really doesn't give NDSU much of anything. The fact that they might have this scheduled, may encourage UND fans that have fallen by the wayside to start going to games again. That might be grasping for straws a bit, I am just having trouble explaining what I mean.

You gotta give Faison credit, though, for sticking to his guns and demanding what the fans truly want -- and that is to see the great rivalry played out every year. Don't get me wrong, I will take every other year, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

So give credit to Faison for sticking to his guns and then giving in to the other AD? I like the every other year idea. Gives both teams an opportunity to get a wider variety of FBS and FCS OOC games. NDSU has agreements with Montana for a home-and-home, Montana St. as well I believe. I like the idea of playing some other teams like those. Playing UND every year takes away some of those opportunities, especially if we want to have an FCS cupcake, and an FBS game every year.

[82SiouxGuy]

So give credit to Faison for sticking to his guns and then giving in to the other AD? I like the every other year idea. Gives both teams an opportunity to get a wider variety of FBS and FCS OOC games. NDSU has agreements with Montana for a home-and-home, Montana St. as well I believe. I like the idea of playing some other teams like those. Playing UND every year takes away some of those opportunities, especially if we want to have an FCS cupcake, and an FBS game every year.

Eleven game schedule. Four home games in conference. Four games on the road in conference. One FCS cupcake at home (not likely to schedule as a home and home). One FBS game on the road (also not likely to be home and home). Game against UND alternating between home and away. The years of 12 game schedules you add another home game, or use those years to schedule home and homes with other FCS. Accomplishes everything you just stated that you wanted. And it wasn't that difficult to figure out. I'll take every other year if we have to, but would still prefer every year to build on the rivalry.

[Matt]

I understand Faison pushing for playing the game every year, but I would consider it foolish to refuse to play at all if those parameters aren't met. I hope that isn't what has been holding this up on the UND side. Sacrificing the good option in pursuit of a great option is foolish IMHO.

[82SiouxGuy]

I understand Faison pushing for playing the game every year, but I would consider it foolish to refuse to play at all if those parameters aren't met. I hope that isn't what has been holding this up on the UND side. Sacrificing the good option in pursuit of a great option is foolish IMHO.

Faison stopped demanding an every year game quite a while ago. That was his opening request. But he said he was open to every other year around the time the Big Sky called if not earlier. So that issue has not been the stumbling block for at least 1 1/2 years if not longer.

[jodcon]

NDSU will make money in football regardless. UND gets a significant benefit in this, NDSU doesn't. I am happy they are most likely playing again, but that doesn't change the fact that this benefits one school a lot more. No, UND is not making much of a sacrifice. A home-game at UND is nothing like a home-game at NDSU. When you have soon-to-be 12,000-some thousand season ticket holders to answer to, they want home games.

So using this analogy you're saying Montana should never schedule anybody (including NDSU) OOC unless it is at Missoula because 28,000 trumps all?

As a Griz fan I like the sound of that, but that's not the way it works.

College football has to be as much about rivalries, especially local rivalries, as it is about sheer numbers because keeping interest high among the fans is what makes it work, and in North Dakota that rivalry is UND-NDSU. And now that UND is about through the transition the records will start getting closer, and there will be a day...maybe not for a year or three...when UND will field a superior team to NDSU, and then when the UND fans say "Why are we playing the Bison, it can only hurt us if we lose" you'll understand how these things really work.

Play the rivalry, the fans want to see it.

[johnson]

You gotta give Faison credit, though, for sticking to his guns and demanding what the fans truly want -- and that is to see the great rivalry played out every year. Don't get me wrong, I will take every other year, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I don't discredit him for doing what he thinks is best for his football program. Just as UND fans shouldn't discredit Taylor for doing what he thinks is best for his. What Faison has been demanding is what UND fans truly want. There aren't many NDSU fans that truly want an annual game right now. I respect your first choice but many of us don't agree with it.

Eleven game schedule. Four home games in conference. Four games on the road in conference. One FCS cupcake at home (not likely to schedule as a home and home). One FBS game on the road (also not likely to be home and home). Game against UND alternating between home and away. The years of 12 game schedules you add another home game, or use those years to schedule home and homes with other FCS. Accomplishes everything you just stated that you wanted. And it wasn't that difficult to figure out. I'll take every other year if we have to, but would still prefer every year to build on the rivalry.

What you are forgetting in all of this is that the people who attend FB games at NDSU don't want the scenario you laid out. Yes, it is easy to make it happen but its not easy to tell people who want one thing that they are going to do another. NDSU has a formula that they prefer to follow and as of right now it seems to be working quite well for them. I don't see them changing too much of that anytime soon.

[JohnboyND7]

So using this analogy you're saying Montana should never schedule anybody (including NDSU) OOC unless it is at Missoula because 28,000 trumps all?

As a Griz fan I like the sound of that, but that's not the way it works.

College football has to be as much about rivalries, especially local rivalries, as it is about sheer numbers because keeping interest high among the fans is what makes it work, and in North Dakota that rivalry is UND-NDSU. And now that UND is about through the transition the records will start getting closer, and there will be a day...maybe not for a year or three...when UND will field a superior team to NDSU, and then when the UND fans say "Why are we playing the Bison, it can only hurt us if we lose" you'll understand how these things really work.

Play the rivalry, the fans want to see it.

No, I am saying I'd like NDSU to get home-and-homes with some of the big powers such as Montana, App State, Montana St. home-and-home. I don't want NDSU to lose a home game every other year (referring to NDSU/UND game every year) and lose the chance to watch the Montana's and App States of FCS. Not every year allows for 12 game seasons. I saw a list of when 12 games will be allowed, and it looked like once every 5 years or something along those lines?

NDSU has made it work just fine without playing UND. In fact, NDSU football is a bigger event now than it was when UND was a part of the schedule. UND could really use the big local game on the schedule for fan interest, NDSU doesn't gain that same benefit. Maybe by the time this game would be played, UND wouldn't need the big "signature" type game on the schedule to generate fan interest anymore, but right now, I look at UND and can't help but think, "What have you done in FCS to merit NDSU signing a home-and-home with you?" I understand that rivalries might be an exception to that way of thinking, but I'd like UND to accomplish something before NDSU signs into an agreement to go on the road to play them.

While this is certainly possible, and very likely that some years UND will have a better team, keep in mind that division II success doesn't always translate. UNC is terrible. They have been genuinely bad since they moved into the Big Sky. They were quite a force towards the end of their time in Division II. Anytime a school moves up, they risk falling flat on their face. It is completely possible, that UND falls on its face just like Northern Colorado. It is also completely possible, that UND becomes a middle of the road team, or UND becomes an exceptional team.

I agree that the game should be played, if it isn't played I really won't care too much.

[82SiouxGuy]

What you are forgetting in all of this is that the people who attend FB games at NDSU don't want the scenario you laid out. Yes, it is easy to make it happen but its not easy to tell people who want one thing that they are going to do another. NDSU has a formula that they prefer to follow and as of right now it seems to be working quite well for them. I don't see them changing too much of that anytime soon.

If you looked at the post I was responding to, my post gave him exactly what he wanted in a schedule plus an annual rivalry game with UND. He said that besides conference games he wanted an FCS creampuff game, an FBS game, and wanted to play some games against other FCS teams for a little variety. That's exactly what I outlined. The only thing it doesn't give you is a guaranteed 6 home games each year. He didn't ask for that. My scenario would give NDSU at least 6 home games most years. There would be 5 once in a while, and may be 7 once in a while. But even playing UND every other year isn't going to guarantee that NDSU would have 6 home games each year. And as we saw again this year, NDSU will have trouble finding schools to come to North Dakota some years, as will UND. So trying to follow the "magic" formula that you refer to isn't a guarantee that you will get what you want either.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

The guys down in Fargo are going nuts over this. 282 posts in the thread over there. wow.

[82SiouxGuy]

No, I am saying I'd like NDSU to get home-and-homes with some of the big powers such as Montana, App State, Montana St. home-and-home. I don't want NDSU to lose a home game every other year (referring to NDSU/UND game every year) and lose the chance to watch the Montana's and App States of FCS. Not every year allows for 12 game seasons. I saw a list of when 12 games will be allowed, and it looked like once every 5 years or something along those lines?

NDSU has made it work just fine without playing UND. In fact, NDSU football is a bigger event now than it was when UND was a part of the schedule. UND could really use the big local game on the schedule for fan interest, NDSU doesn't gain that same benefit. Maybe by the time this game would be played, UND wouldn't need the big "signature" type game on the schedule to generate fan interest anymore, but right now, I look at UND and can't help but think, "What have you done in FCS to merit NDSU signing a home-and-home with you?" I understand that rivalries might be an exception to that way of thinking, but I'd like UND to accomplish something before NDSU signs into an agreement to go on the road to play them.

While this is certainly possible, and very likely that some years UND will have a better team, keep in mind that division II success doesn't always translate. UNC is terrible. They have been genuinely bad since they moved into the Big Sky. They were quite a force towards the end of their time in Division II. Anytime a school moves up, they risk falling flat on their face. It is completely possible, that UND falls on its face just like Northern Colorado. It is also completely possible, that UND becomes a middle of the road team, or UND becomes an exceptional team.

I agree that the game should be played, if it isn't played I really won't care too much.

You are obviously too young to understand the rivalry and how it plays out across the entire state of North Dakota. It has nothing to do with FCS. Even in stretches where one team dominated the other for a decade, the rivalry was always the biggest game of the year and would get the attention of people that don't care a bit about football. UND versus NDSU was included in a documentary about rivalries in college football. Nothing like that has happened with NDSU since then, no matter how much you think that NDSU has become superior. No game against UNI or SDSU, or even a National Championship will get the attention of all of North Dakota like a game with the true rival.

[JohnboyND7]

http://www.kfgo.com/uploads/Gene_Taylor_05172012.mp3

Sounds like the gun was jumped. If you have 5-10 minutes to spare, Gene Taylor talks about the likelihood of a game. He sounds much more cautious about saying anything, though he did mention something to the the media blog or whatever. Taylor seems to think there are a lot of details he'd like to get figured out before agreeing to anything.

The guys down in Fargo are going nuts over this. 282 posts in the thread over there. wow.

Remember, football is king down here in Fargo. And if you bring up potentially playing UND in football, that is going to generate a ton of conversation. Btw, if you read the entire thread, just look for stuff lakes has texted or emailed some of the posters. Its good for a laugh. He should be on suicide watch.

[UND1983]

Also remember, Dom Izzo broke it on WDAY the night before and then tweeted the dates the next day. Who did he talk to? Not Brian Faison.

[homer]

I don't discredit him for doing what he thinks is best for his football program. Just as UND fans shouldn't discredit Taylor for doing what he thinks is best for his. What Faison has been demanding is what UND fans truly want. There aren't many NDSU fans that truly want an annual game right now. I respect your first choice but many of us don't agree with it.

What you are forgetting in all of this is that the people who attend FB games at NDSU don't want the scenario you laid out. Yes, it is easy to make it happen but its not easy to tell people who want one thing that they are going to do another. NDSU has a formula that they prefer to follow and as of right now it seems to be working quite well for them. I don't see them changing too much of that anytime soon.

You guys are trying so hard to talk yourselves into not wanting this game. Sioux suck chants during the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants when you returned from the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants at home games. Hell I was at a wedding last weekend in Dickinson of a former Bison player and a Sioux suck chant broke out at the end of the dance. Your post should read that there are not many of the 50 regulars on B'ville who want an annual game, there are more than plenty that want it to happen but are nervous of the outcome.

[82SiouxGuy]

http://www.kfgo.com/uploads/Gene_Taylor_05172012.mp3

Sounds like the gun was jumped. If you have 5-10 minutes to spare, Gene Taylor talks about the likelihood of a game. He sounds much more cautious about saying anything, though he did mention something to the the media blog or whatever. Taylor seems to think there are a lot of details he'd like to get figured out before agreeing to anything.

What details would need to be figured out? If they have dates available that work for both it shouldn't be that difficult. It's a home and home, so there probably won't be any money changing hands. Put in big cancellation fees for both sides. It shouldn't take school presidents to figure it out. It still sounds like someone in Fargo doesn't want the games to happen, but wants to appear like he is working on it. I think Faison would have a contract ready to go by next week, if not sooner.

[UND1983]

You guys are trying so hard to talk yourselves into not wanting this game. Sioux suck chants during the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants when you returned from the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants at home games. Hell I was at a wedding last weekend in Dickinson of a former Bison player and a Sioux suck chant broke out at the end of the dance. Your post should read that there are not many of the 50 regulars on B'ville who want an annual game, there are more than plenty that want it to happen but are nervous of the outcome.

That is a standard at all former-Bison football player weddings. 100% of them.

[82SiouxGuy]

That is a standard at all former-Bison football player weddings. 100% of them.

I don't remember the last time I heard a NDSU Sucks or N-D-S-U-C-K-S type chant at anything but a UND-NDSU game.

[UND1983]

I don't remember the last time I heard a NDSU Sucks or N-D-S-U-C-K-S type chant at anything but a UND-NDSU game.

You have not been to an NDSU wedding then. They also sing that song at all of them.

[JohnboyND7]

You guys are trying so hard to talk yourselves into not wanting this game. Sioux suck chants during the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants when you returned from the nat'l championship, Sioux suck chants at home games. Hell I was at a wedding last weekend in Dickinson of a former Bison player and a Sioux suck chant broke out at the end of the dance. Your post should read that there are not many of the 50 regulars on B'ville who want an annual game, there are more than plenty that want it to happen but are nervous of the outcome.

No. People like lakes are trying to not want the game. There was a small sioux suck chant at the game. There was a sioux suck chant when they got home. I have been to every home game for years...I haven't heard a real sioux suck chant at an NDSU football game since we actually palyed UND. In the student section, you'll hear a few people and clusters of friends do it from time to time. Yes, I am not surprised at a former Bison players wedding they would do that. It is something Bison fans have always done. I don't know why you care....it is just what people do. The Texas and Texas A&M fight songs both talk crap about the other school. Those schools will not be playing from now on, and I'm betting the songs will not change.

What details would need to be figured out? If they have dates available that work for both it shouldn't be that difficult. It's a home and home, so there probably won't be any money changing hands. Put in big cancellation fees for both sides. It shouldn't take school presidents to figure it out. It still sounds like someone in Fargo doesn't want the games to happen, but wants to appear like he is working on it. I think Faison would have a contract ready to go by next week, if not sooner.

Someone is Fargo, has been Division I longer. And probably trying to make a schedule that works out based on a variety of factors. Now that UND is in the Big Sky, you will probably find out that there is nothing wrong with being selective about who you play out of conference and when you play them.