Lennon's return to ND

[Herd]

I can't believe you guys are arguing about something so petty. Threads that end up like this just really show how some people would rather bicker and argue than carry on an actual discussion.

I am just providing factual information. There is nothing to argue about, there are just . . . 1) Facts 2) Opinions.

DI schools are DI regardless of their pocketbook, enrollment, football stadium, public perception, or small minded fans. It's not a matter of opinion.

Many on this board would rather refer to their sports programs as Division II, that's OK with me.

[SiouxMD]

I am just providing factual information. There is nothing to argue about, there are just . . . 1) Facts 2) Opinions.

DI schools are DI regardless of their pocketbook, enrollment, football stadium, public perception, or small minded fans. It's not a matter of opinion.

Many on this board would rather refer to their sports programs as Division II, that's OK with me.

Are you okay with this guy referring to a certain sports program as DII?

[Herd]

Are you okay with this guy referring to a certain sports program as DII?

Let's see now:

Your school is spending Millions of dollars annually to . . . meet DI academic standards, upgrade existing academic programs, hire new faculty, improve facilities, appeal to students nationally, ungrade athletics to DI standards, recruit athletes nationally, complete on a national scale in all sports, complete for DI championships in all sports, gain acceptance in a DI conference, upgrade its Marketing profile, etc, etc, etc . . .

And all some people are concerned about is the fact that your football stadium is not as large as Ohio State's, and your name recognition is not as good as USC's? You would prefer to refer to your schools as DII?

Nice, Your President and AD must love the support! Hopefully it is a small percentage that have this small mindedness syndrome.

[SiouxMD]

Let's see now:

Your school is spending Millions of dollars annually to . . . meet DI academic standards, upgrade existing academic programs, hire new faculty, improve facilities, appeal to students nationally, ungrade athletics to DI standards, recruit athletes nationally, complete on a national scale in all sports, complete for DI championships in all sports, gain acceptance in a DI conference, upgrade its Marketing profile, etc, etc, etc . . .

And all some people are concerned about is the fact that your football stadium is not as large as Ohio State's, and your name recognition is not as good as USC's? You would prefer to refer to your schools as DII?

Nice, Your President and AD must love the support! Hopefully it is a small percentage that have this small mindedness syndrome.

You didn't answer my question.

BTW...as of 01JUL2008 I refer to my school as a DI school (in all sports not just hockey). In any event...going forward I will not have a holy coniption when someone mislabels my alma mater. If you choose to be offended for me then so be it.

Remember..."WE ARE 1. WE ARE NORTH DAKOTA."

[dakotadan]

I am just providing factual information. There is nothing to argue about, there are just . . . 1) Facts 2) Opinions.

DI schools are DI regardless of their pocketbook, enrollment, football stadium, public perception, or small minded fans. It's not a matter of opinion.

Many on this board would rather refer to their sports programs as Division II, that's OK with me.

I completely agree with you and understand the correct points you are making. I just think it is dumb for everybody to be arguing about it. If somebody wants to knowingly use the incorrect term, let them. They will be the one who looks silly.

[bisonguy]

You didn't answer my question.

BTW...as of 01JUL2008 I refer to my school as a DI school (in all sports not just hockey). In any event...going forward I will not have a holy coniption when someone mislabels my alma mater. If you choose to be offended for me then so be it.

Remember..."WE ARE 1. WE ARE NORTH DAKOTA."

The writer of the article wasn't exactly wrong. Not exactly correct, either. NDSU was a DI transitional school until June 26th, 2008. Not really DII, but not officially DI either. Some refer to it still as DII, some say DI, some say DI transitional.

It's a crappy purgatory that will be a distant memory someday. What the school is referred to in that time period will be of little consequence.

[gabe01]

Hey Sioux fans! I was just curious to know if any of you are planning on going to the NDSU/SIU game on 10-4. I just read on Bisonville that the game (which happens to also be homecoming) is already just about sold out. I'm wondering if this is due to a bunch of Sioux fans pre-ordering tickets to come cheer for Lennon or against us? Also is there any truth to the rumor of bitterness against Lennon for the way he handled his departure?? He seemed to be a first class guy, and flat out great coach and that would be sad!!

P.S. I don't intend for this to devolve into a Bison/Sioux smackfest!!!!

GOOD LUCK IN 2008!!!

The game is almost sold out because 1) We sell most games out now 2) It's homecoming 3) It's the first ever home conference game 4) It's against a great team in Southern Illinois 5) The Lennon just ads another interesting storyline.

With or without Lennon this game sells out a month early.

Just to chime in on the other talk...

Higher end D1-AA teams can routinely beat lower end D1-A teams. Top tier D2 teams can compete with top tier D1-AA teams. (early in the year only because they don't have depth with half the scholarships. NDSU would have lost to Montana if it was week 10. UND would have lost to UNI in week 10) Nobody can compete with top 10 D1-A teams. Once in a blue moon you have a team like Appalachian State that pulls the upset but we have to remember they were ranked in the D1-A polls last year so we know they are good. Heck, they won the Championship again. Of course the real championship was winning in the Big House.

Importance of winning? Winning a National Championship in D1-AA football is still a huge deal just like it was in D2. Except D1-AA gets more exposure but still not a ton. A D1-AA team upsetting a big time school is bigger and would feel like a Championship. Making the NCAA BB tournament and winning a game gets bigger exposure. Winning 2 games is huge. Conference Championships at our level mean nothing on a national level.

[Herd]

Of course the real championship was winning in the Big House.

For App St's team and coaches, the championship was in Chatty. The win is Michigan would have been pretty empty without the NC.

[gjw007]

For App St's team and coaches, the championship was in Chatty. The win is Michigan would have been pretty empty without the NC.

I disagree. That's like saying NDSU's win over Minnesota was empty because it didn't win the national championship. I think most people would argue that App St's win as well as NDSU's win over a Big Ten team is special.

[siouxfan123]

The game is almost sold out because 1) We sell most games out now 2) It's homecoming 3) It's the first ever home conference game 4) It's against a great team in Southern Illinois 5) The Lennon just ads another interesting storyline.

With or without Lennon this game sells out a month early.

If there is one thing I have learned about events, even if they are technically "sold out," they are never truly "sold out." With the plethora of second hand ticket markets these days, if you want tickets, you can find them. While you MAY pay a bit of a premium, I don't think that the NDSU football ticket market will warrant too much of a markup if any at all.

[petey23]

I disagree. That's like saying NDSU's win over Minnesota was empty because it didn't win the national championship. I think most people would argue that App St's win as well as NDSU's win over a Big Ten team is special.

I think BIG 10 aside, NDSU's win over Central Michigan was far more impressive than beating the most pathetic Gopher team ever put on the field and the Big 10 is way overrated anyway.

[Herd]

While I disagree that the Big 10 as a whole is overrated (on the contrary, I think it's underrated)... I agree that the Gophers stunk big-time last year. SCSU probably could have defeated them. I still can't believe how badly the Gophers regressed in a span of just a couple of years. Amazing. Too bad the Bison couldn't have played them when Maroney was still there, that would have been an epic beatdown.

Man, that post is sour grapes if I've ever seen them. MN has 1 win in 2007, but 7 of 12 games were decided by 7 points or less and 3 games in OT. They played within 7 of Wisconsin and 5 of Iowa. If your school ever beats a Big 10 team, which I doubt will happen, It will be a big deal, and I will give them credit. When MN wins 7 games this year and goes to bowl with mostly the same players as NDSU beat last year, what excuse will you have then?

[gjw007]

I think BIG 10 aside, NDSU's win over Central Michigan was far more impressive than beating the most pathetic Gopher team ever put on the field and the Big 10 is way overrated anyway.

Maybe but given that Minnesota was a really bad team last year but the question is who is it that the fans and the team are going to get more satisfaction from; beating Central Michigan or Minnesota? I think there's always a better chance to beat Central Michigan on any given year than Minnesota. How many times has NDSU played Minnesota and beat them?

[tjbison]

You're delusional if you actually believe that has a snowball's chance in hell of happening. The Gophers are my favorite D1 team, but even as a fan I'm objective enough to realize they just aren't good right now.

Shouldn't UND be your favorite DI team???

[GeauxSioux]

Shouldn't UND be your favorite DI team???

Now don't start that again.

[Herd]

Sigh.... here we go again. UND is my favorite I-AA team. To intentionally omit the AA in I-AA displays what I perceive to be an inferiority complex, and I don't feel inferior about the 2nd highest classification of NCAA football. I didn't feel inferior about the 3rd highest, so I'm certainly not going to feel inferior about the 2nd highest.

Dave, if I had an inferiority complex, I wouldn't want anything to do with playing FBS teams. I'd stay away from them, I'd be afraid of them, I wouldn't want anything to do with them. In fact, I'd sound an awful lot like you who doesn't want FCS team to even get a shot at playing FBS. I'd stay in DII as long as I could to be a big fish in a little pond.

I do not have an feriority complex. I look forward to playing Wyoming, and I expect to complete and win. I expect my team to be at the FBS level in the next 10 years and complete at the highest level. That's what being in DI is all about. I expect my basketball team to win 23 games and goto the dance in 2008 and get a 13 seed and win in the first round. Do I sound like someone who has an inferiority complex.

All you want to do is tear down the FCS football and be-little DI. You my friend feel inferior. Thankfully the adminstration at UND does not share your DI inferiority complex. They are not afraid.

[gabe01]

While I disagree that the Big 10 as a whole is overrated (on the contrary, I think it's underrated)... I agree that the Gophers stunk big-time last year. SCSU probably could have defeated them. I still can't believe how badly the Gophers regressed in a span of just a couple of years. Amazing. Too bad the Bison couldn't have played them when Maroney was still there, that would have been an epic beatdown.

Now if you really think SCSU could have beaten Minnesota your being a complete jack ass. We all know the Gophers sucked and we expected to win the game. It's funny though because in 2006, we more than competed with the Mason coached team that had the same players (on the maroney team) who went to 4 consecutive bowl games. Ironically, they lost to Texas Tech 44-41 in a bowl game that cost Mason his job.

[gjw007]

Now don't start that again.

Agreed. If people wish to think that D1A football is the same as D1AA football which have different scholarship levels and objectives (Bowl games versus championship games) then nobody is going to change their mind so isn't it time to move on (some people appear to be hung up on the D1 that is in front of the A or AA and forget the A's). I can appreciate the desire to have the team compete at its highest ability.

[Herd]

A highly ranked I-AA is still a big fish in a little pond. You don't get out of the little pond until you are competing for a bowl berth.

If all your sports are DI, I'd say that the little pond is gone. Some DI FCS football teams try to stay in the shallow end, but the pond is big when you jump in against the FBS teams on a regular basis.

[BigGame]

You're delusional if you actually believe that has a snowball's chance in hell of happening. The Gophers are my favorite D1 team, but even as a fan I'm objective enough to realize they just aren't good right now.

The may suck, but they would have put a hurting on SCSU last year if they played

[4mcrue]

I bet you think that GVSU would destroy App or even the Griz, don't you?

[4mcrue]

I know MT football, and how serious they are about it. I wonder what their super fans would think of some punk UND fans talking smack of how FCS, DIAA, whatever, isn't all that bigger than D2, and how a D2 would hang with them. Our win set aside, a win on a missed FG. When UND fans blow off IAA means they are blowing off programs that have been around for years, even though they are not FBS schools. I mean, it's just crazy. I'm not saying, nor have I ever said it's thee level to play college football at. How would Dave K feel if Mary fans said D2 is just a glorified NAIA?? They hung with Auggie and St Cloud very easily last year. I bet UND fans would be pissed.

And actually we will find out next week, when Chadron ST comes to Bis, again. A ranked team that would have played UND very tough last year. Guess we will see how NAIA does against D2.

[Stromer]

I know MT football, and how serious they are about it. I wonder what their super fans would think of some punk UND fans talking smack of how FCS, DIAA, whatever, isn't all that bigger than D2, and how a D2 would hang with them. Our win set aside, a win on a missed FG. When UND fans blow off IAA means they are blowing off programs that have been around for years, even though they are not FBS schools. I mean, it's just crazy. I'm not saying, nor have I ever said it's thee level to play college football at. How would Dave K feel if Mary fans said D2 is just a glorified NAIA?? They hung with Auggie and St Cloud very easily last year. I bet UND fans would be pissed.

And actually we will find out next week, when Chadron ST comes to Bis, again. A ranked team that would have played UND very tough last year. Guess we will see how NAIA does against D2.

Chadron St. had 1 amazing player who provided all of their offense. I have no doubt that they would have played UND very tough last and there was a very good chance of them beating us. However, that was last year. Without Woodhead, they won't be anything special this year. I would expect Mary to play them tough because Mary is a decent team for a team that is a couple years into D2.

[dakotadan]

I know MT football, and how serious they are about it. I wonder what their super fans would think of some punk UND fans talking smack of how FCS, DIAA, whatever, isn't all that bigger than D2, and how a D2 would hang with them. Our win set aside, a win on a missed FG. When UND fans blow off IAA means they are blowing off programs that have been around for years, even though they are not FBS schools. I mean, it's just crazy. I'm not saying, nor have I ever said it's thee level to play college football at. How would Dave K feel if Mary fans said D2 is just a glorified NAIA?? They hung with Auggie and St Cloud very easily last year. I bet UND fans would be pissed.

And actually we will find out next week, when Chadron ST comes to Bis, again. A ranked team that would have played UND very tough last year. Guess we will see how NAIA does against D2.

Umm, you do realize that UMary and Chadron are both DII teams don't you?

[4mcrue]

Um, yes, and I realize you were D2 last year too. My point was that the UND coaches and players are recognizing the D1 thing, but fans are down playing it. Why would you guys schedule a DIII when you could have scheduled a D2 that was instate this year?