So is Fargo now officially a Hockey Town?

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Has anyone discussed Title IX compliance?

Unless a school has "room to give" under Title IX, starting a men's sport usually means one of two things has to happen: A) an equal number of scholarships for a new women's sport must be given out, or B) a men's sport must be dropped.

Most schools have found dropping a male sport is the easier way to go.

[Big A HG]

You assume that the WCHA would automatically add the Bison because of a multipurpose FD. The truth is, NDSU would probably be one of the last teams the WCHA would want to water down the league. Give me UAH please!

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

You assume that the WCHA would automatically add the Bison because of a multipurpose FD. The truth is, NDSU would probably be one of the last teams the WCHA would want to water down the league. Give me UAH please!

Good grief. The WCHA would add NDSU and Bemidji in a heart beat.

[Oxbow6]

1st time in the UPC last night. Nicer facility than I thought it was going to be. USHL hockey...entertaining if nothing else. Lots of fights and real chippy. Forney plays for Green Bay. Same kind of player: still a good skater/skill and still soft. Didn't get in the corners and did hit anyone. 9 UND players in front of us. Talked to Trupp a little. Just came down to watch the game. He said they had a "tough" week of practice this past week.

[MplsBison]

You assume that the WCHA would automatically add the Bison because of a multipurpose FD. The truth is, NDSU would probably be one of the last teams the WCHA would want to water down the league. Give me UAH please!

But yet they feel compelled to add Bemidji as the WCHA just doesn't have the representation of the MnSU university system?

Don't bullsh*t us.

[Herd]

Until the end of March, Fargo is a Basketball town . . . end of discussion! People will be hanging from the rafters for the final 3 homes games in this era of Bison basketball.

Make it to the dance and Fargo will be a basketball town for the next 5 years. Build the new arena and Fargo will be a basketball town forever. Go Bison!

[MplsBison]

Why would you be talking about something that will never happen?

Every modern NBA arena supports a hockey configuration, and most of them have hockey teams (NHL or lower) playing in them.

Not to mention that the Fargodome is going to do whatever maximizes revenue for them, not whatever pleases NDSU to most.

There is little doubt in my mind that the arena addition will be able to support ice hockey events. The only question is whether a team will use it as a home arena, maybe juniors level? Or perhaps NDSU men's ice hockey.

[Herd]

Every modern NBA arena supports a hockey configuration, and most of them have hockey teams (NHL or lower) playing in them.

Not to mention that the Fargodome is going to do whatever maximizes revenue for them, not whatever pleases NDSU to most.

There is little doubt in my mind that the arena addition will be able to support ice hockey events. The only question is whether a team will use it as a home arena, maybe juniors level? Or perhaps NDSU men's ice hockey.

His lips are moving, but he not saying anything. Blah, Blah, Blah. Putting ice in a basketball addition is so far away from a priority that it's not worth even discussing. Blah, Blah, Blah.

It's a basketball town!

[MplsBison]

His lips are moving, but he not saying anything. Blah, Blah, Blah. Putting ice in a basketball addition is so far away from a priority that it's not worth even discussing. Blah, Blah, Blah.

It's a basketball town!

There may not ever be a team that calls the arena home.

But to not make the arena ice hockey capable at all? In this part of the country?! That's downright foolish.

[star2city]

Every modern NBA arena supports a hockey configuration, and most of them have hockey teams (NHL or lower) playing in them.

Not to mention that the Fargodome is going to do whatever maximizes revenue for them, not whatever pleases NDSU to most.

There is little doubt in my mind that the arena addition will be able to support ice hockey events. The only question is whether a team will use it as a home arena, maybe juniors level? Or perhaps NDSU men's ice hockey.

Considering that NDSU athletics doesn't have the finances to match Fargo's sales tax dollars on the FargoDome arena addition project (never mind adding millions to make the new arena ice-ready), imagine the uproar among hockey-haters if NDSU administrators now further deferred basketball improvements to pay the $1,000,000+ in hockey startup costs. And how Fargo / FargoDome officials, who they did everything within the law (and more?) to get them a basketball venue, would view an NDSU hockey program playing at the Urban Plains Center .

At this time, an NDSU hockey venture would be a local political disaster. Ironic that the window has never ever been more open to them on the WCHA side.

The status quo reigns - no hockey, comfortable seats, or watchable conditions while Fargo emergency rooms continue to encounter high numbers of heat stressed, bleacher-butt syndrome patients.

[Big A HG]

The argument of comparing NDSU to BSU is silly and shows how uninformed some people are.

1) BSU has a great hockey history and already has a team up and running and a yearly series against half of the WCHA. BSU hasn't proved much at the D1 level, other than being a decent test of hockey on occassion. If added to the WCHA, along with a new arena, they can compete on a decent level hopefully. However, the WCHA isn't considering this because of some love affair with BSU. See point #3.

2) NDSU has never played one game of Division 1 NCAA hockey....ever. The WCHA is an elite hockey conference. To think that a team that has never had one player step on the ice would be a for sure addition to the WCHA is beyond ridiculous.

3) This is the big one...WCHA doesn't want to add BSU necessarily, but NEEDS to add BSU. If college hockey loses any more teams, the NCAA may be forced to trim down the NCAA Tournament to less than the current 16 teams. Keeping BSU alive, along with as many other NCAA programs as possible, is of top priority. The WCHA is merely doing their part by willing to consider adding BSU....something that you assume has already happened...even though it has not.

To think the WCHA would add NDSU in a second is flat out dumb. Some people here are factually challenged apparently. If anything, NDSU would give hope to keep a 6th conference going with some conference realignment...but even that's a stretch. There's no room for NDSU anywhere anyways. Schools already in D1 NCAA hockey should be considered for any conference opening first. WCHA is at 10, and can go to 12, but BSU and UAH are still in need of a home. UAH is a stretch for the WCHA, so if they can get into the CCHA, it'd fit great. But then the CCHA is at 13, and would probably need to trim down to 12. This is where a team like UNO or NMU come into play as potential WCHA 12th team candidates. The CCHA doesn't want UAH over either of those teams, but they are doing their part, just like we'll be doing ours by likely adding BSU. A new conference would need to be formed, and no one would want to be in this crappy lower tier conference because the location of all potential schools is so far spread it'd be way too costly, along with big money-generating schools of bigger conferences are preferred at these smaller schools.

Please stop kidding yoursleves.

[Bison Dan]

Considering that NDSU athletics doesn't have the finances to match Fargo's sales tax dollars on the FargoDome arena addition project (never mind adding millions to make the new arena ice-ready), imagine the uproar among hockey-haters if NDSU administrators now further deferred basketball improvements to pay the $1,000,000+ in hockey startup costs. And how Fargo / FargoDome officials, who they did everything within the law (and more?) to get them a basketball venue, would view an NDSU hockey program playing at the Urban Plains Center .

At this time, an NDSU hockey venture would be a local political disaster. Ironic that the window has never ever been more open to them on the WCHA side.

The status quo reigns - no hockey, comfortable seats, or watchable conditions while Fargo emergency rooms continue to encounter high numbers of heat stressed, bleacher-butt syndrome patients.

Man you sure like to propose preposterous scenarios. If I was you I'd worry (create scenairos) more about how the REA will look when they replace all the logo's and how the REA foundation will view the new nickname and not whether NDSU will add hockey. (which will never happen)

[MplsBison]

The argument of comparing NDSU to BSU is silly and shows how uninformed some people are.

1) BSU has a great hockey history and already has a team up and running and a yearly series against half of the WCHA. BSU hasn't proved much at the D1 level, other than being a decent test of hockey on occassion. If added to the WCHA, along with a new arena, they can compete on a decent level hopefully. However, the WCHA isn't considering this because of some love affair with BSU. See point #3.

2) NDSU has never played one game of Division 1 NCAA hockey....ever. The WCHA is an elite hockey conference. To think that a team that has never had one player step on the ice would be a for sure addition to the WCHA is beyond ridiculous.

3) This is the big one...WCHA doesn't want to add BSU necessarily, but NEEDS to add BSU. If college hockey loses any more teams, the NCAA may be forced to trim down the NCAA Tournament to less than the current 16 teams. Keeping BSU alive, along with as many other NCAA programs as possible, is of top priority. The WCHA is merely doing their part by willing to consider adding BSU....something that you assume has already happened...even though it has not.

To think the WCHA would add NDSU in a second is flat out dumb. Some people here are factually challenged apparently. If anything, NDSU would give hope to keep a 6th conference going with some conference realignment...but even that's a stretch. There's no room for NDSU anywhere anyways. Schools already in D1 NCAA hockey should be considered for any conference opening first. WCHA is at 10, and can go to 12, but BSU and UAH are still in need of a home. UAH is a stretch for the WCHA, so if they can get into the CCHA, it'd fit great. But then the CCHA is at 13, and would probably need to trim down to 12. This is where a team like UNO or NMU come into play as potential WCHA 12th team candidates. The CCHA doesn't want UAH over either of those teams, but they are doing their part, just like we'll be doing ours by likely adding BSU. A new conference would need to be formed, and no one would want to be in this crappy lower tier conference because the location of all potential schools is so far spread it'd be way too costly, along with big money-generating schools of bigger conferences are preferred at these smaller schools.

Please stop kidding yoursleves.

Again I point out that South Florida had no problem joining a BCS conference without a rich "history".

That argument is nothing more than you desperately trying to pull something from your a$$ that would make it look like NDSU is on the outside looking in.

Dream on.

[MplsBison]

Considering that NDSU athletics doesn't have the finances to match Fargo's sales tax dollars on the FargoDome arena addition project (never mind adding millions to make the new arena ice-ready), imagine the uproar among hockey-haters if NDSU administrators now further deferred basketball improvements to pay the $1,000,000+ in hockey startup costs. And how Fargo / FargoDome officials, who they did everything within the law (and more?) to get them a basketball venue, would view an NDSU hockey program playing at the Urban Plains Center .

At this time, an NDSU hockey venture would be a local political disaster. Ironic that the window has never ever been more open to them on the WCHA side.

The status quo reigns - no hockey, comfortable seats, or watchable conditions while Fargo emergency rooms continue to encounter high numbers of heat stressed, bleacher-butt syndrome patients.

My line of thinking is more like this: the Fargodome is going to build an arena addition for smaller events anyway. Why wouldn't they take the time and money now to make it capable of holding hockey events? Say they try to under bid the REA(or wherever it is) for the state hockey tournament 1 year out of 4, or something like that?

Then, in a few years when NDSU basketbal is firmly rooted, NDSU can take a look at that time to see if WCHA hockey would be within the realm of possibility.

[Bison Dan]

My line of thinking is more like this: the Fargodome is going to build an arena addition for smaller events anyway. Why wouldn't they take the time and money now to make it capable of holding hockey events? Say they try to under bid the REA(or wherever it is) for the state hockey tournament 1 year out of 4, or something like that?

Then, in a few years when NDSU basketbal is firmly rooted, NDSU can take a look at that time to see if WCHA hockey would be within the realm of possibility.

Neither the Dome or NDSU has the EXTRA cash it would take for hockey..... It's not going to happen..

[MplsBison]

Neither the Dome or NDSU has the EXTRA cash it would take for hockey..... It's not going to happen..

Don't sound so confident.

We'll just see about that.

[GeauxSioux]

My line of thinking is more like this: the Fargodome is going to build an arena addition for smaller events anyway. Why wouldn't they take the time and money now to make it capable of holding hockey events? Say they try to under bid the REA(or wherever it is) for the state hockey tournament 1 year out of 4, or something like that?

Then, in a few years when NDSU basketbal is firmly rooted, NDSU can take a look at that time to see if WCHA hockey would be within the realm of possibility.

From what I've read the money isn't there right now for the addition without hockey, so trying to fit hockey into the plan doesn't seem logical. The Urban Plains facility could bid for the hockey tournament and probably will at some point.

Your argument about South Florida football isn't exactly the same as NDSU for hockey. USF started playing football in 1997 as a I-AA program, moved to I-A in 2001 and joined CUSA in 2003 and then to the Big East, a BCS conference in 2005.

Are you advocating that NDSU play Division III hockey for a couple of years, become a Division I independent and then get some breaks and move into the WCHA in 8-10 years?

[LB#11]

The Force had a great weekend, winning all 3 games against 2 of the best teams(Green Bay & Lincoln) in the USHL. I think Fargo will be just fine with the Force team. The NDSU brass(Team Makers) has never wanted hockey in Fargo, as long as Chapman & Taylor are here it won't happen...I hope they stay a long time. Fargo will never be a hockey town like Grand Forks, but has made great strides with the Force coming to town.

[Bison Dan]

The Force had a great weekend, winning all 3 games against 2 of the best teams(Green Bay & Lincoln) in the USHL. I think Fargo will be just fine with the Force team. The NDSU brass(Team Makers) has never wanted hockey in Fargo, as long as Chapman & Taylor are here it won't happen...I hope they stay a long time. Fargo will never be a hockey town like Grand Forks, but has made great strides with the Force coming to town.

I agree I hope they stay a long time and so does everyone else. You & everyone else seem to forget about Title 9 for adding sports.

[LB#11]

I agree I hope they stay a long time and so does everyone else. You & everyone else seem to forget about Title 9 for adding sports.

I agree with you on the Title 9 situation, it makes for a lot harder decision. NDSU should have went with hockey years ago, UND should have went with the Bison when they went D1. I have personally met Gene Taylor a couple times, seems like a a very good guy and has done a great job as AD. We obviously don't see eye to eye on the Sioux-Bison thing, but there's a lot of people who could say that.

[PartTime]

From what I've read the money isn't there right now for the addition without hockey, so trying to fit hockey into the plan doesn't seem logical. The Urban Plains facility could bid for the hockey tournament and probably will at some point.

Your argument about South Florida football isn't exactly the same as NDSU for hockey. USF started playing football in 1997 as a I-AA program, moved to I-A in 2001 and joined CUSA in 2003 and then to the Big East, a BCS conference in 2005.

Are you advocating that NDSU play Division III hockey for a couple of years, become a Division I independent and then get some breaks and move into the WCHA in 8-10 years?

The East Regional yes, but the state tournament? I'm not saying that they wouldn't bid for it, but if that happened and they were ever awarded it, people would be turned away. The Urban Plains Center holds 5,000 people, state tournament draws between 6,000 - 9,000+ depending on who is playing, not sure the state would want to be turning people away. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Big A HG]

Again I point out that South Florida had no problem joining a BCS conference without a rich "history".

That argument is nothing more than you desperately trying to pull something from your a$$ that would make it look like NDSU is on the outside looking in.

Dream on.

You continue to use this USF argument over and over, but continue failing to address all the other problems there are that need to be solved. Don't worry, USF joining the Big East solves all!

What's your paypal address, I should really start paying you for this comedy you keep spitting out.

[Big A HG]

Ya know what...let's make these USF/NDSU comparisons....

USF plays all their home games in an NFL stadium. This is a great recruiting tool for not only players, but for trying to get into a big time conference. NDSU plays in nothing as of right now. The UPC is no where near being even comparable to something like that. Even if NDSU had something like what UNO had it would help. The UPC could work out for the short term, and you have these big dreams about the FD hosting hockey (and still fail to address serious issues brought up with that).

OK, let's say the FD gets the go ahead to add hockey capabilities. Since you're in love with USF and comparing them to NDSU....don't you think NDSU should have to pay their dues in a lower ranking division or as an independent...or maybe just not being able to play in the NCAA tourney for something like 3-4 years once off the ground? This would be an awesome way to kill NDSU hockey before it even started. This isn't my idea on what should happen, I'm just trying to speculate and play devil's advocate since you want to compare NDSU to USF so much.

USF isn't the rule...it's the exception. They did everything the right away and are privilaged to play a sport that is about ten times more popular than hockey, easier to grow a fan base, and have the opportunity to play their home games in an NFL stadium....which happens to be the biggest stadium that anyone in the Big East plays in. They paid their dues as a D1-AA independent, then as a D1-A independent, and proved they could play Big East football before the Big East gave them a chance. They didn't just plan all this assuming the Big East was going to add them. If the Big East didn't lose teams like Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech, USF would not have this opportunity.

If a Big Ten conference ever formed, I think this would provide the best opportunity for a school like NDSU to join college hockey and gain approval from the WCHA. But with no room or poor location to all five college hockey conferences added to the fact they don't have good place to play/practice and have never played one game of D1 hockey just doesn't seem reasonable to assume the WCHA is all for adding NDSU.

It seems as if you are trying to assume I'm unducated about what you are trying to sell me, but it's not going to work. You are just making yourself look dumber each and every post. This is not a bash, just the truth. "Thou shall not lie."

[Ray77]

The East Regional yes, but the state tournament? I'm not saying that they wouldn't bid for it, but if that happened and they were ever awarded it, people would be turned away. The Urban Plains Center holds 5,000 people, state tournament draws between 6,000 - 9,000+ depending on who is playing, not sure the state would want to be turning people away. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I'm not saying this is set in stone, but I have good sources (both from GF and Fargo) that believe that the state tournament will eventually rotate between the REA and UP Center. I'm not sure how many more years the REA has the contract for this, so it still will be a few years off...and I'm sure things could change in that time. Also, not sure if it would be an every other year thing or not. Just reporting what I've been able to find on this subject.

[mksioux]

From all accounts, NDSU lost interest in DI hockey once they made the decision to go DI in all sports. I've seen nothing from anyone to indicate there is even an inkling of interest from NDSU in adding DI hockey. Title IX would make it almost impossible anyway.

Having said that, the fact that they've not had DI hockey would not exclude them from consideration. I doubt it would get instant acceptance on Year 1, but it could get some sort of delayed entrance. The league would likely look at geography, facilities, the community, the institutional support, etc. NDSU, if they truly wanted DI hockey, would be as good or better in those areas than anyone else we've talked about applying. One consideration that is not often openly discussed is the "name brand" the school brings to the table. Do you think if, for example, a Big 12 team like Iowa State decided to add DI hockey, that the WCHA wouldn't be interested just because it had never played DI hockey before? Of course not. If a school like Iowa State added Division I hockey right now and applied to the WCHA, they'd pretty much be a shoe-in for the 12th team. I'm not saying NDSU has the same "name brand" as a Big 12 school, but it's better than anyone else that we've been talking about as possible WCHA applicants. The bottom line is that if NDSU was willing to make a commitment to DI hockey and applied to the WCHA right now, they'd get serious consideration.

And Mpls...why the hang-up on the Fargodome Arena being the home? The UP Center would be just fine. Off the top of my head, there are three WCHA teams that play off-campus and do just fine (UMD, Mankato, and Colorado College...I think UAA plays off campus as well).

But like I said, there's no chance NDSU will apply, so it's a moot point. Still fun to talk about though....