So is Fargo now officially a Hockey Town?

[choyt3]

Fact is you don't know which Summit teams will be good next year and you don't know the quality of NDSU's red shirting class. Coach Saul was in on recruiting all the senior kids. Who do you think was in on the Wis. kids? Sure it hurts to lose 4 great starters but we'll reload and give it a run.

Good point, Dan. You just replace two of the top scorers in school history with freshmen and hope that none of the other teams in the league improve at all. It's a simple formula for success.

[Bison Dan]

Good point, Dan. You just replace two of the top scorers in school history with freshmen and hope that none of the other teams in the league improve at all. It's a simple formula for success.

Never said that we could replace them just we won't be as bad as most of you are hoping for.

[Oxbow6]

Never said that we could replace them just we won't be as bad as most of you are hoping for.

$100 down and I'll take the under. They won't be a top 4 Summit team next year. Frankly I think they'll struggle to be .500 in the league.

[Oxbow6]

Good point, Dan. You just replace two of the top scorers in school history with freshmen and hope that none of the other teams in the league improve at all. It's a simple formula for success.

[Bison Dan]

Lets put it this way they're be light years ahead of anything you'll put on the floor....

[roper1313]

From what I understand the UP center will be hosting EDC next year, or 2011? I can't remember the year, but I know it is soon.

[NDSUguy]

Good point, Dan. You just replace two of the top scorers in school history with freshmen and hope that none of the other teams in the league improve at all. It's a simple formula for success.

Yes, NDSU will be loosing its top two scorers but that does not mean that those following in their footsteps are really any worse. Right now we have 5 guys who have been very dependable and have limited the minutes of the other guys. That doesn't mean that those other players will not improve or step up to the challenge next year.

Also, this talk about NDSU struggling to be a .500 team next year is silly. That is a very uneducated statement. Of the top 10 scorers in the Summit this season EIGHT are seniors and the other two are juniors.... Of the 11-20 scorers 3 more are SENIORS.

While NDSU might have to replace a few of its top scorers, it's not as if any of the other teams are in any better shape.

[FargoBison]

When the 4 Seniors graduate after this year...ouch! If you honestly think SU will be in the mix for a Summit title next year, you really are knee deep in the Kool-Aid. These are Miles kids, don't forget that. The recruits the past couple years are not what Miles brought in. Era beginning? New arena? Will really take off? This SU team is arguably the best college BB team in ND...ever and they can't even pack that dump of a BSA. DaveK and I don't agree on ANYTHING but I live in Fargo and this is not and will not be a BB town. FB is and always will be king. But with that said it would be something for SU to make the "Dance" this year. Even a regular seaon title assures them an invite to the NIT which isn't bad either.

Saul's recruits...

2008

Flowers(JUCO), Nagel(redshirting this year)

2009(all in high school)

Aaberg, Felt, Zastrow

Only one non-Miles recruit has played. I do agree Fargo is a football town and NDSU will not be a top team in the Summit next year, but after ORU and Oakland the league is wide open. NDSU could easily be 3rd or 4th.

[The Sicatoka]

3 wins away from a Basketball Town!!!

That'd be a really bad time to "stub your toe". No pressure, eh?

A friend who used to have a fairly high-level role in TeamMakers once told me: Fargo is a front-runner's town*.

I believe that and I believe it's a "we go to new and novel" town**.

* Look at Bison WBB attendance now v. the glory days. Look at seasons when the RedHawks are closer to 0.500 than not.

** UP Center is busy. The newest restaurant is always busiest.

[Big A HG]

Lets put it this way they're be light years ahead of anything you'll put on the floor....

You must have been in the same spelling/grammar class as MplsBison at NDSU...

[BudLight]

My 2 cents: Fargo people love hockey. There are a lot of youth programs and families love it. However, because there is no college or pro team, they don't really have any kind of exciting hockey team to watch unless they go to the Sioux games. The Force are new, so I'm assuming the next couple years will just be the excitement/wanting to see the arena. But I guess we will see.

[MplsBison]

My 2 cents: Fargo people love hockey. There are a lot of youth programs and families love it. However, because there is no college or pro team, they don't really have any kind of exciting hockey team to watch unless they go to the Sioux games. The Force are new, so I'm assuming the next couple years will just be the excitement/wanting to see the arena. But I guess we will see.

I think NDSU would get plenty of support for a men's WCHA team. Not everyone wants to drive an hour each way up to Grand Forks, esp. with unpredictable winter weather.

[Big A HG]

I think NDSU would get plenty of support for a men's WCHA team. Not everyone wants to drive an hour each way up to Grand Forks, esp. with unpredictable winter weather.

Sioux fans aren't going to convert to Bison fans just because they can save an hours worth of driving each way. There are hockey fans that don't cheer for a particular team, but not enough to fill an arena. Yes, there would be Bison hockey fans. Yes, there are people that would check out the Bison play hockey. But, the people in the area aren't accepting enough of the idea to give enough reason to form a hockey team. It'll take too much money and there's too much risk.

If there was a big movement from fans and locals alike saying they want a hockey team in the worst way, NDSU would have had one a long time ago. But most Fargo residents are too cool to give notion to the idea of having a hockey team at NDSU.

[MplsBison]

Sioux fans aren't going to convert to Bison fans just because they can save an hours worth of driving each way. There are hockey fans that don't cheer for a particular team, but not enough to fill an arena. Yes, there would be Bison hockey fans. Yes, there are people that would check out the Bison play hockey. But, the people in the area aren't accepting enough of the idea to give enough reason to form a hockey team. It'll take too much money and there's too much risk.

If there was a big movement from fans and locals alike saying they want a hockey team in the worst way, NDSU would have had one a long time ago. But most Fargo residents are too cool to give notion to the idea of having a hockey team at NDSU.

As in other cases, this would be a case of supply creating demand. The people of Fargo just don't realize what they would be missing out on.

I'm also having a hard time understanding why you are so emotionally invested in preventing even a discussion of NDSU getting a hockey team. Please help me to understand why such an idea makes you so insecure?

[sultan]

Frankly, we have a gold mine right here in Grand Forks with Sioux Hockey. It is the the #1 followed sports team in the state of North Dakota. No other sports team in the state comes close to the number of people who attend Sioux Hockey games. It is the number 1 sports team in the state and we don't need any other college hockey team in the state. Let's leave every thing as it is. We love seeing all the cars coming from Fargo to see the Sioux play hockey in Grand Forks.

[Big A HG]

As in other cases, this would be a case of supply creating demand. The people of Fargo just don't realize what they would be missing out on.

I'm also having a hard time understanding why you are so emotionally invested in preventing even a discussion of NDSU getting a hockey team. Please help me to understand why such an idea makes you so insecure?

That's not a gamble worth taking financially for a University. What happens if they don't get the attendance they need? They're screwed.

I'm having a hard time understanding why you are so emotionally invested in NDSU acquiring a hockey team. I don't want NDSU to get a hockey team because it just doesn't work in college hockey right now. There's no room for them in a conference right now with the dismantling of the CHA. This is where you have to go back...again...and re-read...again...everything I already stated against NDSU having a team. It's not because of a hatred towards NDSU....it's because of everything else that there's no reason for them to join.

[MplsBison]

Frankly, we have a gold mine right here in Grand Forks with Sioux Hockey. It is the the #1 followed sports team in the state of North Dakota. No other sports team in the state comes close to the number of people who attend Sioux Hockey games. It is the number 1 sports team in the state and we don't need any other college hockey team in the state. Let's leave every thing as it is. We love seeing all the cars coming from Fargo to see the Sioux play hockey in Grand Forks.

NDSU was the only DI football team in the state but UND moved up to DI.

So I think getting WCHA hockey at NDSU would even things up.

[MplsBison]

That's not a gamble worth taking financially for a University. What happens if they don't get the attendance they need? They're screwed.

I'm having a hard time understanding why you are so emotionally invested in NDSU acquiring a hockey team. I don't want NDSU to get a hockey team because it just doesn't work in college hockey right now. There's no room for them in a conference right now with the dismantling of the CHA. This is where you have to go back...again...and re-read...again...everything I already stated against NDSU having a team. It's not because of a hatred towards NDSU....it's because of everything else that there's no reason for them to join.

They wouldn't implement a team just because I think it's a good idea. There would be a feasability study, at a minimum.

So you're against adding new hockey programs in the NCAA right now? Why? I thought you wanted the sport to grow?

Seems to me that if there's room in the WCHA for Bemidji, there's room for NDSU. Don't bring up the "no history" non-argument, I already slam dunked that one.

[LeftyZL]

They wouldn't implement a team just because I think it's a good idea. There would be a feasability study, at a minimum.

So you're against adding new hockey programs in the NCAA right now? Why? I thought you wanted the sport to grow?

Seems to me that if there's room in the WCHA for Bemidji, there's room for NDSU. Don't bring up the "no history" non-argument, I already slam dunked that one.

The argument about their being room in the league for Bemidji so there's room for NDSU is just dumb. For one, it's not that simple. Two, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. If you haven't figured that out yet from your banter with Big A HG, I can't help you.

Is NDSU going to have a team ready to go by September of this year? Because that's about what they would have to do to have a chance at the WCHA.

And no one is against growing the sport. It's all about space. We have 59 teams, 5 conferences. 34 regular season games unless you travel to Alaska, then you get 2 more. If a conference has 12 teams, you play 28-30 conference games, which leaves you less wiggle room for out of conference games. Talk to the NCAA about allowing more games before anymore conference expansions occur.

And then you have Title IX to deal with. I'm no expert, but what is NDSU going on the women's side to stay compliant with it?

[DamStrait]

And then you have Title IX to deal with. I'm no expert, but what is NDSU going on the women's side to stay compliant with it?

Expand the women's equestrian program.

[MplsBison]

The argument about their being room in the league for Bemidji so there's room for NDSU is just dumb. For one, it's not that simple. Two, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. If you haven't figured that out yet from your banter with Big A HG, I can't help you.

Is NDSU going to have a team ready to go by September of this year? Because that's about what they would have to do to have a chance at the WCHA.

And no one is against growing the sport. It's all about space. We have 59 teams, 5 conferences. 34 regular season games unless you travel to Alaska, then you get 2 more. If a conference has 12 teams, you play 28-30 conference games, which leaves you less wiggle room for out of conference games. Talk to the NCAA about allowing more games before anymore conference expansions occur.

And then you have Title IX to deal with. I'm no expert, but what is NDSU going on the women's side to stay compliant with it?

I don't know if you realized this, but there are over 300 DI basketball teams in 31 auto-bid conferences.

You can't play everyone every season.

So why are you trying to use that as an excuse to hold back new membership?

[mksioux]

The argument about their being room in the league for Bemidji so there's room for NDSU is just dumb. For one, it's not that simple. Two, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. If you haven't figured that out yet from your banter with Big A HG, I can't help you.

Is NDSU going to have a team ready to go by September of this year? Because that's about what they would have to do to have a chance at the WCHA.

And no one is against growing the sport. It's all about space. We have 59 teams, 5 conferences. 34 regular season games unless you travel to Alaska, then you get 2 more. If a conference has 12 teams, you play 28-30 conference games, which leaves you less wiggle room for out of conference games. Talk to the NCAA about allowing more games before anymore conference expansions occur.

And then you have Title IX to deal with. I'm no expert, but what is NDSU going on the women's side to stay compliant with it?

Your point against expansion is valid. But once you let Bemidji State in the door, you pretty much have to add a 12th team as well. NDSU, if fully committed to DI hockey, would be as good or better than any other possible school that might apply for that 12th spot. NDSU would certainly need to make the commitment now, but it probably wouldn't need to actually field a team until the 10-11 season. BSU probably won't be in the WCHA until the 12-13 season. If NDSU started a team in 10-11, it could play a couple independent seasons and then join the WCHA with Bemidji. But it's all a moot point because NDSU isn't going to add hockey.

[LeftyZL]

I don't know if you realized this, but there are over 300 DI basketball teams in 31 auto-bid conferences.

You can't play everyone every season.

So why are you trying to use that as an excuse to hold back new membership?

No you can't play everyone every season. That's not what I said. But the more teams that you add to each conference, the more the conference gets diluted.

If NDSU was really serious about adding hockey, they would/should have done it a long time ago. Or at least 5 years ago when the CHA wasn't completely falling apart.

[MplsBison]

No you can't play everyone every season. That's not what I said. But the more teams that you add to each conference, the more the conference gets diluted.

If NDSU was really serious about adding hockey, they would/should have done it a long time ago. Or at least 5 years ago when the CHA wasn't completely falling apart.

If they would've added hockey capability to the Fargodome, we probably wouldn't be talking about this. But sans that, NDSU really didn't have anywhere to play.

There is the UP arena now, but ideally when the new Fargodome arena gets built it will have hockey capability. On campus is the way to go.

[petey23]

If they would've added hockey capability to the Fargodome, we probably wouldn't be talking about this. But sans that, NDSU really didn't have anywhere to play.

There is the UP arena now, but ideally when the new Fargodome arena gets built it will have hockey capability. On campus is the way to go.

Funny you bring that up? When I voted in favor of the Fargodome part of the pitch was hockey and they even had in the selling points that 40 nights a year were set aside for hockey(high school and NDSU). You mean they lied to us and the Dome isn't capable of having hockey?

I think NDSU having hockey would be fantastic and it should have been done 15 years ago.

As far as where they play, the UP Center would be a pretty good venue when you consider the suites there are tailor made for a hockey arena and of course beer sales at an off campus site.