Big Sky or Summit

[GeauxSioux]

My first attempt at setting up a poll & it didn't go well.

No clue how to save choices.

My vote, would be for UND to join the Big Sky for all sports.

Outside of North Dakota and Minnesota, the biggest centers of UND alums are in Denver, Phoenix and Seattle/Portland area.

I can see a lot of Sioux fans going to games at Northern Colorado, Flagstaff and Portland and to a lesser extent Missoula, from these locations.

Edited May 28, 2010 by GeauxSioux

[bincitysioux]

Put the poll up for ya........

I've stated my thoughts many times in the past. Having the same football conference as the rest of the athletic department would be ideal for opponent continuity. Also, since basketball is king in DI, it would be more beneficial to be in the Big Sky since it is a better better basketball league than the Summit.

Also, like you said, North Dakota's fanbase/alumni lies mostly in the west, except for the Twin Cities. It would be better to recruit both athletes and donors from the western U.S. than from the Great Lakes and Missouri River Valley region.

[GeauxSioux]

Put the poll up for ya........

I've stated my thoughts many times in the past. Having the same football conference as the rest of the athletic department would be ideal for opponent continuity. Also, since basketball is king in DI, it would be more beneficial to be in the Big Sky since it is a better better basketball league than the Summit.

Also, like you said, North Dakota's fanbase/alumni lies mostly in the west, except for the Twin Cities. It would be better to recruit both athletes and donors from the western U.S. than from the Great Lakes and Missouri River Valley region.

Thanks Bin.

[homer]

If it ever works out with the Big Sky I'd take that for the reasons stated by others plus it fits more into our current recruiting areas.

[MplsBison]

No surprise, UND fans are doing the same thing that NDSU fans did back in 2004: getting your hopes up for the Big Sky.

Take it from us: don't waste your time.

Big Sky will never expand west of Montana. It just flat out won't happen! DON'T BOTHER.

(and there is obviously a bunch of childish people on this board who want to "punish" the Summit by having UND not join the conference...selfish and childish )

[The Sicatoka]

Big Sky will never expand west of Montana. It just flat out won't happen! DON'T BOTHER.

Portland State, Sacramento State.

More proof that east is west and west is east in MplsBison's world.

(You know I had to stick you with that one. )

[The Sicatoka]

My answer to this poll:

How do I get UND into a position to have to make this choice (meaning both offers are on the table)?

[Dagger]

If UND ,USD, Davis, and Cal Poly were to join on to the Big Sky it would be great. The football situation would be tremendous. I would much prefer that over the Missouri Valley if that situation were ever to occur.

[Risky]

Irony. I remember when NDSU wanted to get in the Big Sky badly and was rejected. The Big Sky just didn't want to go East. You never know. Times are changing in attitudes in college football. Most anything could happen in conference makeups. It would be ironic if UND got in the Big Sky and NDSU was in the MVC and Summit. I person would almost have to chuckle.

[Bison Dan]

Irony. I remember when NDSU wanted to get in the Big Sky badly and was rejected. The Big Sky just didn't want to go East. You never know. Times are changing in attitudes in college football. Most anything could happen in conference makeups. It would be ironic if UND got in the Big Sky and NDSU was in the MVC and Summit. I person would almost have to chuckle.

Chuckle all you want your travel costs would be huge. With no travel partner I think it's a pipe dream. I wonder what your AD is thinking about the situation. Maybe some reporter should be talking with Faison - it would make for a good read.

[The Sicatoka]

With no travel partner ...

This is one I struggle with.

Not having a travel partner really doesn't help or hurt your travel costs. You'll travel to each conference opponent (assume basketball). Sure, a travel partner road trip is arguably going to be close so that's one cheap travel weekend.

Not having a travel partner really hurts the rest of the conference, namely their travel budgets. Right now IUPUI or UPFW or MIC-KEY-MOU-SE and the rest of the Summit can make one west trip in a weekend and get two games (NDSU/SDSU). Big cost, but two games on the trip.

Big Sky folks won't like the notion of going east to play just UND and no other game on the weekend. That's lose-lose for them: Long expensive travel with only one game. That scenario would work against UND in the eyes of the Big Sky.

This is why conferences like to find travel partner pairs, or a team that will make a logical travel partner to an existing member, when they evaluate potential new members.

[Risky]

Your right. The travel costs are more of a burden for the other schools. Apparently the travel cost issues didn't seem to bother NDSU when they were begging to get into the Big Sky. Of course all of this is just conjecture. It is intersting to see Bison fans already getting worked up.

[star2city]

In a sense, the proper choices for this poll should show all-sport / football conference affiliation.

I highly doubt most Big Sky schools would consider UND for all-sports membership. They would change their rules and offer Utah Valley State full membership (without football) while offering UND football-only membership.

In that sense, the possibilities are:

BB-VB etc / Football

Great West / Great West

Summit / Great West

Summit / Big Sky

Summit / MVFC

Big Sky / Big Sky

But if UND alumni could come up with $50 - $100 million, there might actually be other possibilities:

Summit / WAC

WAC / WAC.

The WAC is quite likely going to be desperate for members come this fall ( Boise State likely gone, La Tech petitioning CUSA). All of the possible replacements have issues: Sac St (fan support, BB facilities are bad, California budgets woes), UCDavis (no FBS facility, Cal budget woes), Cal Poly (no FBS facility, Cal budget woes), Portland State (BB facilities are bad, Oregon budget woes), Montana (President is saying "no", needs two more sports), Texas State (travel, poor fit, but otherwise ready).

I know this is highly unlikely, but if UND could

- expand the Alerus into a horseshoe with 17,000 seats (costing probably $30 mill)

- or a major revamp of Memorial to 20,000 seats ($30 mill?)

- increase scholarship endowment by $20-30 mill

UND could possibly get consideration from the WAC for at least as a football-only member. The Sunbelt conference was able to sustain itself as an FBS member by having temporary football-only members life Florida Atlantic (FAU was only FCS eligible for a year), Idaho, Utah State, La-Monroe. ULM has a current budget lower than UND's, and Idaho's is about the same.

The WAC needs a school that can flash some cash - showing capability to sustain FBS - and a school that isn't threatened by state funding cuts.

The WAC has other choices for all-sports members - like Denver and Seattle - that make a regional sense. The issue for them is maintaining at least 8 FBS schools.

[star2city]

There actually is another option that doesn't get discussed:

Summit for both all-sports and for football

I find it very curious that Douple hasn't even responded yet in the media to UND dropping the Sioux nickname.

An issue with UND being added to the Summit is that the Summit would then have six FCS teams: SUU, WIU, UND, NDSU, USD, and SDSU. The Summit would then satisfy requirements for an FCS auto-bid. By adding UND before SUU leaves, that opens up a whole new can of worms: USD and UND could insist that the Summit add football. ORU, IUPUI, IPFW, Oakland would likely all support that. Much like the CAA took over the football sponsorship from the A-10, the Summit would be in position to do that from the MVFC. But WIU, NDSU, and SDSU would fight tooth and nail to prevent it, as they want the association with the MVC.

It seems the nickname has been in part used as a ruse to prevent Summit football from happening. When SUU is gone, UND will be accepted. USD was taken to prevent a UND/USD possiblity to the Big Sky.

[UNDvince97-01]

IMO, the poll should be Big Sky vs Summit/MVFC, which is the most likely eventual outcome if UND is accepted into the Summit. In that scenario, I take the Summit/MVFC over the Big Sky.

At this point, just get us in a friggin' conference for everything ASAP.

[GeauxSioux]

Big Sky or Summit/MVFC?

Anything is possible after the FBS shakeup takes place. We actually like the spot UND is in right now because they have not committed to any conference, in any sport. It gives us hope that something will appear once the dust settles. Lets hope Mr. Faison is keeping tabs on all that is going on at the FBS level to make sure we are ready if an surprising option presents itself.

There will be plenty of movement and opportunities in the coming months and it may help UND's situation to not be tied down to conference affiliation at this time.

Go Sioux!!!

[star2city]

Great Falls paper on WAC taking Big Sky schools

Assistant Big Sky Commissioner Kasper: "I think UC Davis or Cal Poly andmore likely than our guys if the WAC looks for teams," said Kasper.

Kasper may just be saying that to create the impression of stability. With the recent athletic cuts at UCDavis as well as a 10,000 seat stadium, a WAC invite is of very low likelihood for the Aggies at this time.

There is still a good chance that Boise State receives a bid to the MWC this month. If Sac St or Portland St are chosen immediately thereafter, the Big Sky has no choice but to offer SUU.

[GeauxSioux]

I wonder how much this comes into play.... http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/apr2009/667_2009_apr.pdf

[star2city]

I wonder how much this comes into play.... http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/apr2009/667_2009_apr.pdf

Practically every Big Sky school has major APR issues. What's one more?

At least Southern Utah isn't being banned from BB postseason like Portland State.

[Shawn-O]

http://twitter.com/FGOSPORTSWRITER/status/15871421450

[The Sicatoka]

http://twitter.com/FGOSPORTSWRITER/status/15871421450

Big Sky commissioner says UND has been discussed this week in reference if the Big Sky gets raided by, say, the WAC.

Great. But depending on who the Big Sky potentially loses, will it be a decent conference that UND would want to be associated with?

[UNDvince97-01]

Great. But depending on who the Big Sky potentially loses, will it be a decent conference that UND would want to be associated with?

This seems to be the biggest question. If you are an FBS conference, which teams from the Big Sky would you even want? It has to start and end with Montana, doesnt it?

Without Montana, what is the Big Sky really worth to us? Not much, if you ask me. Now if Davis, Poly, SUU, etc get an invite as well, then maybe its a different story.

I still like the MVFC/Summit option better RIGHT NOW. Maybe a better option will present itself. The next month or so is going to be VERY interesting.

[GeauxSioux]

I've also read where Wanless want Sac State to go FBS. Could they be the ones getting the WAC invite? Haven't they been one of the ones against eastern expansion of the Big Sky?

[GeauxSioux]

After shakeup, Big Sky could target Southern Utah; UND still on radar

The conference movement that is shaking NCAA Division I athletics like a massive earthquake this week has the Big Sky Conference on alert. On Thursday, the University of North Dakota and Southern Utah were both on the league

[bincitysioux]

As long as they have an autobid, they are very attractive to us no matter what the membership makeup is IMO.

On the flip side, whether a Montana school or Pacific coast school leaves the Big Sky, it creates an immediate need for the Big Sky to add SUU, and that creates another opening in the Summit.