star2city Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 BREAKING RUMOR ALERT UNI coach: USD would be great addition Farley doesn't have a vote. Neither does Montana State's coach Ash, who was against adding teams. This is more concerning, but I highly doubt new President Engstrom will make a decision so soon in his tenure to move up. To move up with a financially able athletic department, Montana has a whole lotta fund raising to do. Missoulian: Give them a Super-sized Sky Welcome It sounds like the Grizzlies and Montana State received formal invites from the WAC on Friday - the same day the Big Sky invited in North Dakota, South Dakota and Southern Utah. With a new president (Royce Engstrom) on board, Montana is behaving cautiously. Quote
homer Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 BREAKING RUMOR ALERT UNI coach: USD would be great addition Saying that someone would be a welcome guest at the party and actually inviting them to the party are two different things. If its true though than good luck to USD. Like I said earlier I have no problem being the only one of the Dakotas in the Big Sky. Its another nonconference game we could schedule and doesn't affect our membership in the league. They may have a decision to make and thats a good thing for them. Quote
SooToo Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 BREAKING RUMOR ALERT UNI coach: USD would be great addition Gee, I wonder how Kolpack feels about the issue? He and Vandrovec seem to be carrying the water for a campaign to bash the Big Sky and sell the Summit/MVFC. From a publicity/coverage stand point, having USD in the Sky would be helpful but the sun still comes up tomorrow if they go with the Summit. I think Yote54 posted last Friday that USD was giving the MVFC 3 days to come forward with an offer or they were heading to the Big Sky. One...Two...Two and a quarter....Two and five eights.... Quote
GeauxSioux Posted November 3, 2010 Author Posted November 3, 2010 From Terry's Blog.... Before we get to the usual business, at least one Valley coach Quote
star2city Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 Looks like the Missouri Valley might be having more important issues on it's agenda: New York Daily News: TCU comtemplating Big East TCU, currently a member of the Mountain West, wants in. The Horned Frogs realize, by joining the Big East, they would reap the benefits of playing in an automatic BCS-qualifying conference in football. The move would give the Horned Frogs an easier passage to the national spotlight they have had trouble getting, despite their success. TCU would then place its other sports in another geographically desirable conference. One of the rumors is that the Missouri Valley would add St Louis and TCU, with only TCU football going to the Big East. Quote
mksioux Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 I will reiterate that the worst possible conference scenario for UND (other than remaiming in the Great West and go independent in football), would be to go to the Big Sky, then have USD stay in the Summit and get an invitation to the MVFC, and then to have Montana and Montana State leave the Big Sky. That would be really bad. Not as bad as staying in the Great West or going independent in football, but I think it would put UND at a disadvantage to be isolated like that. In that scenario, I think the drumbeat would start immediately to get UND into the Summit/MVFC, which would be extremely difficult at that point. Quote
dmksioux Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 I will reiterate that the worst possible conference scenario for UND (other than remaiming in the Great West and go independent in football), would be to go to the Big Sky, then have USD stay in the Summit and get an invitation to the MVFC, and then to have Montana and Montana State leave the Big Sky. That would be really bad. Not as bad as staying in the Great West or going independent in football, but I think it would put UND at a disadvantage to be isolated like that. In that scenario, I think the drumbeat would start immediately to get UND into the Summit/MVFC, which would be extremely difficult at that point. In that scenario, we would have a pretty good feeling of what it's been like to be Southern Utah for the last several years. Hopefully we do not have to feel what that is like... Quote
mksioux Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 I can't find the quote anymore, but I know Fullerton said somewhere that adding UC-Davis and Cal Poly as football affiliates was a defensive move at the time, but that adding UND and SUU was not. Can someone explain that to me? Quote
bincitysioux Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 Farley doesn't have a vote. Neither does Montana State's coach Ash, who was against adding teams. This is more concerning, but I highly doubt new President Engstrom will make a decision so soon in his tenure to move up. To move up with a financially able athletic department, Montana has a whole lotta fund raising to do. Missoulian: Give them a Super-sized Sky Welcome That article also had the following: It seems like the Western Athletic Conference will announce a similar move in the next few days - one that, according to UM athletic director Jim O'Day, will not include Montana Montana's FBS feasibility study will be completed in two weeks. I imagine that is when they will indicate their short term intentions. Quote
star2city Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 I can't find the quote anymore, but I know Fullerton said somewhere that adding UC-Davis and Cal Poly as football affiliates was a defensive move at the time, but that adding UND and SUU was not. Can someone explain that to me? Apparently, Sac State was talking with the Big West / Great West to move it's football to the Great West and rest of it's programs to the Big West. Such a move would likely have given the Great West an autobid eventually, if UND and USD went to the Summit, and SUU didn't have a Big Sky invite. By adding Cal Poly and UC-Davis, the Big Sky killed Great West football and effectively "forced" Sac State, SUU, UND, and USD into their arms. Fullerton certainly was well aware for some time that the MVFC was not interested in adding teams. USD has been a member of the Summit for nearly 20 months, but the MVFC never showed the slightest interest in them. The Big Sky could have left us all hanging, but they didn't. Quote
goyotes Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 The comments from the 2 Yankton P&D writers (Justin Rust and Jeremy Hoeck) that cover the Yotes on today's live chat both seem sure the Yotes are heading to the Big Sky. http://www.yankton.net/live_chat/ Quote
GeauxSioux Posted November 3, 2010 Author Posted November 3, 2010 The comments from the 2 Yankton P&D writers (Justin Rust and Jeremy Hoeck) that cover the Yotes on today's live chat both seem sure the Yotes are heading to the Big Sky. http://www.yankton.net/live_chat/ I hope they are right. Love to have the UND/USD combo. Quote
bincitysioux Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 IMO, USD is going to the Big Sky. They were invited to the Summit a year and a half ago. Douple has had 18 months to work on getting them into the MVFC and gotten nowhere...................I find it highly unlikely that he would be able to make any inroads in the last 3 days. In their 25 year history, the only times the MVFC has ever expanded was immediately after losing a member. They have had the same commissioner for their entire existence, and she has never shown the propensity to encourage her president's to expand, except when there is a defection. I've seen nothing to indicate that she has altered that mode of operations. The Big Sky would have never so prominently mentioned or discussed South Dakota in their official press releases if there was even the slightest chance that they would not be coming into the fold. Just my two cents. 1 Quote
UND92,96 Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 USD has called a press conference for noon tomorrow per TV tweet. Quote
UND92,96 Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 Faison is on the coaches' show right now. He doesn't sound quite as confident that USD will be joining the Big Sky as he did a few days ago. Quote
UND1983 Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 Faison is on the coaches' show right now. He doesn't sound quite as confident that USD will be joining the Big Sky as he did a few days ago. What exactly did he say? He has been pretty vague this whole time. Quote
dmksioux Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 Faison is on the coaches' show right now. He doesn't sound quite as confident that USD will be joining the Big Sky as he did a few days ago. Are you able to expand on that a bit...what exactly did he say? Quote
UND92,96 Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 Are you able to expand on that a bit...what exactly did he say? To paraphrase, I believe he said something to the effect that "I'm not sure USD will be able to commit to the Big Sky". And it just seemed like his tone was different from how it was in interviews Monday and Tuesday. I hope I just interpreted his words differently from how he intended them. I guess the big question is whether he's actually spoken with USD a.d. Sayler in the past few hours, now that it appears that some sort of a decision has been made. Quote
PhillySioux Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 So, lets say the MVFC wanted to expand the entire time, but only by one team. They stay mum and even outright lie until UND commits to big sky. I do believe we will be the only Dakota school in the big sky. Quote
dmksioux Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 To paraphrase, I believe he said something to the effect that "I'm not sure USD will be able to commit to the Big Sky". And it just seemed like his tone was different from how it was in interviews Monday and Tuesday. I hope I just interpreted his words differently from how he intended them. Hmmm...that doesn't sound too positive for Big Sky membership. The Big Sky also hasn't announced any press conference for tomorrow as they did when they were going to announce UND/SUU. On the other hand, I haven't seen any press conference announcements for the Summit or MVFC either. Not much coming out of the USD website either... Quote
UND92,96 Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 Hmmm...that doesn't sound too positive for Big Sky membership. The Big Sky also hasn't announced any press conference for tomorrow as they did when they were going to announce UND/SUU. On the other hand, I haven't seen any press conference announcements for the Summit or MVFC either. Not much coming out of the USD website either... When I read that a press conference was scheduled at USD tomorrow, I just assumed that it would be to commit to the Big Sky. I figured no announcement at all this week would be a bad sign, as that would seem to suggest further discussions with the MVFC. Had I not heard Faison tonight, I'd probably still be thinking that. But now, I'm not so sure... Quote
UND1983 Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 If true this tells me the Board of Regents down there are holding it up. The AD and Prez had to have signed off for the Big Sky to send them a signed letter and announce it like they did Monday. Quote
VMeister Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 I guess I missed this the first time http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx Also of note is that two Big Sky members will be getting new nicknames. North Dakota, which has been known as the Quote
PhillySioux Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 If true this tells me the Board of Regents down there are holding it up. The AD and Prez had to have signed off for the Big Sky to send them a signed letter and announce it like they did Monday. The board may not be the issue, the MVFC's desire to go to only 10 and not 11 may be the issue. Quote
SooToo Posted November 4, 2010 Posted November 4, 2010 When I read that a press conference was scheduled at USD tomorrow, I just assumed that it would be to commit to the Big Sky. I figured no announcement at all this week would be a bad sign, as that would seem to suggest further discussions with the MVFC. Had I not heard Faison tonight, I'd probably still be thinking that. But now, I'm not so sure... It wasn't just you; Faison very clearly was a whole lot less certain about USD moving to the Big Sky but didn't seem to have a clear picture. I remember him saying something to the effect he didn't know if circumstances would allow USD to go to the Sky -- a reference to the cost of Summit buyout? FWIW, the prevailing opinion on the USD and SDSU boards appears to be that there hasn't been enough time to work out something with the MVFC and the Yotes will announce their move to the Big Sky. Quote
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