IrishSiouxFan Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I've been checking out the EGrizz message board over the past week and I see nothing that would indicate that Montana or Montana State fans are upset about UND joining the league, quite the opposite actually. However, I must say it is amusing how Montana fans think that they are the greatest team and could contend against teams like Auburn, Tennessee, and Ohio State. Although I applaud their loyalty and enthusiasm, they seem to think they should be playing in a BCS conference and not the Big Sky and that most of their conference is beneath them somehow. In my opinion schools like UM, MSU, UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Idaho and maybe a couple of others should highly consider forming an FBS conference to take the WAC's place once it folds (assuming each institution has the appropriate facilities). What do you think about this idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota fairways Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I've been checking out the EGrizz message board over the past week and I see nothing that would indicate that Montana or Montana State fans are upset about UND joining the league, quite the opposite actually. However, I must say it is amusing how Montana fans think that they are the greatest team and could contend against teams like Auburn, Tennessee, and Ohio State. Although I applaud their loyalty and enthusiasm, they seem to think they should be playing in a BCS conference and not the Big Sky and that most of their conference is beneath them somehow. In my opinion schools like UM, MSU, UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Idaho and maybe a couple of others should highly consider forming an FBS conference to take the WAC's place once it folds (assuming each institution has the appropriate facilities). What do you think about this idea? Would you be able to get Wyoming from the MWC? They would be a good geographic fit and already have an FBS program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iramurphy Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 That's kind of ironic, since most schools in the Big Sky would cut off their noses to get UND out of their conference. That is sad but true. UND needs the "Fat Chick" form 75 miles south of them to join their league to keep the other schools from revolting. Even the school that rules the Big Sky (U of Mont) and is supposedly a supporter of UND (perhaps their only one) apparently didn't want to make UND one of its rivals in football. Truth be told, when NDSU was seeking membership in the Big Sky, there wasn't a MVFC or Gateway/Summit or Mid Con option. If there were that option they may very well have picked the Mid Con/Gateway. If UND had the choice between the Big Sky or MVFC/Summit, I think they would have chosen the MVFC/Summit. So in fact, they settled for what was their only option and probably thier second choice. This poster hasn't a clue. UND is a great "get" for the Big Sky. The AC, USD and SDSU would also have been great additions. UND has discussed the Big Sky option since the 1970's. That has always been UND's first choice. Until it wasn't an option, it had been the first choice of the AC. Both schools should have moved up in the 1970's but didn't. Both schools are where they are and both seem happy. Both schools are coveted by FCS conferences because of the respective budgets and quality of athletic programming. Montana doesn't "rule the Big Sky", they happen to have the better MBB and FB in the past few years and have the budget and facilities that many others don't. UND will fit in nicely for those reasons. UND has never and never will need the AC any more than the AC needs UND. UND would not prefer the Gateway/Summit now nor in the past. Had that been the only option, UND likely would have chosen that route. Fortunately for UND the timing was right and the Big Sky option was there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodcon Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I've been checking out the EGrizz message board over the past week and I see nothing that would indicate that Montana or Montana State fans are upset about UND joining the league, quite the opposite actually. However, I must say it is amusing how Montana fans think that they are the greatest team and could contend against teams like Auburn, Tennessee, and Ohio State. Although I applaud their loyalty and enthusiasm, they seem to think they should be playing in a BCS conference and not the Big Sky and that most of their conference is beneath them somehow. In my opinion schools like UM, MSU, UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Idaho and maybe a couple of others should highly consider forming an FBS conference to take the WAC's place once it folds (assuming each institution has the appropriate facilities). What do you think about this idea? Where did you see that? I read the EGriz boards all the time and haven't seen anything like that, almost everyone on there is saying Tennessee will drill us with the exception of a few crackheads who think we can 'scare them' with a close game. Same few idiots think Montana should have jumped to the WAC, everybody else knows the time is not right and the conference is definitely not right (for now at least), almost all are very happy to be in the Big Sky. As far as the conference being 'beneath them', it was beneath them in the standings 14 of the last 16 years but I've never seen anybody rub it in for lack of a better phrase unless there was a Bobcat fan involved. Fact is most of the football discussion going on lately has been where Montana will finish this year (3rd behind EWU and Montana State is the general feeling) and whether Pflugrad will be able to do the job or not in a 'Fire Hak' type of situation. As with any fan base, don't take too seriously the rantings of the 1-5% who are lunatics. I will agree that I have not seen anything negative regarding the addition of UND, I think they're held in a pretty decent regard out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishSiouxFan Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Would you be able to get Wyoming from the MWC? They would be a good geographic fit and already have an FBS program. Wyoming would be nice (so would Air Force), but I doubt their fans would want them to leave an already impressive MWC for one with the Dakota and Montana schools.. Denver as a basketball only wouldn't be a bad option either. What I like most about a league with UM, MSU, UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, and Idaho is that the schools would also be "like" institutions with respectable academic ranking. I know that this is not likely to ever happen but if it did it could be beneficial to everyone involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishSiouxFan Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Where did you see that? I read the EGriz boards all the time and haven't seen anything like that, almost everyone on there is saying Tennessee will drill us with the exception of a few crackheads who think we can 'scare them' with a close game. Same few idiots think Montana should have jumped to the WAC, everybody else knows the time is not right and the conference is definitely not right (for now at least), almost all are very happy to be in the Big Sky. As far as the conference being 'beneath them', it was beneath them in the standings 14 of the last 16 years but I've never seen anybody rub it in for lack of a better phrase unless there was a Bobcat fan involved. Fact is most of the football discussion going on lately has been where Montana will finish this year (3rd behind EWU and Montana State is the general feeling) and whether Pflugrad will be able to do the job or not in a 'Fire Hak' type of situation. As with any fan base, don't take too seriously the rantings of the 1-5% who are lunatics. I will agree that I have not seen anything negative regarding the addition of UND, I think they're held in a pretty decent regard out here. I saw the majority of the ramblings about Tennessee and Auburn on forums about open invitation to the WAC and BSC 2011 Schedule. To be honest, for every comment like that there were easily 5 saying the opposite. I'm not saying that Montana isn't good or that they don't have nice facilities, I can't help but think that UND could surpass them in the next 5-10 years. But I have always enjoyed drinking the UND Kool-Aid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodcon Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I saw the majority of the ramblings about Tennessee and Auburn on forums about open invitation to the WAC and BSC 2011 Schedule. To be honest, for every comment like that there were easily 5 saying the opposite. I'm not saying that Montana isn't good or that they don't have nice facilities, I can't help but think that UND could surpass them in the next 5-10 years. But I have always enjoyed drinking the UND Kool-Aid. That would make sense, I quit reading any WAC-related board because since Montana turned them down it has been the same people on there who won't let it go and they just keep posting the same moronic crap over and over and over, so I can see them saying stuff like that. I don't think drinking the Kool-Aid is really necessary, UND is going in the right direction on a number of levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homer Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Well it looks like that Montana game at the Alerus could be even more interesting as they will probably have either Joe Montana's son or Tate Forcier at QB. The QB situation at Montana never stays to down for long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darell1976 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 This is from Fightingsioux.com....it says 10 of 11 but shows 11 teams could they be adding a 12th team?? Also no FBS game scheduled maybe that could be the 12th? 2013 Schedule (10 of 11) 8/29 Valparaiso 9/7 South Dakota State 9/14 Montana 9/21 Open 9/28 Montana State* 10/5 at Idaho State* 10/12 Eastern Washington* 10/19 at Portland State* 10/26 Sacramento State* 11/2 at Northern Arizona* 11/9 Northern Colorado* 11/16 at UC Davis* 11/23 Open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodcon Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Couple newsworthy items from the Big Sky the last couple days, first this from Missoula regarding Joes boy... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MISSOULA, Mont. (AP)—The son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding. Nate Montana appeared in Missoula County Justice Court on Friday. AP - Jun 3, 9:39 am EDT NCAAF Gallery Jail records show the 21-year-old Montana was booked into jail on a first-offense DUI charge at 3:46 a.m. Friday and released after posting a $685 bond. The Missoulian reports that Montana and his attorney declined to comment at the hearing. Montana transferred from Notre Dame to the University of Montana in Missoula in February and is vying for the starting quarterback spot. Montana was one of 11 Notre Dame athletes arrested on misdemeanor charges of underage drinking at a party in South Bend, Ind., last July. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rumor had it Nate going to the U of Washington was a done deal, now he shows back up in Missoula and promptly gets a DUI. IDK WTF (3 abbreviations in a row, how about that ) is going on with him and the Griz, is he playing here or not? It looks like Johnson will be the starter, or will he? This whole thing is weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodcon Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Secondly this from the Bobcats... ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Home Sports Bobcats Davis ruled ineligible, again Posted: Thursday, June 2, 2011 11:30 pm The coaching staff was prepared for this. Montana State University 1,000-yard rusher Orenzo Davis is once again ineligible for the 2011 football season, head coach Rob Ash announced on Thursday. Davis was originally declared ineligible in January by the NCAA for undisclosed reasons. MSU won an appeal a month later and the senior-to-be was reinstated. Davis competed in spring drills in March, but did not complete the three-week session. "We anticipated that he was going to have to work hard," Ash said from Helena Thursday after a golf outing, "and about midway through the (spring) semester, we figured out he was having problems, so that's why we pulled him out of spring ball. "The NCAA has certain standards for academic progress in terms of how many hours a guy has to earn credits for. I can't say what his grades were, but I can say that he didn't meet the NCAA standard for academic progress." Ash said Davis' initial ineligibility and the current one are unrelated. "These are two completely different situations," he said. "After thinking he wasn't going to be with us (in January) and then getting him back, this makes it difficult." Ash is unconcerned when it comes to replacing the 1,126 yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 15 receptions and 15 kickoff returns Davis accumulated last season, when the Bobcats won the Big Sky Conference championship. MSU will return C.J. Palmer, who started as a freshman and ran for 477 yards a year ago as a junior; Cody Kirk, who opened last season as the starter; and Kerry Sloan, who had 17 carries last fall. Also in the mix is University of Nebraska transfer Tray Robinson. "I feel like we're ahead of the game, because these guys got all of those turns in spring ball," Ash said. "They're all capable of playing extremely well." When the Bobcats open fall camp on Aug. 5, incoming freshman Shawn Johnson of Bakersfield, Calif., will also get a look. When asked if Ash was considering bringing in a transfer running back, he replied, "I'm very comfortable with the four guys that we have. We're preparing to go into the season with those four guys." Ash also said Thursday that cornerback Chris Wilson has stopped playing football in order to concentrate on his track and field career at MSU. As a senior at C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls, Wilson set state records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes during the 2009 Class AA state meet in Kalispell. Wilson played in two games last season as a redshirt freshman, recording one tackle. Thursday was the start of an eight-week summer workout program for the Bobcats. MSU begins the 2011 season Thursday, Sept. 1 at Utah at 6 p.m. MDT, one of just 14 games nationwide that evening. The Bobcats will be the only Big Sky team playing that night. MSU's home opener is Sept. 10 against UC Davis, which also plays on Sept. 1 (at Arizona State). Utah finished 10-3 the past two seasons. The Utes had their nine-game bowl winning streak snapped to end last season, a 26-3 loss to Boise ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pretty good hit for the Cats whether Ash wants to admit it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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