POLL: Should UND-NDSU Resume the Football Series?

[82SiouxGuy]

If this game was so important, why did UND refuse to play NDSU when we were making the transition to D1, thereby ending the 100+ year rivalry and "punishing the very people who support their program"? I sure hope you were saying similar things to your fellow UND fans 10 years ago.

I realize that back in the glory days, the rivalry game was the biggest event in the state, but that is the main problem in my opinion. NDSU is more focused right now on getting national recognition. Do you really think many people outside of the state of North Dakota and the surrounding areas (and alums) care at all about NDSU and UND playing? Another problem is that the players 10+ years ago grew up knowing the rivalry. They understood how big it could be. However, very few of the players on either team right now, if any, were even teenagers the last time this game was played. This may have been the biggest event in the state 10+ years ago, but I highly doubt any of the players on last year's FCS national championship team are thinking to themselves, "If only we could've played UND last year. That would've really made my college football career. I would give up this national championship ring and that experience for the chance to play UND." I'm not saying playing UND would've kept NDSU from winning the national championship, but that's not the focus right now for NDSU. The focus has changed since "the glory days". If winning a national championship includes beating up on UND along the way, so be it. If not, that's fine too.

Also, please don't attempt to downplay the significance of winning a national championship and how much that does for a university. You may be correct that the rivalry game may be seen as a larger event to some people in the state and surrounding areas, but winning the national championship gets national recognition. The people in the state already know who NDSU and UND are. Winning national championships lets people outside of the Red River Valley know who we are.

Building a huge rivalry helps build a national reputation. UND-NDSU got enough attention that it was covered in a documentary about college football. Watch on Saturday afternoons in the fall and see how much extra coverage that rivalry games get. UND-NDSU would be one of the FCS equivalents.

You say that the current players don't care. First, it would not take very long for them to learn to care. They haven't had the experience. Running out onto the field in front of that crowd would change that in a hurry. Anyone that has been to a UND-NDSU football game will tell you that it is a different crowd from a normal Saturday. The energy would be felt on the field. In addition, it would finally give them meaning for the chants that still invade NDSU events. Somehow UND still gets brought up at NDSU events, so you might as well play the game.

I was in favor of continuing the games. But I also understood that 1) At least initially it would hurt UND's chances of making the playoffs. That rule was changed, but it was in effect when the decision was made. 2) The games were going to become less fair very quickly as NDSU added scholarships and brought in FCS level players versus the Division II players that UND was still recruiting. And 3) NDSU would probably cancel the games as soon as they got through the transition period because they wouldn't want to play "down" to the DII level. So there was some sense to cancelling the games when it made sense for UND rather than when it made sense for NDSU. But I always said that when the schools were back at the same level of competition, the games should be restarted.

As far as your "focus on the national championship", both schools were competing for championships at the DII level. That is also the focus for both shools at the FCS level. It doesn't affect the rivalry game aspect. That is a strawman argument. The rivalry game happens along the way to the tournament. But it attracts a completely different crowd. You don't play the game because you think that the players will strive to win that game more than a National title. You play the game for the fans, the players, the students, and the state of North Dakota.

[Bison06]

You really don't understand PR. For one thing, PR is fleeting. There is always something new coming along. The National title is already old news. The other thing is that a majority of North Dakota didn't care about NDSU winning the title. Neither UND nor NDSU holds the interest of a majority of North Dakotans. So less than half of North Dakota cared about the title. But when you put UND and NDSU in the same building, now you have the interest of most people in North Dakota. Not only do you have the interest of the fans of each school, you have the interest of many others that don't really follow either school. And if you get them to watch that game, you have a chance to build that interest. Not realizing that is very short sighted. Do you know why companies pay millions of dollars for a single 30 second TV ad on the Super Bowl? It isn't because they want to sell to the fans of either school. It's because of all of the eyeballs that will be watching that game. The Super Bowl is a national event. A UND-NDSU football game would be the Super Bowl of North Dakota.

I understand PR just fine buddy. National title is old news? haha. Come to the home opener at the FargoDome next year and tell me it's old news. You're entitled to your opinion, but my opinion is that from a PR perspective playing UND helps UND more than NDSU.

[Bison06]

Building a huge rivalry helps build a national reputation. UND-NDSU got enough attention that it was covered in a documentary about college football. Watch on Saturday afternoons in the fall and see how much extra coverage that rivalry games get. UND-NDSU would be one of the FCS equivalents.

You say that the current players don't care. First, it would not take very long for them to learn to care. They haven't had the experience. Running out onto the field in front of that crowd would change that in a hurry. Anyone that has been to a UND-NDSU football game will tell you that it is a different crowd from a normal Saturday. The energy would be felt on the field. In addition, it would finally give them meaning for the chants that still invade NDSU events. Somehow UND still gets brought up at NDSU events, so you might as well play the game.

I was in favor of continuing the games. But I also understood that 1) At least initially it would hurt UND's chances of making the playoffs. That rule was changed, but it was in effect when the decision was made. 2) The games were going to become less fair very quickly as NDSU added scholarships and brought in FCS level players versus the Division II players that UND was still recruiting. And 3) NDSU would probably cancel the games as soon as they got through the transition period because they wouldn't want to play "down" to the DII level. So there was some sense to cancelling the games when it made sense for UND rather than when it made sense for NDSU. But I always said that when the schools were back at the same level of competition, the games should be restarted.

As far as your "focus on the national championship", both schools were competing for championships at the DII level. That is also the focus for both shools at the FCS level. It doesn't affect the rivalry game aspect. That is a strawman argument. The rivalry game happens along the way to the tournament. But it attracts a completely different crowd. You don't play the game because you think that the players will strive to win that game more than a National title. You play the game for the fans, the players, the students, and the state of North Dakota.

I agree with most of this, as I have said, if you want to argue that playing this game is good because of the historical significance I am on board with that.

[bisonboone11]

Building a huge rivalry helps build a national reputation. UND-NDSU got enough attention that it was covered in a documentary about college football. Watch on Saturday afternoons in the fall and see how much extra coverage that rivalry games get. UND-NDSU would be one of the FCS equivalents.

How much national coverage does Montana vs Montana State get? Obviously the rivalry games on Saturday afternoons get more national coverage, but that is because people that aren't associated with the schools or states at all are fans of those teams. How many people outside of North Dakota and not associated with NDSU or UND are fans of UND or NDSU football? Very few. We would get very little national coverage from that game.

In response to another post, NDSU fans are not chomping at the bit to beat UND. We are chomping at the bit to win more national championships. Also, we don't need to beat UND to prove we can succeed in D1. We have already done that by winning a national championship, and playing UND would not prove anything more than playing St. Francis would. It's almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them. It seems like you're attempting to get our approval and get us to acknowledge that you're relevant. Yes, UND has had a good football program in the past. The rivalry was one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. I'm sure you will have a decent football program again, and you have a good chance to prove it by playing in the Big Sky Conference, but as of right now, NDSU doesn't care about this game nearly as much as UND does. We have already proven our relevance in the FCS. Playing UND would not prove anything for NDSU. Even losing a close game with the national champions, however, would give an indication that UND is relevant in the FCS. That alone makes this game much more important to UND than NDSU.

[82SiouxGuy]

I understand PR just fine buddy. National title is old news? haha. Come to the home opener at the FargoDome next year and tell me it's old news. You're entitled to your opinion, but my opinion is that from a PR perspective playing UND helps UND more than NDSU.

The title isn't old news to NDSU fans. But it is to the rest of the world. PR is used to add fans and build. You don't need to attract the faithful, they will be in the building when the banner is hoisted. But there are very few non-NDSU fans that are talking about the FCS title game, or the fact that NDSU won. As I said earlier, PR is fleeting. It is a constant battle. A UND-NDSU football game is a huge PR tool that can be used over and over again. If you want to live in the glory of the title game, go over and celebrate with the Bville Boys. If you want to continue to build your brand you might want to advocate for getting the games going with UND.

[Bison06]

The title isn't old news to NDSU fans. But it is to the rest of the world. PR is used to add fans and build. You don't need to attract the faithful, they will be in the building when the banner is hoisted. But there are very few non-NDSU fans that are talking about the FCS title game, or the fact that NDSU won. As I said earlier, PR is fleeting. It is a constant battle. A UND-NDSU football game is a huge PR tool that can be used over and over again. If you want to live in the glory of the title game, go over and celebrate with the Bville Boys. If you want to continue to build your brand you might want to advocate for getting the games going with UND.

Hahahahaha, now I have heard it all.

How does playing UND help NDSU build it's brand? I can't wait to hear this one.

[82SiouxGuy]

How much national coverage does Montana vs Montana State get? Obviously the rivalry games on Saturday afternoons get more national coverage, but that is because people that aren't associated with the schools or states at all are fans of those teams. How many people outside of North Dakota and not associated with NDSU or UND are fans of UND or NDSU football? Very few. We would get very little national coverage from that game.

In response to another post, NDSU fans are not chomping at the bit to beat UND. We are chomping at the bit to win more national championships. Also, we don't need to beat UND to prove we can succeed in D1. We have already done that by winning a national championship, and playing UND would not prove anything more than playing St. Francis would. It's almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them. It seems like you're attempting to get our approval and get us to acknowledge that you're relevant. Yes, UND has had a good football program in the past. The rivalry was one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. I'm sure you will have a decent football program again, and you have a good chance to prove it by playing in the Big Sky Conference, but as of right now, NDSU doesn't care about this game nearly as much as UND does. We have already proven our relevance in the FCS. Playing UND would not prove anything for NDSU. Even losing a close game with the national champions, however, would give an indication that UND is relevant in the FCS. That alone makes this game much more important to UND than NDSU.

FCS football is never going to get huge coverage. A UND-NDSU game would get pretty good coverage around the country in FCS circles. People already know about the rivalry and the schools haven't played a game in FCS. So people around the country that have an interest in FCS football would pay attention just like they do for Montanta-Montana State.

The big win, which I have attempted to explain repeatedly, is within the region. North Dakota and parts of both Minnesota and South Dakota would pay a great deal of attention to the game. That includes a lot of people that aren't fans of either school, and people that are just very casual fans. The casual fans become huge fans for 1 week of the year. Most of North Dakota gets split between the 2 schools. The attention in the region is priceless.

The other attraction that hasn't been mentioned, is the fact that having a true rival can attract players and students. Players love playing in those games, and students love attending them. You can try to sell South Dakota State as a true rival, but nobody outside your circle is buying it. It is a somewhat one sided rivalry. SDSU's big rival will always be USD, and that is back in play again now that they are in the same conference. NDSU will take a backseat to that rivalry, which leaves NDSU without a true rival. UND doesn't currently have a true rival in play either. It only makes sense to restart the games. But that makes too much sense for many in Bville.

[jodcon]

If you werre a Bison fan, wouldn't you be chomping at the bit to play UND? If you are soo pissed off at the fact UND said that the Bison were not going to succeed in D1 and you believe that you are the superior program, wouldn't you want to prove that on the field? Wouldn't you want the Bison to play UND and have a chance to just take it to them and beat them by like 40? If you were a Bison fan, wouldn't you want to hang the score over every UND fans head for 2 years? I just don't understand why Bison fans are coming up with all these reason like financially it won't work, or they don't want to help UND. How bout instead of thinking of all the reasons why NDSU shouldn't play UND and look like a coward, you get excited to kick the snot out of UND!! Because that is exactly what us UND fans are going to want our team to do to you!!!

Absolutely. If I'm NDSU right now I would love to play UND and pound them because I have the better team and I want everybody to know it, and want to have that to point at when it comes recruiting time next year. And as confident as they are in their program, why would it be unrealistic to expect that they will win more games than they lose in the rivalry the next 5 or 10 years?

It's the same out here, Griz fans chomp at the bit for the Montana State game, beating them every year is what keeps Montana ahead of the Bobcats in every sense, and even in the unlikely event the 2 schools would end up in different conferences it would be important for the Griz to keep the game going to keep the Cats playing second fiddle. Are they going to beat them every time? No, but as long as they dominate the series they will continue to reap the rewards.

Neither school really needs this game anymore because of their respective conferences, but it should happen now that the playing field is level again, and if an effort is made by one side and rejected by the other it's going to look like they ducked the game, and I wouldn't want the chickensh*t label hanging on my head.

[jdub27]

I was in favor of continuing the games. But I also understood that 1) At least initially it would hurt UND's chances of making the playoffs. That rule was changed, but it was in effect when the decision was made. 2) The games were going to become less fair very quickly as NDSU added scholarships and brought in FCS level players versus the Division II players that UND was still recruiting. And 3) NDSU would probably cancel the games as soon as they got through the transition period because they wouldn't want to play "down" to the DII level. So there was some sense to cancelling the games when it made sense for UND rather than when it made sense for NDSU. But I always said that when the schools were back at the same level of competition, the games should be restarted.

This is always conveniently excluded when UND is blamed for stopping the rivalry (in football). Does anyone actually think that UND would still be on NDSU's schedule today if UND wouldn't have cancelled the games? Was NDSU really going to keep UND on their schedule when UND wasn't a counter or NDSU got into a conference and only needed a couple of OOC games to fill out their schedule? The games where going to stop regardless. It made sense for UND to cancel it when they did due to D-II playoff rules (that were changed within a year or two). Could they have renewed it after the changes? Yes. But how long until NDSU cancelled it after that, maybe another year or two?

[82SiouxGuy]

Hahahahaha, now I have heard it all.

How does playing UND help NDSU build it's brand? I can't wait to hear this one.

Eyeballs. Building a brand is all about eyeballs. Do you think that pretty much everyone has heard of Coke and Budweiser? Probably everyone in the United States except those living in a cave. Yet they spend millions and millions of dollars each year on advertising to build their brand. They each get multiple ads on the Super Bowl, spending well over $10 million for that one game. Why? To get eyeballs on the logos. To be visible. What would get more eyeballs on the NDSU logo than a rivalry game with UND? Nothing. Not even the FCS title game would get more people, especially in the 3 state region, to pay attention to NDSU or UND. I'm sorry if you can't grasp the concept.

[bisonboone11]

Yeah, and winning a national championship isn't a good PR tool. Wow, your logic is flawless. Do you really think having a true rival attracts more students/players than national championships? Yes, the game would be fun for historical reasons, but UND needs this WAY more than NDSU so they can attempt to prove their relevance.

[Siouxperfan7]

How much national coverage does Montana vs Montana State get? Obviously the rivalry games on Saturday afternoons get more national coverage, but that is because people that aren't associated with the schools or states at all are fans of those teams. How many people outside of North Dakota and not associated with NDSU or UND are fans of UND or NDSU football? Very few. We would get very little national coverage from that game.

In response to another post, NDSU fans are not chomping at the bit to beat UND. We are chomping at the bit to win more national championships. Also, we don't need to beat UND to prove we can succeed in D1. We have already done that by winning a national championship, and playing UND would not prove anything more than playing St. Francis would. It's almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them. It seems like you're attempting to get our approval and get us to acknowledge that you're relevant. Yes, UND has had a good football program in the past. The rivalry was one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. I'm sure you will have a decent football program again, and you have a good chance to prove it by playing in the Big Sky Conference, but as of right now, NDSU doesn't care about this game nearly as much as UND does. We have already proven our relevance in the FCS. Playing UND would not prove anything for NDSU. Even losing a close game with the national champions, however, would give an indication that UND is relevant in the FCS. That alone makes this game much more important to UND than NDSU.

"Its almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them", "NDSU doesn't care about this game nealry as much as UND does":

You say these things, but here you are on a Sioux sports message board talking about it!! And guess what, there are plenty of Bison fans that post on this message board several times EVERY DAY who say that Bison fans have moved on. Actions speak louder than words my friend. And just to let you know, you are in the minority when saying this game shouldn't be played.

[82SiouxGuy]

Yeah, and winning a national championship isn't a good PR tool. Wow, your logic is flawless. Do you really think having a true rival attracts more students/players than national championships? Yes, the game would be fun for historical reasons, but UND needs this WAY more than NDSU so they can attempt to prove their relevance.

No one said that winning a title isn't good PR. I didn't even approach that. How often can you count on winning a national title? How often can you put it on the schedule? Do you really believe that NDSU is going to win it every year, or even every other year? If you do you may have raised the bar for delusion on this board, and that is already a high bar. National championships are great, but they are rare. A UND-NDSU game can be on the schedule every year or every other year. It is in the minds of people on a regular basis. It is something that people can look forward to with certainty, not something they hope happens again.

Plus, you don't have just 1 PR tool. You try to build an entire toolbox of tools. Some are bigger or more important than others. You have signing day, spring practice, fall camps, all 11 games, playoffs, etc. Throw in announcements about hiring or player grades or whatever things that can be used. But only a fool throws away a huge tool when it is handed to them. Here's your Rival tool.

[UNDBIZ]

It's almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them. It seems like you're attempting to get our approval and get us to acknowledge that you're relevant.

Who is on whose fan forum right now trying to stir up an argument? I think it's obvious which fan base is craving the other's attention.

[Siouxperfan7]

Yeah, and winning a national championship isn't a good PR tool. Wow, your logic is flawless. Do you really think having a true rival attracts more students/players than national championships? Yes, the game would be fun for historical reasons, but UND needs this WAY more than NDSU so they can attempt to prove their relevance.

Teams gain notority and respect from beating better teams. You think people would even care about Boise State had they not beaten Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl? Do you think that the majority of the country knew who Appalacian State was before they beat Michigan in the Big House? Take NDSU..they weren't a huge FCS powerhouse right away. they were the new kid on the block. But guess what, they beat FBS teams like Central Michagan and Minnesota. Once they did that, they got the respect they were looking for.

I am not saying that NDSU playing UND is like Michigan playing Appalacian State. The point I am making is NDSU fans are acting like scheduling UND is like a charity game where we are gaining so much buy it, and NDSU has everything to lose. Minnesota scheduled NDSU 3 times in the past. so did Colorado State this year. Do you think their fanbases were saying "NDSU doesn't deserve to play us. They have more to gain out of this game than we do." Seriously, your "holier than though" attitude that you and other on this site have is sickening!

[darell1976]

"Its almost comical how upset UND fans get when they realize NDSU has moved on from them", "NDSU doesn't care about this game nealry as much as UND does":

You say these things, but here you are on a Sioux sports message board talking about it!! And guess what, there are plenty of Bison fans that post on this message board several times EVERY DAY who say that Bison fans have moved on. Actions speak louder than words my friend. And just to let you know, you are in the minority when saying this game shouldn't be played.

Just look at the numerous UND threads on BVille there is one started almost every day. Btw Bisonville....Thanks for posting my pic on your site, I loved reading the comments. God you guys must be board with your athletics, but thats right....you have moo'd on.

[UNDBIZ]

Yeah, and winning a national championship isn't a good PR tool. Wow, your logic is flawless. Do you really think having a true rival attracts more students/players than national championships? Yes, the game would be fun for historical reasons, but UND needs this WAY more than NDSU so they can attempt to prove their relevance.

Are you incapable of separating a national championship from playing UND?? Again, the 2 are NOT mutually exclusive. I know it's difficult for NDSU students to think about 2 things at once, but it is possible to do both.

[bisonboone11]

Eyeballs. Building a brand is all about eyeballs. Do you think that pretty much everyone has heard of Coke and Budweiser? Probably everyone in the United States except those living in a cave. Yet they spend millions and millions of dollars each year on advertising to build their brand. They each get multiple ads on the Super Bowl, spending well over $10 million for that one game. Why? To get eyeballs on the logos. To be visible. What would get more eyeballs on the NDSU logo than a rivalry game with UND? Nothing. Not even the FCS title game would get more people, especially in the 3 state region, to pay attention to NDSU or UND. I'm sorry if you can't grasp the concept.

That is the problem with your logic. You are focusing on getting the attention of people within the region, but the comparisons you are making - using Coke and Budweiser, the Super Bowl - have NATIONAL coverage. Do you honestly think there would be more "eyeballs" on NDSU and UND for the rivalry game than the FCS title game? I don't know the actual television viewership for this year's FCS title game, but 6 of the past 7 years, the ESPN broadcasts of the game had more than 1 million viewers nationally. Even if every single person in North Dakota watched the rivalry game, it wouldn't have the viewership that the FCS title game has. Also, the FCS playoffs are getting more and more coverage. This year set records for attendance, so I wouldn't doubt that the viewership was greater this year. Yes, it may get more coverage locally, but not nationally. As I have said before, NDSU's focus is national championships and national recognition. If winning a national championship includes beating up on UND along the way, great. If not, that's fine.

[Dagger]

Bison fans say winning a national title is more important. I agree. Don't they realize that you can win a national title and also beat your rival. It is posible to have the best of both worlds. The only complication is that maybe they are not sure they would beat their rival. Maybe that is the real snag.

[Bison06]

Eyeballs. Building a brand is all about eyeballs. Do you think that pretty much everyone has heard of Coke and Budweiser? Probably everyone in the United States except those living in a cave. Yet they spend millions and millions of dollars each year on advertising to build their brand. They each get multiple ads on the Super Bowl, spending well over $10 million for that one game. Why? To get eyeballs on the logos. To be visible. What would get more eyeballs on the NDSU logo than a rivalry game with UND? Nothing. Not even the FCS title game would get more people, especially in the 3 state region, to pay attention to NDSU or UND. I'm sorry if you can't grasp the concept.

Again, I understand how PR works. But, using your Coke analogy, do you think coke benefits as much from putting out an Ad where they also mention pepsi in the ad?

This used to happen far more often in the PR world, where companies would address their competition by name in their ads. Now they compare themselves in thier ads if they feel the need to, but you'll notice they NEVER mention them by name.

The car insurance industry has been the most notable as of late. You'll see Nationwide or Statefarm run an ad comparing themselves to that "other company" (Geicko)and then use a lizard to signify the Gecko. But they will never actually mention the other company because they realize that by mentioning their competitors in an ad they are paying for eyeballs as you put it.

Dominos is doing the same thing, they show people delivering pizza and it is obvious they are comparing their product to Papa John's and Pizza Hut. But they will never show their competitors logos or say them by name.

Playing UND is the equivalent of Statefarm saying they are better then Geicko in a nationally run ad. Some people just see the Geicko part of it and Statefarm loses some of the advertisements impact.

You don't share the spotlight with a direct competitor and expect it to be a 100% PR gain for you, especially when you can just as easily play a different team and get 100% of the PR.

I'm sorry if you can't grasp this concept.

[darell1976]

Obviously UND-NDSU was a big thing if NFL Film's Football America can do a piece on the rivalry. Also I still don't get why NDSU says this would help UND more than NDSU....they are both playoff eligible, needing the same number of DI wins, so make the best team win. But this is the fear that GT has because if he loses to UND, there goes a perspective recruit, and a DI win and could you imagine the headline in the Fargo Forum..."NDSU snubbed from playoffs by losing to UND". Makes for some good reading!!

[bisonboone11]

Teams gain notority and respect from beating better teams. You think people would even care about Boise State had they not beaten Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl? Do you think that the majority of the country knew who Appalacian State was before they beat Michigan in the Big House? Take NDSU..they weren't a huge FCS powerhouse right away. they were the new kid on the block. But guess what, they beat FBS teams like Central Michagan and Minnesota. Once they did that, they got the respect they were looking for.

I am not saying that NDSU playing UND is like Michigan playing Appalacian State. The point I am making is NDSU fans are acting like scheduling UND is like a charity game where we are gaining so much buy it, and NDSU has everything to lose. Minnesota scheduled NDSU 3 times in the past. so did Colorado State this year. Do you think their fanbases were saying "NDSU doesn't deserve to play us. They have more to gain out of this game than we do." Seriously, your "holier than though" attitude that you and other on this site have is sickening!

Exactly. NDSU is considered the better team nationally. Using your own logic, this game is more important to UND. Thanks.

[darell1976]

That is the problem with your logic. You are focusing on getting the attention of people within the region, but the comparisons you are making - using Coke and Budweiser, the Super Bowl - have NATIONAL coverage. Do you honestly think there would be more "eyeballs" on NDSU and UND for the rivalry game than the FCS title game? I don't know the actual television viewership for this year's FCS title game, but 6 of the past 7 years, the ESPN broadcasts of the game had more than 1 million viewers nationally. Even if every single person in North Dakota watched the rivalry game, it wouldn't have the viewership that the FCS title game has. Also, the FCS playoffs are getting more and more coverage. This year set records for attendance, so I wouldn't doubt that the viewership was greater this year. Yes, it may get more coverage locally, but not nationally. As I have said before, NDSU's focus is national championships and national recognition. If winning a national championship includes beating up on UND along the way, great. If not, that's fine.

I don't know about comparing tv ratings of the rival game to the NC game, but UND has a contract with Fox College Sports and now Root Sports, NDSU has KVLY. See the difference in eyeballs. Say 2 eyeballs =100,000 people thats what almost 14 eyeballs for ND, plus another 2-4 for Minnesota, and a couple in SD and maybe 2-4 in Montana...thats KVLY....whats the population of the US?? True not everyone in the US will watch the game but its available from NY to Seattle, LA to Miami and everywhere in between. KVLY is what the tri-state area. Get the point about eyeballs.

[bisonboone11]

I don't know about comparing tv ratings of the rival game to the NC game, but UND has a contract with Fox College Sports and now Root Sports, NDSU has KVLY. See the difference in eyeballs. Say 2 eyeballs =100,000 people thats what almost 14 eyeballs for ND, plus another 2-4 for Minnesota, and a couple in SD and maybe 2-4 in Montana...thats KVLY....whats the population of the US?? True not everyone in the US will watch the game but its available from NY to Seattle, LA to Miami and everywhere in between. KVLY is what the tri-state area. Get the point about eyeballs.

So you're saying you do think more people would watch the rivalry game than the FCS title game? You're delusional.

[UNDColorado]

Exactly. NDSU is the better team. Using your own logic, this game is more important to UND. Thanks.

You may be a better team right now, but as someone pointed out earlier 3 years is a long way out. Enjoy it while it lasts. Really after seeing how childish moo u supporters are I can care less at this point because our new conference is in a good spot with the demise of the WAC as a football playing conference; meaning the Sky will be the third highest football playing conference in the west. At this point I will take that.