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Conference Realignments - Take 2


The Sicatoka

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Anecdotal evidence is great however I am not asking for that. Show me some type of projections that back up Stars statement. I don't doubt schools and towns are increasing in population but please just provide me with something to review.

This is a little old from 2008... but I think most of these projections are off as I believe the growth has been greater than thought in 2008....

Officials estimate that the oil

industry will need 12,000 new and replacement workers

over the next four years to get the job done. Translating

12,000 new positions into 12,000 new families equates to

the potential for nearly 36,000 new residents in western

North Dakota, which is a population growth equivalent to

the city of Minot.

http://www.ae2s.com/pdf/PublishedArticles/BigOpportunityBigChallenges.pdf

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Anecdotal evidence is great however I am not asking for that. Show me some type of projections that back up Stars statement. I don't doubt schools and towns are increasing in population but please just provide me with something to review.

From 2010 study:

http://www.ndhfa.org...s/williston.pdf

The numbers from this study are already grossly out of date - as projected rigs have doubled and projected oil wells have doubled.

Since the 2000 census, over 23,000 people have been attracted to northwest North Dakota. While this is favorable given the region’s

long history of population decline, it is important to understand the region 20 years into the future so that over building does not occur.

Given the three pattern drilling options (14,000, 21,000 and 28,000 wells), at 2030, the permanent population of the Bakken/Three

Forks footprint would be approximately 92,500, 106,000, or 128,500 people respectively. However this permanent population is

similar to that of the Bakken/Three Forks footprint attained at 2018.

More recently, the number of oil wells is projected at 48 - 60,000, which would yield 200,000 people in western ND.

The study area doesn't include Bismarck or Minot.

If the Tyler, Birdbear, Madison, Red River, and/or Lodgepole formations are economical, that number could be doubled yet again. In fact both the Bakken and Three Forks formations have additional benches that may require drilling, which would add even more jobs.

Satisfied. :whistling:

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I wonder if the new scholarship rule could spark some change, most Big Sky and Summit schools probably won't be too supportive of the budget increase but for a school like NDSU, Montana, MT State or UND It is something that might be workable.

Right now a pretty solid conference could be built....

Air Force-Denver

NDSU-UND

SDSU-USD

Montana-Montana State

Idaho-Utah State

NMSU-UTSA?

Not sure how football would work though.

The WAC would almost have to lose a bunch of teams, and then the Montana / North Dakota schools would have to be added for this to happen.

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The WAC would almost have to lose a bunch of teams, and then the Montana / North Dakota schools would have to be added for this to happen.

Lets get crazy then...what if the WAC just took all those teams in? Moved to 16 teams and went to a pod system?

Great Plains Pod

NDSU-UND-SDSU-USD

Mountain Pod

Montana-Montana State-Air Force-Denver

Southwest Pod

NMSU-UTSA-Texas St-UT Arlington

Western Pod

Idaho-Seattle-SJSU-Utah State

I know it is still very off the wall, but it gives the WAC stability and it would give the conference some structure.

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Dear Sioux Fans,

Let quit trying to convince them our decisions are best for us. Lets continue to let them believe we don't know what we are talking about (like starting hockey).

Thanks.

In reading the last 3 pages of posts it looks like to me you're trying to convince yourselves you know (Athletic Dept) what you are talking about. UND is a hockey school period. The other sports are looked on as only ancillary to hockey. If they win fine if not - Hey we have hockey! I know alot of UND fans and they're all hockey fans that have the idea that the other sports should be "competitive". But in the long run as long as the hockey team is winning that's all that matters. Look at the fight over the Sioux name as a example of that. The majority of hockey fans would still throw the "other" sports under the bus to keep the name if it was up to them.

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In reading the last 3 pages of posts it looks like to me you're trying to convince yourselves you know (Athletic Dept) what you are talking about. UND is a hockey school period. The other sports are looked on as only ancillary to hockey. If they win fine if not - Hey we have hockey! I know alot of UND fans and they're all hockey fans that have the idea that the other sports should be "competitive". But in the long run as long as the hockey team is winning that's all that matters. Look at the fight over the Sioux name as a example of that. The majority of hockey fans would still throw the "other" sports under the bus to keep the name if it was up to them.

Just like NDSU is a football school first, and its funny to hear why Bison fans can't understand why they won't get into the MVC. Maybe because you play basketball in a garage? Or the fact that you (UND does too) play baseball when the snow stops and the floodwaters go down.

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Just like NDSU is a football school first, and its funny to hear why Bison fans can't understand why they won't get into the MVC. Maybe because you play basketball in a garage? Or the fact that you (UND does too) play baseball when the snow stops and the floodwaters go down.

UND should seriously consider dropping baseball for lacrosse.

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In reading the last 3 pages of posts it looks like to me you're trying to convince yourselves you know (Athletic Dept) what you are talking about. UND is a hockey school period. The other sports are looked on as only ancillary to hockey. If they win fine if not - Hey we have hockey! I know alot of UND fans and they're all hockey fans that have the idea that the other sports should be "competitive". But in the long run as long as the hockey team is winning that's all that matters. Look at the fight over the Sioux name as a example of that. The majority of hockey fans would still throw the "other" sports under the bus to keep the name if it was up to them.

How you, or the Sioux fans you speak with, choose to define UND (as a "hockey" school), is less relevant than whether or not the rest of the athletic department can compete for Big Sky championships in the same fashion it did in the NCC. The success of UND athletics outside of hockey speaks for itself, despite how anyone else chooses to label it, "hockey school" or otherwise.
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Lets get crazy then...what if the WAC just took all those teams in? Moved to 16 teams and went to a pod system?

Great Plains Pod

NDSU-UND-SDSU-USD

Mountain Pod

Montana-Montana State-Air Force-Denver

Southwest Pod

NMSU-UTSA-Texas St-UT Arlington

Western Pod

Idaho-Seattle-SJSU-Utah State

I know it is still very off the wall, but it gives the WAC stability and it would give the conference some structure.

It's a fun idea, but the WAC has already tried the 16-team, 4 quadrant model.......................the end result was the Mountain West Conference.

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In reading the last 3 pages of posts it looks like to me you're trying to convince yourselves you know (Athletic Dept) what you are talking about. UND is a hockey school period. The other sports are looked on as only ancillary to hockey. If they win fine if not - Hey we have hockey! I know alot of UND fans and they're all hockey fans that have the idea that the other sports should be "competitive". But in the long run as long as the hockey team is winning that's all that matters. Look at the fight over the Sioux name as a example of that. The majority of hockey fans would still throw the "other" sports under the bus to keep the name if it was up to them.

Wow, an NDSU fan bringing up North Dakota hockey................................never saw that one coming. :tinfoilhat:

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And I just like that a lot of Sioux hockey fans are not UND fans.

But at least they cheer for the same school, unlike Bison fans that cheer for their most hated rival in hockey. Wonder what its like to wear a Bison jersey to a football game, go home and change into a SIoux hockey jersey and hit the interstate. ;)

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And I just like that a lot of Sioux hockey fans are not UND fans.

So your happy that ndsu alumni buy tickets to a UND event, make the trek to Grand Forks every other weekend in the winter but still buy tickets to other ndsu events?

I'm failing to see why that would make you happy?

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It's a fun idea, but the WAC has already tried the 16-team, 4 quadrant model.......................the end result was the Mountain West Conference.

Wouldn't that be the point? Then you could break off UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Utah State and add Idaho State for an awesome 9 team northern tier FBS conference! I mean, we're getting crazy, right?

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Wouldn't that be the point? Then you could break off UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Utah State and add Idaho State for an awesome 9 team northern tier FBS conference! I mean, we're getting crazy, right?

Thats insane.........Lakesbison is already signing NDSU up as MInnesota's replacement in the Big 10. :lol:

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UND is a hockey school period. The other sports are looked on as only ancillary to hockey. If they win fine if not - Hey we have hockey!

Yes, UND is a hockey school. But if it was a hockey school "period" you probably wouldn't be here.

I have no idea how old you are. I'm old enough to remember several swings back and forth between UND and NDSU for football superiority. Granted, NDSU has clearly accomplished more in football (National Championships). We've got no answer for those 10-12 years that you had most of your success. Even then UND still leads the series and trails in conference titles by 2-3.

It would take more for the pitchforks to come out at Memorial Stadium than it would in Fargo (or at the Ralph). But if you think Mr. Faison and/or the football alumni are willing to settle for mediocrity or being Fargo's biatch, you haven't been paying attention to history.

I give NDSU a lot of credit for what they've done the past 6-8 years. I wish UND's transition had gone as well. And if you would like to think UND will never catch up, that's fine with me.

As I recall, you guys were feeling pretty good about yourself in 1992 also. How'd that work out for you?

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Wouldn't that be the point? Then you could break off UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Utah State and add Idaho State for an awesome 9 team northern tier FBS conference! I mean, we're getting crazy, right?

another crazy thought for this... Northern Colorado

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