UND vs. SDSU

[jdub27]

As far as yard signs. I guess I can't argue with you there. I guess UND is perhaps not passing out signs to stick in peoples yards...really? Can't people make there own signs. Personally, I want no signs in my yard period. Political, Sports or otherwise. But yes you are right UND Marketing is certainly guilty in not providing me a sign for my yard. Shame on you UND Marketing

They did this 2 or 3 years ago and you saw them all over town. I had family and college friends from across the state and region asking me to get them so they could put them in their yards. Felt pretty good pulling up to a friend's house in Fargo with UND signs proudly displayed in the lawn. Laugh about them if you want, but people like things like that. Pretty cheap exposure and it makes fans feel proud to be able to stick something simple in their yard to show their pride.

[the green team]

They did this 2 or 3 years ago and you saw them all over town. I had family and college friends from across the state and region asking me to get them so they could put them in their yards. Felt pretty good pulling up to a friend's house in Fargo with UND signs proudly displayed in the lawn. Laugh about them if you want, but people like things like that. Pretty cheap exposure and it makes fans feel proud to be able to stick something simple in their yard to show their pride.

Thank you--you're helping me prove my point. You're saying that UND Marketing has already did a campaign like this within the last 2 or 3 years. You & friends liked it.. that's great. Obviously they (UND Marketing) aren't as dim as some of us are making them out to be. But according to you that was a few years ago. It sounds if they're guilty of anything it's not continuing that campaign or doing it again sooner-- as it proved poplular. We're the signs free or were they sold? Honestly, I can say that I missed out on this marketing campaign. Which is funny cause I really, do pay attention to this stuff, cause I'm always working it seems, but I apparently did miss the sign campaign. It's still not going to make me put signs of any kind in my yard, but I'm curious.

[darell1976]

They did this 2 or 3 years ago and you saw them all over town. I had family and college friends from across the state and region asking me to get them so they could put them in their yards. Felt pretty good pulling up to a friend's house in Fargo with UND signs proudly displayed in the lawn. Laugh about them if you want, but people like things like that. Pretty cheap exposure and it makes fans feel proud to be able to stick something simple in their yard to show their pride.

Like 100,000 people in the FM area where you drive around and you see sometimes 2 or 3 different NDSU signs. Plus billboards all over town. Funny how KVLY doesn't advertise anything with UND since they are Fargo/Grand Forks. I do hear UND mentioned more on WDAY TV maybe because their radio stations broadcast UND sports. I just think UND is lacking big time in marketing when compared to NDSU. As far as radio in Fargo what about Bismarck, and Minot they have NDSU sports what about UND, just how much UND is broadcasted in the western part of the state (besides hockey).

[choyt3]

What's funnier still is that there is a yearly bitchfest in fargo about all the coverage UND gets down there compared to 'su. I'm guessing the actual coverage is somewhere in the middle.

[star2city]

The fans currently attending men's basketball and even football are basically the hard-core fans, and that's about it.

When UND starts playing in the Big Sky, attendance could go up 30-50% by doing nothing, just because the games become meaningful.

If UND starts consistently winning, attendance could go up by 100%.

Look at women's volleyball as an example. Prior to Hardee, attendance was lucky to be 300, Now averaging around 900.

In the Big Sky next year, average attendance could go over 1000, as an NCAA berth will be on the line.

Look at women's hockey as another example. Prior to the twins, attendance was around 600. Now averaging over 2000.

Next year, when the team has even more depth and experience (and hopefully an even higher win %), maybe 3000 is possible.

Sioux fans connect with the Lammy twins, with Hardee's attitude, and with Roebuck's drive. That helps all three of those sports. Women's basketball actually has rather good attendance in comparison to regional schools - largely due to residual goodwill about Roebuck (NDSU's women basketball attendance, by comparison, has dropped like a rock). In football, Sioux fans formerly felt highly connected to Lennon and certain players, like Dressler.

The problem for football and men's basketball is that neither Mussman or Jones have really made an authentic connection with Sioux fans. No amount of marketing will correct that.

Men's basketball does have a chance to make a major connection with Sioux fans this year: beat the Bison in front of a huge crowd.

[Dagger]

UND's total television package is light years ahead of NDSU. We have a coaches show on television through the basketball seasons. NDSU's television show ends with football and is only football when it is on. We also have an additional UND Sports show on television. Like I said we are way ahead of NDSU when it comes to television. When we get in the Big Sky next year we are even going to be farther ahead. Big Sky has a nice television package.

[Cratter]

Coach Jones should put the NDSU score from last year on the scoreboard that week during practice.

[UNDsportsFANATIC]

Crater I totally agree

[Cratter]

Fans use to love to come out and watch Jerome Beasley (33rd overall pick in the 2003 draft) dominate with his 26 average points per game..

[star2city]

Fans use to love to come out and watch Jerome Beasley (33rd overall pick in the 2003 draft) dominate with his 26 average points per game..

Beasley was only at UND for two years. Players like Mustard and Guldseth had even higher community connections.

[darell1976]

UND's total television package is light years ahead of NDSU. We have a coaches show on television through the basketball seasons. NDSU's television show ends with football and is only football when it is on. We also have an additional UND Sports show on television. Like I said we are way ahead of NDSU when it comes to television. When we get in the Big Sky next year we are even going to be farther ahead. Big Sky has a nice television package.

Is Big Sky TV a paticular channel like Fox College Sports, or Altitude?

[sioux24/7]

I don't know if anyone saw this but on Joe Lunardi's bracketology he has SDSU as a 15 seed. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

[Cratter]

Does UND still run the "Princeton" offense?

[sioux2013]

Does UND still run the "Princeton" offense?

Have not run the princeton for 2 years. That changed with the 5 sophomores.

[UNDsportsFANATIC]

Cratter I though you attend the games? Or at least watch them on video stream? Princeton style offense has been long gone!

[Cratter]

I try and support all UND teams, but my basketball knowledge is greatly less than my football and hockey.

[SIOUXFAN97]

anyone know how tix sales are going for the ndsu game? still kind of wish it was in the betty with maybe higher bleachers in the endzones for more seating...but if they get less than ten grand in the ralph it will be a waste...better not be A MELTDOWN AT THE RALPH PART TWO

[Teeder11]

anyone know how tix sales are going for the ndsu game? still kind of wish it was in the betty with maybe higher bleachers in the endzones for more seating...but if they get less than ten grand in the ralph it will be a waste...better not be A MELTDOWN AT THE RALPH PART TWO

That was my thought too, about the Betty. It would seem that the Ralph would be more of a neutral site for both teams compared to the cozy familiar confines of the Betty that our players are used to. You'd also think that the crowd would favor UND, but who knows, AC fans travel well, especially for big rivalry games only 70 miles away. It might be half and half the way our casual fans have been showing up for BB games.

[Cratter]

Highly unlikely they get 10,000. My best guess is 6,000. Attendance is going to hurt being during a weekday. Why would UND want to turn down 3,000 paying fans by hosting it in the Betty.

I too have changed my attitude on the Ralph after the USD game. It definitely has a big time feel to it. I agree you hardly notice the upper bowl when it is dark up there. It doesn't hold the sound quite as good as the Hyslop but the bells and whistles and everything else more than make up for it. Having the bleachers on the ends really helps keep a more closed in feel to it. The biggest problem is going to be scheduling around Hockey. I for one am all for the Ralph for the more meaning full games.

I'm a little late here but I loved having the games at the Ralph. The potential to actually have a DI atmosphere in the Ralph is definitely there. One thing I noticed while sitting at the games is how the upper bowl seemed to disappear. It didn't feel as empty and hollow as many thought it would. If UND gets into the Summit and held the USD, NDSU and SDSU games in the Ralph and got between 5-7,000 in the lower bowl, it would be one heck of an amazing atmosphere. Throw in a game in the Ralph against an occasional name school and UND could really increase it's average attendance. Imagine if UND and NDSU were in the race to win the Summit. Who says a UND/NDSU game couldn't draw 7-10,000.

Having games at the Ralph would also help raise the profile of the basketball programs and for lack of a better word "legitimize" them.

http://forum.siouxsports.com/topic/13445-the-betty-vs-the-ralph/

[SIOUXFAN97]

if 6k is all might as well have it at hyslop...there is absolutely no home court advantage to playing in the ralph if only 6 or 7k people show up...the meltdown at the ralph was the worst game in the transition years that i have been to.

[Cratter]

And there is TV for the Bison game unlike last year at NDSU.

[bincitysioux]

For basketball attendance to rise, I think the basketball team needs to start winning alot of games. Grand Forks has become a tough market. The novelty of DI never materialized here like it did in Fargo, Brookings, and even Vermillion. I think the biggest reason for that is because prior to the move to DI, North Dakota was a threat to win the national title in nearly every revenue sport............football, hockey, women's basketball................

When the fans are used to that, and you have hockey beating the crap out of everybody during the same time frame that football and women's basketball are struggling......................it is tough for those programs.................

You have one athletic department beating up on Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc... for the last 5 years while other athletic departments are losing to Sioux Falls and Mayville St.

Grand Forks obviously wants a winner...................they show up in better numbers for games against Texas A&M-Kingsville and Waldorf College than they do for South Dakota and Montana.........................

As far as marketing, I think it is pretty hard to criticize what UND has done since Brian Faison and Sean Johnson came aboard. I've watched more Sioux football, basketball, volleyball, and women's hockey on TV over the last three years than I have in my entire life..................I've listened to volleyball games and women's hockey games on the radio.........................what other universities in this region are broadcasting volleyball games on the radio for crying out loud?.................

Long story short.................attendance will go up if UND wins..................in every sport. The average sports fan in and near Grand Forks are not intelligent enough to recognize quality football and basketball competetion otherwise.

[bincitysioux]

I'm interested to see what kind of draw there is for the NDSU game. The last one in GF was over 7,500. But I figure that most of GF has given up on everything at UND that isn't played on ice...................6,000 seems like a reasonable guess. Too bad considering NDSU looks good, and this years North Dakota team is likely much more talented than the teams of the early 90's that drew between 4,000-5,000 every night...........................

[The Sicatoka]

Realities for this game:

- Finals week at UND. There were two kinds of students this late in the (finals) week: those who had finals left to study for and those who'd gone home already

- Week night within 10 days of Christmas. Folks need to get that last minute consumeris ..., er, I mean holiday spirit moving

- Week night in general. You'll only get the 30 minutes or less drive folks.

[sioux2013]

Last year the UND vs NDSU drew 10,700 fans to the fargo dome. I realize that was a saturday game but dont see why we should not attract as many fans for this huge game. It should be a tightly contested game from start to finish. It was a huge build up prior to the game and I believe subway or somebody purchased nearly 2000 tickets and gave them away for a sell out. Winning does generally bring more fans but in our case we have a quality team these last 2 years and we have been winning but I haven't seen the attendance go up at all with much better opponents coming into the Betty also. Go Sioux