What conference will the other Dakotas be in 2015?

[UNDColorado]

Travel costs have changed because when NDSU wanted into the Big Sky it wasn't an issue, admit UNC and later Cal Poly, UC Davis, SUU and UND and now it's always a negative. They want a bus league except that wasn't the case almost a decade ago. Their hatred towards the BSC is jealousy that UND got in on the first try while NDSU went 0-2 trying to get accepted.

That is pretty much spot on, but yesterday I noticed a couple NDSU fans on AGS saying how they missed the great games with Poly and Davis and how they should be scheduling them again. Some of them talk in circles and refuse face the reality of the situation. I can't say I blame them because many of us did this during the nickname debacle.

[UNDBIZ]

If Fullerton has a plan for FBS, why wouldn't NDSU take that. NDSU isn't getting any interest from any other FBS league, as Kolpack would have been all over that story if there was just a sliver of a chance. Imagine if UND was FBS and NDSU wasn't?

I don't think it'll be a question of ndsu accepting an offer, I'm holding out hope that the BSC doesn't give them one

[darell1976]

That is pretty much spot on, but yesterday I noticed a couple NDSU fans on AGS saying how they missed the great games with Poly and Davis and how they should be scheduling them again. Some of them talk in circles and refuse face the reality of the situation. I can't say I blame them because many of us did this during the nickname debacle.

You forgot all non conference games are required under Bison law to be played only in Fargo. So of course they would love to play Davis and Poly if it was only in the dome.

[darell1976]

"Our current members believe that the league’s present core of committed institutions gives us a solid foundation in which to build upon in the future.”

– Tom Douple, Summit League Commissioner

Solid foundation??? That foundation is as solid as jello.

[Jheria]

Travel costs have changed because when NDSU wanted into the Big Sky it wasn't an issue, admit UNC and later Cal Poly, UC Davis, SUU and UND and now it's always a negative. They want a bus league except that wasn't the case almost a decade ago. Their hatred towards the BSC is jealousy that UND got in on the first try while NDSU went 0-2 trying to get accepted.

Funny that you would use the the word jealously. No one has more penis envy, hatred and jealously in their life than you do.

[UND1983]

The part I love is how Douple says they have 8 solid committed members. One of the 8 hasn't even started yet. The only schools that love beingin the Summit are USD and Omaha. The rest all have been mentioned as looking for better.

[Cratter]

PR Media War right now: Summit 0. Big Sky 10.

Doubt the Slummit could have a worse reactive not proactive commissioner ever!

[JohnboyND7]

Travel costs have changed because when NDSU wanted into the Big Sky it wasn't an issue, admit UNC and later Cal Poly, UC Davis, SUU and UND and now it's always a negative. They want a bus league except that wasn't the case almost a decade ago. Their hatred towards the BSC is jealousy that UND got in on the first try while NDSU went 0-2 trying to get accepted.

Lower travel costs do allow for NDSU to spend money in other areas of the athletic department. The hatred towards the BSC comes from A.) being told no in favor of UNC, which probably made sense for them at the time. Obviously in retrospect, I'm sure the BSC would rather have had NDSU. The conditions on which UND got in seem to be quite different than when NDSU was working on getting in.

I think having a conversation off the record with Mr. Fullerton would be quite interesting.

[jdub27]

The part I love is how Douple says they have 8 solid committed members. One of the 8 hasn't even started yet. The only schools that love beingin the Summit are USD and Omaha. The rest all have been mentioned as looking for better.

Both the SD schools are fans of the Summit since the MBB and WBB conference tournament have more or less been permanently placed in Sioux Falls.

[CMSioux]

Lower travel costs do allow for NDSU to spend money in other areas of the athletic department. The hatred towards the BSC comes from A.) being told no in favor of UNC, which probably made sense for them at the time. Obviously in retrospect, I'm sure the BSC would rather have had NDSU. The conditions on which UND got in seem to be quite different than when NDSU was working on getting in.

I think having a conversation off the record with Mr. Fullerton would be quite interesting.

Yah something changed - they wanted UND they didn't want su. The Big Sky said it chose UND because it was a like-minded institution of higher learning with similar goals to the other Big Sky schools. Not sure how anything could have changed that drastically in a few short years.

[FargoBison]

Zooropa has completely lost it, but like I said a few days ago SDSU fans are way more attached the the Summit League than NDSU fans are attached to the league. That tournament in SF is a huge deal for them. What they fail to realize is nobody else really loves it like they do.

Things have changed with Big Sky, the Montana schools realized the Big Sky had become a conference of schools that weren't really like them so they used the WAC as a power play to get what they wanted.. They didn't let Sac State and PSU pull the same stunt they pulled with NDSU and SDSU.

.

[UNDColorado]

Zooropa has completely lost it, but like I said a few days ago SDSU fans are way more attached the the Summit League than NDSU fans are attached to the league. That tournament in SF is a huge deal for them. What they fail to realize is nobody else really loves it like they do.

Things have changed with Big Sky, the Montana schools realized the Big Sky had become a conference of schools that weren't really like them so they used the WAC as a power play to get what they wanted.. They didn't let Sac State and PSU pull the same stunt they pulled with NDSU and SDSU.

.

Did sac state put up a fuss when NDSU was trying to get into the Big Sky? As you know they had a !@#$ fit when we joined.

[Cratter]

The point of adding the Dakota schools to the Big Sky is hope the Sac States leave. All those CA schools and only a few FCS programs! What the heck!

[FargoBison]

Did sac state put up a fuss when NDSU was trying to get into the Big Sky? As you know they had a !@#$ fit when we joined.

They pretty much blocked NDSU, on multiple occasions. NDSU had a lot of support from Montana State but their president could never get a consensus vote.

[SiouxVolley]

They pretty much blocked NDSU, on multiple occasions. NDSU had a lot of support from Montana State but their president could never get a consensus vote.

Kind of think that Fullerton had that interview with Tom Miller last week just to frighten other Summit schools into thinking NDSU was thinking about leaving. A lot of NDSU fans and your admin probably want at least to have a pathway for FBS, and by Fullerton throwing that subject out in the open, it gets the attention of some of the other Summit schools into thinking that NDSU is now at high risk of jumping. If NDSU jumps, the whole house of cards falls down in the Summit. If you are a president of IUPUI or IPFW, you're going to pursue every avenue to get out before NDSU does. IUPUI and IPFW really have nothin in common with any Summit mate except for Oakland.

By playing the FBS card, Fullerton could very well have destabilized the Summit, effectively helling "fire" in the Summit theater when the Summit audience is already on alert with Oakland leaving. Fullerton may be a lot sharper than people are giving him credit for. Why would Fullerton give that interview to a Grand Forks paper, rather than in Billings or Portland or Sacramento? It's pretty simple: by giving the interview to a Grand Forks paper, almost automatically the rest of the Summit leadership and fans will know about it because Fargo NDSU fans read it. A blaring headline about NDSU to the Big Sky has an effect that even Bresciani can't put out.

Fullerton knows he needs NDSU if his dream of FBS is ever to come true, as several schools in the Sky don't have the capacity to pursue FBS. Knowledgeable NDSU fans know that no FBS bid will come from the MAC, or Sun Belt, or MWC, so those boosters that want FBS will get behind the idea of the Big Sky.

[JohnboyND7]

Yah something changed - they wanted UND they didn't want su. The Big Sky said it chose UND because it was a like-minded institution of higher learning with similar goals to the other Big Sky schools. Not sure how anything could have changed that drastically in a few short years.

They can say what they want. Maybe that was the case and they changed their mind from awhile back. A few years back the Big 10 wouldn't have probably taken Rutgers or Maryland. A few years back the Big East wouldn't have taken San Diego State. Re-Alignment has been an interesting thing.

Are you of the opinion that UND-USD was more attractive than NDSU-SDSU?

[homer]

They can say what they want. Maybe that was the case and they changed their mind from awhile back. A few years back the Big 10 wouldn't have probably taken Rutgers or Maryland. A few years back the Big East wouldn't have taken San Diego State. Re-Alignment has been an interesting thing.

Are you of the opinion that UND-USD was more attractive than NDSU-SDSU?

You sound bitter that FU isn't in the Big Sky?

[Teeder11]

They can say what they want. Maybe that was the case and they changed their mind from awhile back. A few years back the Big 10 wouldn't have probably taken Rutgers or Maryland. A few years back the Big East wouldn't have taken San Diego State. Re-Alignment has been an interesting thing.

Are you of the opinion that UND-USD was more attractive than NDSU-SDSU?

Well, when Presidents are the ones making the decisions based on things like "like-minded" institutions and academics stats instead of win-loss records and past championships, then, yes, I can see an argument for UND-USD.

But, you make an interesting argument about how things change in sport. There again, though, at the time of the big Big Sky door slam, UND-USD were very competitive with the NDSUs-SDSUs of the world. So if athletic standing had even remotest bearing on getting in or not, then, UND-USD would have been on pretty good footing there, too.

[darell1976]

Funny that you would use the the word jealously. No one has more penis envy, hatred and jealously in their life than you do.

Except maybe you an other Bison fans.

[JohnboyND7]

You sound bitter that FU isn't in the Big Sky?

Eh, I was too young to be bitter about it. I like the midwestern feel.

[GeauxSioux]

Argus Leader Q&A with Douple.. http://www.arguslead...-strong-members

Even I've learned enough over the past few days to know that the Summit has 4 eligible baseball members....

]Q: You’re down to five teams in baseball, which is one under the NCAA minimum to retain an automatic bid to the Division I tournament. Are you at a point where you have to consider trying to court schools that are active members of other leagues?

A: I think all options are on the table. If I’m going to do something like that, I’m going to definitely be up front and such. There’s still a lot of things that are going on at this time in conference realignment across the country, and I speak to other commissioners.

[Dagger]

Douple said he has known for quite a while that Oakland was going to leave. Even though he knew this was coming he put his bitternesss for UND ahead of making smart decisions for the league he is the administrator for. He did not pursue UND. This whole fiasco shows just how incompetent Douple really is. He has a league situation that is not very appealing to any new member.

[darell1976]

Douple said he has known for quite a while that Oakland was going to leave. Even though he knew this was coming he put his bitternesss for UND ahead of making smart decisions for the league he is the administrator for. He did not pursue UND. This whole fiasco shows just how incompetent Douple really is. He has a league situation that is not very appealing to any new member.

I caught that too. What a tool.

[UNDBIZ]

I caught that too. What a tool.

Haha, he also pulled the buttrpi card....

[homer]

From the same article mentioned above.

We’ve got eight strong members, but everyone’s talking about the ones that left. What about the ones are here and that are committed?

Well Tom, probably because there is a new school leaving every year. No one in that conference is committed. When schools are bailing to the WAC, something is going on.