2014-15 Schedule

[Hambone]

Here is the schedule for 2014-15:

Nov. 15: @ Northern Iowa

Nov. 18: vs. Mayville State

Nov. 21: @ South Dakota State

Nov. 26: @ Alabama State (In Utah)

Nov. 28: @ Utah

Nov. 29: @ Texas Pan-American (In Utah)

Dec. 6: @ Drake

Dec. 8: @ Minnesota

Dec. 13: @ NDSU

Dec. 19: vs Dickinson State

Dec. 22: @ Marquette

Jan. 1: @ Montana State

Jan. 3: @ Montana

Jan. 8: vs. Sac State

Jan. 10: vs. Portland State

Jan. 17: vs. Northern Colorado

Jan. 22: @ Idaho

Jan. 24: @ Eastern Washington

Jan. 29: vs. Weber State

Jan. 31: vs. Idaho State

Feb. 5: @ Southern Utah

Feb. 7: @ Northern Arizona

Feb. 12: vs. Montana

Feb. 14: vs. Montana State

Feb. 19: @ Portland State

Feb. 21: @ Sac State

Feb. 26: vs. Northern Arizona

Feb. 28: vs. Southern Utah

Mar. 3: vs. Nebraska Omaha (ESPN Bracket Busters)

Mar. 7: @ Northern Colorado

Mar. 12-14: Big Sky Tournament

So the only non conf home games are Dickinson, mayville and Omaha?

[SiouxFan07]

So the only non conf home games are Dickinson, mayville and Omaha?

Unfortunately, yeah.

[southpaw]

There has to be a reason for this. Could it be an effort by Jones to get his players a whole lot better on the road? They certainly will get a lot of experience.

[darell1976]

So the only non conf home games are Dickinson, mayville and Omaha?

We had better OOC home games in the GWC, this is embarrassing. Mayville, Dickinson and a transition DI team. Since UND can't win OOC games on the road maybe they should load up on the lower ND teams. Next year can we host Lake Region and Science of Wahpeton. Prepare for more empty seats at the Betty. Football got away from DII teams why can't they get away from them in basketball. 300+ teams and we host Dickinson and Mayville. Is it Jones or Faison that does the scheduling. Cause this sucks!!! I will now step off the soapbox.

[SiouxFan07]

We had better OOC home games in the GWC, this is embarrassing. Mayville, Dickinson and a transition DI team. Since UND can't win OOC games on the road maybe they should load up on the lower ND teams. Next year can we host Lake Region and Science of Wahpeton. Prepare for more empty seats at the Betty. Football got away from DII teams why can't they get away from them in basketball. 300+ teams and we host Dickinson and Mayville. Is it Jones or Faison that does the scheduling. Cause this sucks!!! I will now step off the soapbox.

I agree with you. I think it is cool that UND can play schools like Kansas, Butler, Marquette, and so on. But if you want to generate interest, you need to bring top tier teams to your place. I'm not saying bring Duke, but bring some names here. Look at volleyball last year bringing in Texas A&M and Iowa State! People see those names on schedules and will buy tickets. Another example is Texas-San Antonio football. They just played there first full FBS season last year and their home opener was Oklahoma State who was #13 I believe. They had over 45,000 people there! Next year they are bringing in Arizona! Even if you get killed, you are still generating interest and putting people in those empty seats. Obviously you want a winning product, but you also want people to talk about you too. I'm just a college student who likes going to games where I can't hear what my neighbor is saying, so what do I know? Lol

[SiouxVolley]

In 15-16, the home schedule should have NDSU, SDSU, and UNI. I presume Drake is a guarantee game. Certainly Utah, Minnesota, and Marquette are guarantee games. The NDSU, UTPA, and Alabama State games should be very winnable.

The schedule is saying that Jones is really gunning for the 2015-16 season. Any DI home games he brings in, all the new players would not have jelled yet. (Hence Omaha late in the year.) The beginning of 2014 should be a learning period anyway. When Shanks gets eligible come Jan 1st, the real season starts.

[ArtVandalay]

I think Jones decided he didn't want to play home games against D1 schools. Prefers to play them on the road. It was challenging since his phone was ringing off the hook from D1 schools trying to come to Grand Forks this winter. Not to mention how full the basketball coffers are with money. Makes the desire to play money road games even more puzzling.

[dmksioux]

In 15-16, the home schedule should have NDSU, SDSU, and UNI. I presume Drake is a guarantee game. Certainly Utah, Minnesota, and Marquette are guarantee games. The NDSU, UTPA, and Alabama State games should be very winnable.

The schedule is saying that Jones is really gunning for the 2015-16 season. Any DI home games he brings in, all the new players would not have jelled yet. (Hence Omaha late in the year.) The beginning of 2014 should be a learning period anyway. When Shanks gets eligible come Jan 1st, the real season starts.

Isn't the UNO game part of Bracket Buster games, all of which are scheduled late in the season? I don't remember if last year or this year is the last year if it though?

[SiouxVolley]

Isn't the UNO game part of Bracket Buster games, all of which are scheduled late in the season? I don't remember if last year or this year is the last year if it though?

Thought last year was the final year, but Omaha still owes a game. Could be wrong though.

[nodak651]

What a bleeping joke. Zero investment in the basketball program.... this is why we have hockey only fans.

[SelectionSunday]

Updated Fighting Sioux schedule with addition of Marquette.

NORTH DAKOTA

Nov. 26: vs. Alabama State (Global Sports Utah)

Nov. 28: @ Utah (Global Sports Utah)

Nov. 29: vs. Texas-Pan American (Global Sports Utah)

Dec. 13: @ North Dakota State

Dec. 22: @ Marquette

Date TBD: @ Minnesota

Date TBD: @ South Dakota State

March 12-14: Big Sky Tournament (#1 seed)

[jdub27]

Pretty good OOC schedule, unfortunately mostly away. The home schedule is what it is. Surprised to see that USD isn't back on it yet, need to get them back in the OOC rotation, preferably opposite years of the XDSU's. Getting teams to travel for basketball isn't all that easy and its showing, might need to do some 2-1's to get some higher caliber teams if possible.

[darell1976]

NDSU not fairing much better: Minot St, UM-Crookston, UND, Akron (Bracketbuster), Northland....2 DI teams.

[the green team]

NDSU did a 2 for 1 with Southern Miss of C-USA, maybe UND needs to do that just to get DI teams of other conferences whether its C-USA, Sun Belt, MWC, MAC, just anyone to come to the Betty. Just scheduling NDSU, and SDSU is not enough.

I didn't know NDSU v Southern Miss was 2 for 1. I thought that was a home and home. So they go there the next 2 years? I wasn't aware of that.

[darell1976]

I didn't know NDSU v Southern Miss was 2 for 1. I thought that was a home and home. So they go there the next 2 years? I wasn't aware of that.

Yep

http://dev1.thedicki...ticle/id/69740/

Southern Miss finished No. 27 in the final NCAA Ratings Percentage Index power poll last year. The Nov. 18 game at the Bison Sports Arena will be part of a 2-for-1 deal, meaning NDSU will travel to USM for the last two games of the contract.

Phillips said it’s rare that a mid-major will land a home game first in a 2-for-1 deal, but NDSU was in major need of home games because Oakland University (Mich.) and Missouri-Kansas City left the Summit League, the ESPN BracketBuster series was canceled and the University of Akron, which was slated to play in Fargo this coming season, opted to wait a year.

[the green team]

Does anyone really think that they don't want to get more good opponents here for home games? To me that argument really doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm sure the staff sits around and says "let's have a crummy non-conference home schedule this year". How does that even seem plausible? So I guess I don't see the sense of whining, crying or complaining about it, when you accept the realities of where this program is at right now.

When you are able to bring in the Bowling Green's and the La Tech's and you beat them...that already puts a hesitance in a program that may be looking for reasons not to travel here to GF in the first place. I do not believe in 2 for 1's with other mid-major or low major schools. Despite the mention of Southern Miss & NDSU above) Others simply don't do it very often. Why should we put ourselves in that box? Schools our size/conference etc occasionally seem to only use that scheduling method if they are able draw in a P5 Conference team eventually. Otherwise 95 to 99% of the time it's home and home's between like schools or one game guarantees. I suppose we could bring some teams in for 1 game guarantees but do we have just 50 to 100K just lying around to do it? Unfortunately we are an outlier- we have the 1-29 corridor and it just happens that those games fall on the road this year. Omaha is the return for the Bracket Busters 2 years ago.

I think Jones has been on record that he would like to see all the teams in the conference including his own as taking less guaranteed money games, where often unfortunately the team is a sacrificial lamb, because it harms the Big Sky's RPI. In fact during a Coach's Show last year he said there are 2 teams in the league that are in a situation that they don't have to take guaranteed money games and more often than not...don't. Guess which 2 those are....Weber and Montana. But right now neither UND nor anyone else in the league can be fortunate enough to operate that way- those games are imperative to pay for an extensive travel budget and other things such as your staff etc..

Not a great home non conference schedule-no doubt about it. Doesn't mean I can't travel to Fargo or Brookings for close proximity non-conference road games.

[the green team]

Yep

http://dev1.thedicki...ticle/id/69740/

Thanks by the way...that was very helpful. I still believe that it's relatively a rare occurrence.

[homer]

It would be nice if we could do yearly home and home with FU every year. It would benefit both schools schedules.

Also, I agree with the earlier post, it would be great to get USD and Omaha on alternating years of FU and BU. I wouldn't mind playing those teams yearly.

Other than mostly road games, if that is truly the schedule, it will be challenging and is a nice schedule from a competitive standpoint.

[sioux2013]

WOW. The first real home game is not until Jan. 8 which is almost 2 months into the season. New Years day conference game is kind of weird also. Well, as mentioned above on the bright side next year we will have a lot more home games.

[darell1976]

Does anyone really think that they don't want to get more good opponents here for home games? To me that argument really doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm sure the staff sits around and says "let's have a crummy non-conference home schedule this year". How does that even seem plausible? So I guess I don't see the sense of whining, crying or complaining about it, when you accept the realities of where this program is at right now.

When you are able to bring in the Bowling Green's and the La Tech's and you beat them...that already puts a hesitance in a program that may be looking for reasons not to travel here to GF in the first place. I do not believe in 2 for 1's with other mid-major or low major schools. Despite the mention of Southern Miss & NDSU above) Others simply don't do it very often. Why should we put ourselves in that box? Schools our size/conference etc occasionally seem to only use that scheduling method if they are able draw in a P5 Conference team eventually. Otherwise 95 to 99% of the time it's home and home's between like schools or one game guarantees. I suppose we could bring some teams in for 1 game guarantees but do we have just 50 to 100K just lying around to do it? Unfortunately we are an outlier- we have the 1-29 corridor and it just happens that those games fall on the road this year. Omaha is the return for the Bracket Busters 2 years ago.

I think Jones has been on record that he would like to see all the teams in the conference including his own as taking less guaranteed money games, where often unfortunately the team is a sacrificial lamb, because it harms the Big Sky's RPI. In fact during a Coach's Show last year he said there are 2 teams in the league that are in a situation that they don't have to take guaranteed money games and more often than not...don't. Guess which 2 those are....Weber and Montana. But right now neither UND nor anyone else in the league can be fortunate enough to operate that way- those games are imperative to pay for an extensive travel budget and other things such as your staff etc..

Not a great home non conference schedule-no doubt about it. Doesn't mean I can't travel to Fargo or Brookings for close proximity non-conference road games.

USD's OOC home games DI since joining the SL:

2011-12 Canisius, Texas State

2012-13 Ball St, Morehead St

2013-14 Utah Valley, Wyoming, Green Bay, CS-Northridge

How is USD, located in Vermillion get 4 DI teams last season and UND only got the SU's?? USD is no better than we are, and its not like our basketball teams are the same as the football teams. We aren't battling for last place. I think Jones didn't try hard enough, 300+ DI teams, and we get Dickinson and Mayville.

[the green team]

USD's OOC home games DI since joining the SL:

2011-12 Canisius, Texas State

2012-13 Ball St, Morehead St

2013-14 Utah Valley, Wyoming, Green Bay, CS-Northridge

How is USD, located in Vermillion get 4 DI teams last season and UND only got the SU's?? USD is no better than we are, and its not like our basketball teams are the same as the football teams. We aren't battling for last place. I think Jones didn't try hard enough, 300+ DI teams, and we get Dickinson and Mayville.

Actually I would argue that they are currently an entirely different animal than us when it comes to Men's Basketball right now. From this stand point....Budget. They don't have hockey, they don't have the noose that is Women's Hockey (sorry, it's not that I don't love ya, but that's a hard reality in our budget) They save a significant amount in conference travel budget. Bus trips v. air fare for many trips...They have way more dollars to work with for their men's basketball program than we do. They can sweeten the pot of home and home's by saying when you come play us for your side of the home and homes- we can give you 2 night's hotel for example. Or, we'll pay for your charter bus from Sioux Falls to Vermillion. (I don't know, I'm just spitballin here) They have more money to play with in that program currently.

They also played in 2013 a home game against something called Graceland (NAIA) and in 2012 they had home games v. Waldorf and Culver Stockton, so I guess they too--- schedule 1 or 2 non D1's to tune up on.

Yes, I'm sure Jone's and his staff doesn't try hard enough to get teams to come here (sarcasm)

[SiouxVolley]

USD's OOC home games DI since joining the SL:

2011-12 Canisius, Texas State

2012-13 Ball St, Morehead St

2013-14 Utah Valley, Wyoming, Green Bay, CS-Northridge

How is USD, located in Vermillion get 4 DI teams last season and UND only got the SU's?? USD is no better than we are, and its not like our basketball teams are the same as the football teams. We aren't battling for last place. I think Jones didn't try hard enough, 300+ DI teams, and we get Dickinson and Mayville.

If we want DI non-conference teams to show up, we need to show up in force. That hasn't happened with the exception of NDSU.

With the Bowling Green game, the attendance was lousy. I'd rather have Omaha show up in March with Shanks having eligibility than in November with the team having little experience.

[darell1976]

If we want DI non-conference teams to show up, we need to show up in force. That hasn't happened with the exception of NDSU.

When Bowling Green game, the attendance was lousy. I'd rather have Omaha show up in March with Shanks having eligibility than in November with the team having little experience.

Attendance is lousy in football and yet we stopped scheduling Crookston, Black Hills State, and SDSoM. UND has had 1 non DI team since joining the Big Sky in football. UND has had only 4 DI teams in 2 seasons of the BSC in basketball. 12 home games this season, 18 road games and the DI team we get at home is a transitioning one. I would really hate to see our OOC schedule if we were in the SL.

[darell1976]

Actually I would argue that they are currently an entirely different animal than us when it comes to Men's Basketball right now. From this stand point....Budget. They don't have hockey, they don't have the noose that is Women's Hockey (sorry, it's not that I don't love ya, but that's a hard reality in our budget) They save a significant amount in conference travel budget. Bus trips v. air fare for many trips...They have way more dollars to work with for their men's basketball program than we do. They can sweeten the pot of home and home's by saying when you come play us for your side of the home and homes- we can give you 2 night's hotel for example. Or, we'll pay for your charter bus from Sioux Falls to Vermillion. (I don't know, I'm just spitballin here) They have more money to play with in that program currently.

They also played in 2013 a home game against something called Graceland (NAIA) and in 2012 they had home games v. Waldorf and Culver Stockton, so I guess they too--- schedule 1 or 2 non D1's to tune up on.

Yes, I'm sure Jone's and his staff doesn't try hard enough to get teams to come here (sarcasm)

If money is an issue scheduling teams like Mayville and Dickinson is not going to bring any kind of a crowd unless its really dead in Grand Forks. Also if money was an issue how did UND get a boat load of DI teams to Grand Forks during our transition period when you needed to schedule a lot more games than you do now, then we join the BSC and all we get up here is the SU's and Omaha? If travel costs are hampering our scheduling ability, fans may be thinking it was a mistake not to join the SL.

[jdub27]

Attendance is lousy in football and yet we stopped scheduling Crookston, Black Hills State, and SDSoM. UND has had 1 non DI team since joining the Big Sky in football. UND has had only 4 DI teams in 2 seasons of the BSC in basketball. 12 home games this season, 18 road games and the DI team we get at home is a transitioning one. I would really hate to see our OOC schedule if we were in the SL.

Football is a completely different beast that basketball, not comparable. 8-10,000 tickets at $20-30 generates a lot more revenue than less than 2,000 at $10 a ticket.

If money is an issue scheduling teams like Mayville and Dickinson is not going to bring any kind of a crowd unless its really dead in Grand Forks. Also if money was an issue how did UND get a boat load of DI teams to Grand Forks during our transition period when you needed to schedule a lot more games than you do now, then we join the BSC and all we get up here is the SU's and Omaha? If travel costs are hampering our scheduling ability, fans may be thinking it was a mistake not to join the SL.

Maybe you aren't aware since I'm not sure how many games you attend, but unless there is a special promotion like they did last year (XDSU's/UM/MSU), attendance doesn't actually vary that much regardless of opponent. Maybe a couple hundred and that is probably a stretch. There might be slight bump, but not enough to move the needle to justify some huge costs of one time games.

And what would joining the SL do? One of the advantages of being in the Big Sky is having the SL teams available for OOC games.

Not saying that the schedule doesn't need some improvement but to think that the athletic department and Jones wouldn't prefer some better home games is just ignorant.