NDSU schedule

[RD17]

Yes, and 95% of those schools (including Valparaiso) would wax UM-Crookston and MSU-Moorhead. Call it conjecture if you wish, but there is no doubt in my mind, and I would put a considerable amount of money on the outcome.

I will have a lot of fun watching NDSU play UC-Davis, Cal-Poly, Northern Colorado, and the two Southland teams. By the way, I also think Montana Tech would beat UM-Crookston and MSU-Moorhead and also we only play non-scholly at home.

You can believe whatever you want about the quality of the non-scholarship I-AA teams. The fact of the matter is that all except the Ivy and Patriot schools would still be playing in D3 if the NCAA would allow it. IMO, Valparaiso plays in a conference just a notch below the MIAC in quality.

It's funny how so many NDSU folks saw the "watering down" of D2 with schools like UMC as a top reason for going I-AA, and now the Bison are scheduling non-scholarship teams and NAIA schools. Do you not see the irony there? Montana offered NDSU another game in Missoula this year but the Bison turn it down in favor of games with Valpo and Montana Tech. Why?

[NDSU grad]

I totally agree with you about MAAC and Pioneer League teams still being DIII if they could. But I just don't know how anyone could argue that DI-AA is not more competitive than DII. About the watering down of DII, I could care less about who comes in to DII. What bothers me is when schools join DII, then whine about scholarships until the limit gets lowered. The SAC only allows 25 or so, but yet they do fine, and I've never heard fans, players, or coaches whine about inequity because of the reduced scholarships. It would be nice if the rest of DII took notice. It seems that in I-AA, the conferences that allow no scholarships accept the fact and don't try to lobby to get limits lowered.

And as a side, personally my biggest problem with DII is regionalization and the SSI playoff criteria, not the influx of new programs