new DII schools!

[dakotadan]

I am surprised that no one has posted anything yet, it is already up at bisonville. The University of Mary and Dakota State University have both publically stated that they are looking at moving to DII. There are forums on D2FOOTBALL that tells about this in the NCC section. Is this really the future of the NCC?

[The Sicatoka]

I know what I just read on Bisonville, but wouldn't you think something like "UMary exploring NCAA DII" would be somewhere on the UMary.edu website, somewhere? I couldn't find it there (not saying it isn't). Nor could I find anything of the sort on DSU's website.

[jimdahl]

Potential NCC members is just a conversation that's been so common around here that it takes a lot to stir it back up (usually something like a legitimate news article as opposed to the discussion simply being raised on a different site). Here are a couple I found with not much effort; there's a lot more similar discussion buried in harder to find threads:

New conference for UND?

Future of NCC

Mary seems like a fine NCC candidate; Dakota State strikes me as incredibly unlikely.

[bisonguy]

DSU announcement was more of a chest puffing manuever by an interim AD than anything else- LINK

I can possibly see Mary moving to DII, DSU would need some MAJOR improvements and fundraising before they could afford it. Unless, of course, the expenses of DII are reduced.

[The Sicatoka]

DSU announcement was more of a chest puffing manuever by an interim AD than anything else- LINK

I believe PCM would put this into the "anybody can say anything" category.

I would have to agree and think that UMary would have a much better go at NCAA DII than DSU would.

[updm002]

I am a UNO season ticket holder for both men's bb and fb. I hear the talk on d2.fb.com that we are looking at the miaa. Actually I wish we would bc it is easier for me to get to away games to places like mo western, washburn, cmsu, nmmo than a lot of the ncc schools that are very far away. For the past several years I have asked our AD (Danenhauer) if we are consideriing the miaa and he always says NO. I wish he would consider the league but as far as I can see we are a committed member of the ncc. What many uno people seem to think that if ndsu is successful in d1 (which I don't believe they will be) then UND will look to jump in five years. If UND goes D1 then the NCC is as good as dead. What we need now is an 8th school. My ultimate wish is to get U of Mary, Winona and NOrthern STate into the NCC and let the Northern Sun pick up a couple of naia weak sisters who want to move to d2. Don't think it will happen but would be neat if it did.

[dakotadan]

These are just some statements I pulled off of d2football.com.

Posted: July 12 2004,10:08

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This is my first time on the site. Great so far.

Well, as a new contributor, I will drop the first bomb shell to the U-Mary Marauders D-II discussion. In a memorandum released today, Monday, July 12, 2004 president, Sister Thomas Welder said the University of Mary has asked the NCAA, and was granted permission, to research for one year the possiblity of going to NCAA Div II. The University of Mary is now on the proverbial one-year clock.

Posted: July 11 2004,2:19

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I don't know how much more D-II is going to be able to take. Here is an excerpt form former head coach Gene Wockenfuss on June 23, 2004 as accepts AD job and hands football reins to O.C. Nate Holtz. 2,000 students and lower third of the same conference Mary plays in.

***"Wockenfuss, a 1983 graduate of DSU and an offensive lineman for the football Trojans, had been the head football coach for the Trojans the past two seasons. Prior to that, he held a number of college and high school coaching positions in Nebraska.

Fielding questions from the media, Wockenfuss admitted that the possibility of DSU entering NCAA Division II competition is a future consideration for the newly-instituted planning committee. Former DSU athletic director and current associate professor of physical education Judy Dittman will chair that committee."****

[dakotadan]

The statement from DSU is obviously just what it says. DII could be a possibility in their future. The statement from Mary however shows that they are already talking to the NCAA and are in the process of taking a close look at DII. From what I found online UMary has about 2,500 students. DSU has 2,200. I checked out Minot State just to see how they compared and MSU had 3,825 in the fall of 2003. Considering that MSU has about 4000 students and what they have for facilities available, such as the MSUDome, I would think that Minot would be the most likely, yet I haven't heard much talk about them as a possibility.

[bisonguy]

dakotaboy,

Read the link I provided above. It's the full article about DSU, parts of which you quoted. Here's an important excerpt:

Making the announcement before the university's support personnel, coaching staff and media, Knowlton acknowledged that both men will be considered by the search committee as permanent replacements for the positions

The AD and football coach are currently only interim employees. What better way to impress the administration than to state boldy, "I'm a big thinker, and won't stay status quo if we can do better."

[dakotadan]

That was my point. DSU has nothing certain in progress right now. But from the sounds of it, UMary is taking a close look at DII right now.

[U2Bad1]

The statement from DSU is obviously just what it says. DII could be a possibility in their future. The statement from Mary however shows that they are already talking to the NCAA and are in the process of taking a close look at DII. From what I found online UMary has about 2,500 students. DSU has 2,200. I checked out Minot State just to see how they compared and MSU had 3,825 in the fall of 2003. Considering that MSU has about 4000 students and what they have for facilities available, such as the MSUDome, I would think that Minot would be the most likely, yet I haven't heard much talk about them as a possibility.

I don't think a difference of 1300 students between Minot state and Umary makes Minot state a better candidate over Umary.

[UND92,96]

From the Bismarck Tribune: link

[BigGame]

The statement from DSU is obviously just what it says. DII could be a possibility in their future. The statement from Mary however shows that they are already talking to the NCAA and are in the process of taking a close look at DII. From what I found online UMary has about 2,500 students. DSU has 2,200. I checked out Minot State just to see how they compared and MSU had 3,825 in the fall of 2003. Considering that MSU has about 4000 students and what they have for facilities available, such as the MSUDome, I would think that Minot would be the most likely, yet I haven't heard much talk about them as a possibility.

Mary has better athletic programs and more money going in then Minot State has. Also growing up in Minot, the community doesn't support the Beaver athletic programs as much as needed. (their are several valid reasons for the lack of support)

IMO Minot State would have to change a lot of things to get any real consideration.

[Cratter]

Alright I'm convinced, time to (Sioux) move up.

[star2city]

Mary has better athletic programs and more money going in then Minot State has. Also growing up in Minot, the community doesn't support the Beaver athletic programs as much as needed. (their are several valid reasons for the lack of support)

IMO Minot State would have to change a lot of things to get any real consideration.

BigGame:

Out of curiosity, what are the reasons for the lack of community support for Minot State athletics?

If Minot State were ever to consider upgrading its athletic program, it should consider the Lindenwood route. Lindenwood, an NAIA school, is supposedly adding NCAA Div I hockey and will play in the CHA with Bemidji State while staying in the NAIA for all other sports. If Bemidji State can play Div I hockey, why not, Minot?

[bigmrg74]

Alright I'm convinced, time to (Sioux) move up.

Oh come on, you can't move up until those crybaby D2 schools that can't fund 36 rides get the limit lowered to like 30 or lower.

[SiouxMeNow]

HELLO...Crookston moved to DII 4 or 5 years ago - starting the 4 funded scholarshps. We've proven over the last several years we've played them...they don't belong in DII but have a place based on name. Any Dac10 or otherwise schools that stake a claim in DII will have to put up or shut up (or be relegated to the jr. varsity section of Division II if they can't produce)

Unfortunately...that's what DII is becoming....a division of the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS (as is NOT Enough scholarships) They will lay in the bed that they make....and it certainly doesn't mean UND will be scheduling Mary ANYTIME SOON! After outscoring UMC 150+ to, oh, i'll be genorous...3 in the last several years...UND has given Crookston the BOOT and good riddance I would say. If they up their scholly's and improve their program in the future, we might reconsider but for now, it's a guarenteed butt-kicking that does no one any good!!

[SiouxMeNow]

Oh come on, you can't move up until those crybaby D2 schools that can't fund 36 rides get the limit lowered to like 30 or lower.

if DII lowers the scholly limit - even to 30 - UND is gone baby gone!! This has been made clear...

[WYOBISONMAN]

With the support they enjoy in Bismarck, Mary would be able to fund all the scholarships. Mary could be a tough competitor with solid attendance figures. Dakota State....no way.

[U2Bad1]

With the support they enjoy in Bismarck, Mary would be able to fund all the scholarships. Mary could be a tough competitor with solid attendance figures. Dakota State....no way.

I believe a move up to D-II would only increase Bismarck's support for Umary.

[U2Bad1]

From the Bismarck Tribune: link

That is alink to a baseball game.

[BigGame]

BigGame:

Out of curiosity, what are the reasons for the lack of community support for Minot State athletics?

If Minot State were ever to consider upgrading its athletic program, it should consider the Lindenwood route. Lindenwood, an NAIA school, is supposedly adding NCAA Div I hockey and will play in the CHA with Bemidji State while staying in the NAIA for all other sports. If Bemidji State can play Div I hockey, why not, Minot?

When I was growing up they did not recruit many if any local kids. The football team was primarily 25-30 year old canadians, which many of them were on steroids. After that they switched and recruited a bunch of JUCO guys from California. I think the program has started to change some, but it is hard to kick the stigma that Hendrickson had created over 10 years or so.

I know that myself and many other local players had very little to zero contact with Minot State when the recruiting process was going on. They used to not even try to get any local kids, and how many people in a ND community are really interested in watching a Cali Juco team play? Not to many! The feeling I still get when I can go back and visit is that their is more interest in watching Minot High or Minot Ryan to the general sports fan.

I think basketball does OK as far as getting people out to watch, but most other sports just don't have that big of a fan base.

The Minot State Club hockey team was just getting started about the time I left Minot to go to college. The team was pretty good right away and has only gotten better. My understanding is that the Beaver hockey team does OK with attendance, at least it a lot better than all the SJHL teams they bring in every couple of years. The hockey program does get more local kids playing and I think that also creates more community interest in the team and how they are doing. Hockey could be the ticket for Minot State to move up, but I doubt the state would be willing to fund a move up to D2.

[UND92,96]

That is alink to a baseball game.

I'm pretty sure something happened to the link overnight since yesterday it was linking to an article about Mary and division II. In any event, if you go the current archives of the Tribune, you will find the Mary article.

[RD17]

If I'm not mistaken, Minot State used to draw pretty big crowds for basketball back in the 80s. The MSU Dome was pretty new and they had good teams with alot of local talent. Obviously, things have gone down hill some since then. With their facilities and the size of the school and town, I think Minot St. could probably support a D2 program at a NSIC type level in the future and if things continue to go the way they're going, that's probably where they'll end up. Dickinson State is also in the same boat (actually DSU is probably better suited for D2 right now than Minot).

Jamestown College and Dakota State have both at least inquired about membership in the NSIC in the last couple of years. I'd venture to guess that the NSIC has probably sent out feelers to most of the DAC-10 schools because they need new members. With the NSIC needing members, it's an opportunity for some of these schools to get out of the quickly fading NAIA without having to add major dollars to the budget.

[WYOBISONMAN]

During the early 90's I taught at Minot State and went to both the Basketball and Football games and I think the crowds would be competative with the lower tier of the NCC.