The Division I Question? New Answer?

[The Sicatoka]

Dr. Kupchella's statement:

Intercollegiate Athletics - I continue to be as proud as I could possibly be of our intercollegiate athletic program. I

[Bisonfan1234]

doclenz,

winning takes care of everything.

[star2city]

With Kupchella's comments on DI athletics during his State of the University address, shouldn't the title of this post be changed to "....Same Answer?"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think we'll all have to wait until Doug Fullerton removes the anonymonity blanket on the expansion process in December. Within UND's leadership, my gut says no clear consensus has yet emerged, except for the * exceptions.

* Reclassify to D-I if the 24 scholarship football limit is enacted (would occur even without a conference affiliation)

** Reclassify to D-I if somehow a $70 million endowment is raised (again, no conference affiliation necessary).

*** Reclassify to D-I if the Big Sky offers an invitation.

[The Sicatoka]

I think we'll all have to wait until Doug Fullerton removes the anonymonity blanket on the expansion process in December.  Within UND's leadership, my gut says no clear consensus has yet emerged, except for the * exceptions.

* Reclassify to D-I if the 24 scholarship football limit is enacted (would occur even without a conference affiliation)

** Reclassify to D-I if somehow a $70 million endowment is raised (again, no conference affiliation necessary).

*** Reclassify to D-I if the Big Sky offers an invitation.

Hey, aren't those eerily similar to these? The '***' is #2, the '*' is #3, and the '**' is #4.

I expect one of the following scenarios between now and the end of the decade:

1. There is some sort of NCAA shake-up (driven by money) and some sort of restructuring falls out of that. UND would be swept along with that change (and sits pat until then).

2. The O'Keefe speculation:

A conference would help with some of the financial concerns.

3. The DII football scholarship maximum is slashed from 36 to 24 in January along with a 10% reduction in maximum scholarships in all other sports. UND views that as more perilous than moving up so it moves.

4. jimdahl wins the next huge PowerBall and gives it all to UND Athletics, thus forming the endowment that Dr. Kupchella envisions.

Honestly, the January NCAA meetings could well start all of us down the path to #1 which I believe is the most likely scenario. (Sorry jimdahl.)

[bisonguy]

Looks like Steve Hallstrom's interview with Phil Harmonson (?) today provides the answer to this question. On the Further Review segment on WDAY sports tonight (10:00 end of sports- WDAY.com if you want to view it), it sounds like the DII football scholarship reduction won't pass, and UND will not be moving to DI. Supposedly a "Thanks, but no thanks" response was given to the Big Sky conference when they Big Sky informed UND of possible expansion.

[dakotadan]

All I can say is that I am highly disapointed. Not the news that I wanted to hear.