Most important sport on campus

[Hansel]

My point was simply that if you're comparing which football team is more popular in the state of ND, UND or NDSU, NDSU has a big advantage because 20% of ND's population lives in Cass County. So regardless of the allegiances of the rest of the state, NDSU will likely have more fans due simply to the fact that the Fargo area is so much bigger than any other city in ND. It will likely be able to draw a lot of fans from Fargo who perhaps grew up elsewhere and had no allegiance prior to moving to Fargo but would be far more likely to follow the local team rather than one 75 miles away. Similarly, if somebody moves to Grand Forks from outside the area, chances are that they will follow UND more closely. The difference is that Fargo-Moorhead has far more of these types of people from which to draw from.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

These people also have other entertainment choices- 2 other colleges, RedHawks etc, also there is a large contingent of UND alums in the area. Being in a larger Metro definetly has advantages, but it has drawbacks as well. See the Gophers and their horrid attendance despite being in the biggest (outside of Northwestern) metro in the Big 10.

[UND92,96]

These people also have other entertainment choices- 2 other colleges, RedHawks etc, also there is a large contingent of UND alums in the area.  Being in a larger Metro definetly has advantages, but it has drawbacks as well.  See the Gophers and their horrid attendance despite being in the biggest (outside of Northwestern) metro in the Big 10.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I understand what you're saying, although with Minnesota the problem has more to do with the Metrodome rather than all the other entertainment options, IMO. And I'm certainly not denying that there is a fairly large UND contingent in Fargo-Moorhead. I just think that it stands to reason that if you take two areas in which one school's sports are king--NDSU in Fargo and UND in Grand Forks--the school in the city with essentially twice the population is going to have an advantage in terms of being able to draw crowds. Why it hasn't necessarily been the same story with basketball is an unknown to me.

[Bisonfan1234]

Fargo doesn't have an advantage because their are so many UND people that make up our population.

100000 GF UND fans + 40000 Fargo UND fans =140000 UND fans.

180000 Fargo people - 40000 Fargo UND fans = 140000 NDSU fans.

[UND92,96]

Fargo doesn't have an advantage because their are so many UND people that make up our population.

100000 GF UND fans + 40000 Fargo UND fans =140000 UND fans.

180000 Fargo people - 40000 Fargo UND fans = 140000 NDSU fans.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do I have the crazy idea that you're pulling those numbers out of a certain part of your anatomy?

[knowledge]

Why do I have the crazy idea that you're pulling those numbers out of a certain part of your anatomy?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You also have to take into consideration the convience factor for filling up an arena. I drive from Fargo to GF for each home game. I am in the minority though. Even if the number of UND fans in Fargo is that high you still can't say that all of them have the ability based on family, job etc.. to drive up to GF each and every Saturday. I think you have to assume that you have a few die hards and then after that you have a number of people that go once or twice throughout the season. If they don't all go at the same time you have empty seats.

[Bisonfan1234]

Yeah you're a real die hard to drive an hour on the interstate and then watch the game indoors.

[The Sicatoka]

Careful. That knife cuts a lot of directions.

[Bisonfan1234]

Oh no!

[snaggles]

Last year the bison averaged roughly 2,000 more fans a game than UND. We all know there are many sioux fans that live in the F-M area, but I don't think there are 50,000 sioux fans there. The F-M area is 3 times bigger than G.F. with many towns close by. And I don't think moorhead and the cobbers take away to much fan base on a saturday game. The bottom line is if you went by percentage of people in the town to the number of people in the stands, UND does a whole lot better, not even close.

[Bisonfan1234]

GF = 100000

Fargo = 180000

Where are you getting this 3 times stuff?

And yes, Fargo has 3 college teams AND countless numbers of UND fans living there while GF has only UND fans.

[SiouxDini]

Since when did GF have 100,000 people? Its more like 50,000, plus the base which I'm not sure of its population, but I assume its around 5,000-7,000. That does not even come close to 100,000

[Bisonfan1234]

http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t3/tab03.pdf

262 Grand Forks, ND--MN MSA 97,478

It was 103000 in 1990, but the flood took care of some of that.

[star2city]

Last year the bison averaged roughly 2,000 more fans a game than UND.  We all know there are many sioux fans that live in the F-M area, but I don't think there are 50,000 sioux fans there.  The F-M area is 3 times bigger than G.F. with many towns close by.  And I don't think moorhead and the cobbers take away to much fan base on a saturday game.  The bottom line is if you went by percentage of people in the town to the number of people in the stands, UND does a whole lot better, not even close.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ironically, the growth of Fargo-Moorhead area has probably increased the number of generic football fans, who really aren't that passionate about the Bison, filling the Fargodome with silent scarecrows. (Either that or most self-respecting Bison fans don't want to associate with the fervent few.) It would be interesting to get a coaches perspective on how much the home field advantage is worth in the Alerus vs the Fargodome. My guess: 9 pts (Alerus) vs 3 pts (Fargodome).