Future of the UND Football Program

[UND-FB-FAN]

22 hours ago, Goon said:

I think as a program we have to get over the mindset that we expect to lose at SIU, and Northern Arizona. There's no reason we can't expect to win those games. I saw the extension as the administration is cool with the status quo. That's UND being mediocre or above average in football. I agree that Phase two needs to be finished. 

The people outside of the team (all of us posting on this board) don’t truly affect those expectations. It starts with Bubba and his coaching staff, but there’s no indication that the expectations are going to change with this group, especially since Bubba is at the end of his career rather than the beginning. His track record speaks volumes. And now UND’s administration just extended that mediocre track record until Bubba’s inevitable retirement. 
 

UND football will need to be a surprising dark-horse, because nothing here speaks to excitement for the future. 

[geaux_sioux]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:28 AM, UND-FB-FAN said:

The people outside of the team (all of us posting on this board) don’t truly affect those expectations. It starts with Bubba and his coaching staff, but there’s no indication that the expectations are going to change with this group, especially since Bubba is at the end of his career rather than the beginning. His track record speaks volumes. And now UND’s administration just extended that mediocre track record until Bubba’s inevitable retirement. 
 

UND football will need to be a surprising dark-horse, because nothing here speaks to excitement for the future. 

All of us lol, don’t be so sure. It’s happened before.

[petey23]

On 3/10/2022 at 7:50 AM, Shawn-O said:

Need to extend the contract for recruiting.  Three years pass.  Can't afford the two-year buyout.  Need to extend the contract for recruiting.  Three years pass.  Can't afford the buyout.  What a doom loop.   

And with the Transfer Portal I don't think most kids give a !@#$ anymore what the coaches contract terms are.........in fact, even before the transfer portal, that was always more of an ego thing for coaches anyway and most kids never did care about the head coach's contract at this level.

[nodak651]

36 minutes ago, petey23 said:

And with the Transfer Portal I don't think most kids give a !@#$ anymore what the coaches contract terms are.........in fact, even before the transfer portal, that was always more of an ego thing for coaches anyway and most kids never did care about the head coach's contract at this level.

I mean, if Chaves was going to extend his contract after a 5-6 season, at a point in time when Bubba still has two years on his contract, why didn't he just give him a longer contract from the get-go?  Not that either are good ideas.  

[iramurphy]

2 hours ago, petey23 said:

And with the Transfer Portal I don't think most kids give a !@#$ anymore what the coaches contract terms are.........in fact, even before the transfer portal, that was always more of an ego thing for coaches anyway and most kids never did care about the head coach's contract at this level.

I believe kids and their parents do care about stability of coaching staff. Their initial relationships are usually with the coaches. 

[Goon]

On 3/11/2022 at 4:26 PM, nodak651 said:

That was a great game.... got Rudolph fired.

Rudolph was an assistant coach at Upper Iowa when I was there in 1990. He was the offensive coordinator. I always thought he was a nice guy.  Maybe division I wasn't a good fit for him. 

[Goon]

3 hours ago, nodak651 said:

I mean, if Chaves was going to extend his contract after a 5-6 season, at a point in time when Bubba still has two years on his contract, why didn't he just give him a longer contract from the get-go?  Not that either are good ideas.  

Personally, I don't think Bubba is going to go anywhere until the high dollar donors start demanding a change in the status quo. It's obvious, the school is okay with the football team being competitive. Code word for mediocre. Personally, as an Alum, I am tired of losing to SDSU and NDSU in football. I want to see UND play for an NCAA title in Frisco. Moreover, I am also tired of the basketball teams not challenging for a conference title in the Summit Conference. It is what it is. 

[nodak651]

13 minutes ago, Goon said:

Personally, I don't think Bubba is going to go anywhere until the high dollar donors start demanding a change in the status quo. It's obvious, the school is okay with the football team being competitive. Code word for mediocre. Personally, as an Alum, I am tired of losing to SDSU and NDSU in football. I want to see UND play for an NCAA title in Frisco. Moreover, I am also tired of the basketball teams not challenging for a conference title in the Summit Conference. It is what it is. 

It's not obvious, at least under Kennedy it wasn't.  He was publicly shamed for trying to rework the usage agreement with the Ralph.  Those negotiations got some pretty large headlines and Kennedy spoke the truth about the situation.  Without access to the cash flow that UND produces, we will are stuck with the status quo.  Can't expect an athletics department to operate at a high level with donations alone.  The Ralph is unjustly stashing money, and until I see anything that indicates otherwise, or an official comment that suggests the Ralph's stockpile of money will be spent on something like the basketball practice facility, found on UND Athletics Master Plan, I will continue to beat this drum.

 

[SIOUXFAN97]

40 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

It's not obvious, at least under Kennedy it wasn't.  He was publicly shamed for trying to rework the usage agreement with the Ralph.  Those negotiations got some pretty large headlines and Kennedy spoke the truth about the situation.  Without access to the cash flow that UND produces, we will are stuck with the status quo.  Can't expect an athletics department to operate at a high level with donations alone.  The Ralph is unjustly stashing money, and until I see anything that indicates otherwise, or an official comment that suggests the Ralph's stockpile of money will be spent on something like the basketball practice facility, found on UND Athletics Master Plan, I will continue to beat this drum.

 

yes beat that drum bc the losers at the heraldo won't

[jdub27]

1 hour ago, nodak651 said:

It's not obvious, at least under Kennedy it wasn't.  He was publicly shamed for trying to rework the usage agreement with the Ralph.  Those negotiations got some pretty large headlines and Kennedy spoke the truth about the situation.  Without access to the cash flow that UND produces, we will are stuck with the status quo.  Can't expect an athletics department to operate at a high level with donations alone.  The Ralph is unjustly stashing money, and until I see anything that indicates otherwise, or an official comment that suggests the Ralph's stockpile of money will be spent on something like the basketball practice facility, found on UND Athletics Master Plan, I will continue to beat this drum.

If I had to guess, it is being put aside so if/when UND takes it over in 2030 there are actually funds available to take care of upkeep. NDUS has a pretty good track record of running up deferred maintenance.

[Sioux94]

3 hours ago, iramurphy said:

I believe kids and their parents do care about stability of coaching staff. Their initial relationships are usually with the coaches. 

The relationship with the coaching staff certainly is important.  Bubba has been here 8 years....Fruend has been here since they were probably in diapers.....it has been stable.   I have a hard time believing any recruit we get in this class would have chosen a different school if Bubba wouldn't have gotten a two year extension.  Especially now with the transfer portal.  

[nodak651]

42 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

If I had to guess, it is being put aside so if/when UND takes it over in 2030 there are actually funds available to take care of upkeep. NDUS has a pretty good track record of running up deferred maintenance.

Is that the best strategy when our athletics programs are failing and we are seeing massive inflation in construction, while we are also struggling to finance facilities improvements?  With the delay in starting construction on phase2 of the HPC, inflation/increased construction costs essentially just ate up that fund within the last year alone.  Not the best strategy if that is actually the plan, especially when UND can't technically finance facilities or facilities improvements, and the Ralph currently can.  I don't think that is actually the plan, though, as the Ralph is generating enough cash flow annually to pay for any needed maintenance and repairs.  Maybe some of it will be used for larger priced maintenance items, but it seems to be used mostly for arena enhancements, such as the new scoreboard, (where UND will only get 1/3 of the new ad sales it generates).

[SIOUXFAN97]

if the engstad family had it there way would und non-hockey sports be nsic?

[UND Fan]

2 hours ago, Goon said:

Personally, I don't think Bubba is going to go anywhere until the high dollar donors start demanding a change in the status quo. It's obvious, the school is okay with the football team being competitive. Code word for mediocre. Personally, as an Alum, I am tired of losing to SDSU and NDSU in football. I want to see UND play for an NCAA title in Frisco. Moreover, I am also tired of the basketball teams not challenging for a conference title in the Summit Conference. It is what it is. 

I absolutely agree with your frustrations with continually losing to the SUs but I am not sure that there are any real high dollars FB donors!

[jdub27]

46 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

Is that the best strategy when our athletics programs are failing and we are seeing massive inflation in construction, while we are also struggling to finance facilities improvements?  With the delay in starting construction on phase2 of the HPC, inflation/increased construction costs essentially just ate up that fund within the last year alone.  Not the best strategy if that is actually the plan, especially when UND can't technically finance facilities or facilities improvements, and the Ralph currently can.  I don't think that is actually the plan, though, as the Ralph is generating enough cash flow annually to pay for any needed maintenance and repairs.  Maybe some of it will be used for larger priced maintenance items, but it seems to be used mostly for arena enhancements, such as the new scoreboard, (where UND will only get 1/3 of the new ad sales it generates).

I agree with almost everything you said and I'm not saying it is or isn't the case, but just my thoughts on it from conversations I've had. 

[UND Fan]

41 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

Is that the best strategy when our athletics programs are failing and we are seeing massive inflation in construction, while we are also struggling to finance facilities improvements?  With the delay in starting construction on phase2 of the HPC, inflation/increased construction costs essentially just ate up that fund within the last year alone.  Not the best strategy if that is actually the plan, especially when UND can't technically finance facilities or facilities improvements, and the Ralph currently can.  I don't think that is actually the plan, though, as the Ralph is generating enough cash flow annually to pay for any needed maintenance and repairs.  Maybe some of it will be used for larger priced maintenance items, but it seems to be used mostly for arena enhancements, such as the new scoreboard, (where UND will only get 1/3 of the new ad sales it generates).

How do you start building Phase II when you don't have the funds to do so?  The State Board of HE isn't going to approve the start of construction until the necessary funds are in the bank or pledged. We aren't there yet!! Funds from the Ralph aren't going to be used for Phase II. 

[UND Fan]

39 minutes ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

if the engstad family had it there way would und non-hockey sports be nsic?

Absolutely incorrect - the Englestad family makes a significant contribution to the FB program every year!

[SIOUXFAN97]

16 minutes ago, UND Fan said:

Absolutely incorrect - the Englestad family makes a significant contribution to the FB program every year!

so we aren't lacking for funds to be competitive in FB....day by day........

[nodak651]

28 minutes ago, UND Fan said:

How do you start building Phase II when you don't have the funds to do so?  The State Board of HE isn't going to approve the start of construction until the necessary funds are in the bank or pledged. We aren't there yet!! Funds from the Ralph aren't going to be used for Phase II. 

My point wasn't necessarily that it should be used for that, more so that it should be used... somewhere, or let profits flow back to UND.  Perhaps it could be used toward a basketball practice facility, or they could finance a basketball practice facility, which is stated as a need in UND's master plan, and it would be attached to the REA complex, which is within their purview..  A reserve fund makes sense, but I don't see how it's necessary to continue to build on the current balance, which is now well over 4 million dollars, while not allocating anything to UND that past couple years.  Sure a nice reserve account is nice, but is it beneficial to UND to continue allocating resources to it while UND struggles covid related revenue losses?  Maybe some of that money could go back to UND to help pay basketball guarantees, which could earn back in basketball ticket sales.  There's just no investment in most of our sports right now, and the HPC isn't that new any more.

26 minutes ago, UND Fan said:

Absolutely incorrect - the Englestad family makes a significant contribution to the FB program every year!

Source?

[nodak651]

27 minutes ago, UND Fan said:

Absolutely incorrect - the Englestad family makes a significant contribution to the FB program every year!

Also, is that contribution more or less than they demand the Ralph annually takes from football ticket sales.

[Hawkster]

1 hour ago, UND Fan said:

Absolutely incorrect - the Englestad family makes a significant contribution to the FB program every year!

REA also gets 52% of the football ticket sales dollars.   Some contribution

[UND-FB-FAN]

8 hours ago, geaux_sioux said:

All of us lol, don’t be so sure. It’s happened before.

Yeah, it is quite funny; you’ve exaggerated your ”important role” from day #1.

And what’s happened before? No significant success as a DI football program to speak of, but there has been spurts.  

[UND-FB-FAN]

4 hours ago, Goon said:

Rudolph was an assistant coach at Upper Iowa when I was there in 1990. He was the offensive coordinator. I always thought he was a nice guy.  Maybe division I wasn't a good fit for him. 

Maybe? I would use a different word. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

4 hours ago, Goon said:

Personally, I don't think Bubba is going to go anywhere until the high dollar donors start demanding a change in the status quo. It's obvious, the school is okay with the football team being competitive. Code word for mediocre. Personally, as an Alum, I am tired of losing to SDSU and NDSU in football. I want to see UND play for an NCAA title in Frisco. Moreover, I am also tired of the basketball teams not challenging for a conference title in the Summit Conference. It is what it is. 

It is what it is - mediocre in football and basketball - but it is beyond disgusting. Change needs to happen at the top, and currently, for UND athletics, the top cares principally about hockey. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

2 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

if the engstad family had it there way would und non-hockey sports be nsic?

Probably