New Division II Championship Site Needed?

[star2city]

From the Times-Daily of Florence, Alabama:

FLORENCE - Council members have pulled the city's financial support to the NCAA Division II National Championship football game.

The support had previously come in the form of a sponsorship by the Florence Gas Department. The gas department has been spending $7,500 to be a national sponsor of the Harlon Hill Trophy and the Division II Hall of Fame.

The Hill Trophy and hall of fame banquet has already lost two of its four sponsors because of events related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

.....

University of North Alabama sports information director Jeff Hodges said Northwest Airlines has reduced its promotion programs by 90 percent because of the problems in the airlines industry and BellSouth has cut out all of its sponsorship after a series of layoffs.

Division II Championship Game

Some funding restored:

Funding

Any chance the FargoDome will bid for next year's game?

[bisonguy]

UPDATE:

NCAA game receives boost: Area governments, businesses step forward to help

[star2city]

In a nutshell, the D2 championship probably won't be held in ND for quite some time, if ever.

Certainly not in the FargoDome now , but the Alerus Center and Grand Forks would be a good match. If Detroit and Boise can host Division I Bowl Games in late December, a Division II Championship in North Dakota is not unreasonable. The facilities in Florence and formerly McAllen, Texas are far from first class. Even for major bowl games, practice facilities are often nothing more than high school fields. With the bubble over Memorial Field and the Alerus Center itself, practice fields would be first rate. Add in a CANAD Hotel by the Alerus and a concert at the Ralph, and the NCAA selection committee would be duly impressed. The NCAA can not be pleased with the level of bickering in Florence.

By staying Division II, UND and Grand Forks have an opportunity to become a championship host for a whole range of Division II sports. Instead of disdaining and despising what is small, as our neighbor south of us seems to have done, a welcoming approach to all Division II schools would prove extremely beneficial to UND and Grand Forks. Cities such as Indianapolis and Colorado Springs have intentionally positioned themselves as host cities for amateur events and Olympic training, respectively. With Grand Forks already set to host future Division II men's basketball and swimming championships, pursuing other events would only solidify Grand Forks' and UND's reputation with the NCAA and Division II, to the benefit of everyone.

[bisonguy]

IF, and I mean IF the NCAA opens the D2 championship up to bids, the Alerus could possibly host. The NCAA historically does not make sound fiscal decisions.

[Riverman]

bg,

I might point out that there is to be another west regional site in hockey and that the NC$$ is not doing this out of the kindness of their heart.

It's about $$$$.That is all the NC$$ cares about plain and simple.

[bisonguy]

I agree that the NC$$ loves the bucks, but they drop the ball on other money making opportunities, such as bidding for the D2 football championship and playoff games.

[The Sicatoka]

They may "fumble" away at football, but all they seem to look at in hockey is "The Benjamins."

[JBB]

Yea Grand Forks will be a great D2 championship site for every sport. Teams and fans from all over the country can fly into Fargo, get their hotel set up and then drive to GF for the game before returning to Fargo.

[The Sicatoka]

Now why would they do that when UND has a Hilton on campus?

NDSU has a Days Inn across the street from FargoDome, right?