2023-24 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[Benny Baker]

4 hours ago, George M. Bluth said:

That’s one thing that worries me a little. How will UND compete when NIL becomes more prominent in college hockey?

Kris Engelstad

[The Sicatoka]

27 minutes ago, Benny Baker said:

Kris Engelstad

At first, but as a fan base we've become dependent on that generosity. 

The fan base needs to realize that safety blanket will be gone one day and get back to self-sufficiency. 

[cowboys5xsbs]

1 minute ago, The Sicatoka said:

At first, but as a fan base we've become dependent on that generosity. 

The fan base needs to realize that safety blanket will be gone one day and get back to self-sufficiency. 

Yea those could be dark days looking at the state of our other programs  

[fightingsioux4life]

33 minutes ago, Benny Baker said:

Kris Engelstad

We cannot rely on one single donor for everything. We must broaden and diversify our donor base. Also, local businesses need to step up on NIL since UND cannot get involved in it.

[jdub27]

2 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

We cannot rely on one single donor for everything. We must broaden and diversify our donor base. Also, local businesses need to step up on NIL since UND cannot get involved in it.

Local businesses also only have a finite amount of money within their budget for "advertising".
Not saying there isn't more money out there, because there is, but I'm also saying what you're suggesting will come at the expense of funds that are already directed towards Champions Club/REA/Alerus Center that support the program in different ways.

[Frozen4sioux]

37 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

At first, but as a fan base we've become dependent on that generosity. 

The fan base needs to realize that safety blanket will be gone one day and get back to self-sufficiency. 

And a portion of the fan base already is burning her at the stake for existing.

26 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

Local businesses also only have a finite amount of money within their budget for "advertising".
Not saying there isn't more money out there, because there is, but I'm also saying what you're suggesting will come at the expense of funds that are already directed towards Champions Club/REA/Alerus Center that support the program in different ways.

This is 100% accurate.

NIL collectives are competition to the organizations you mentioned.

It is and will continue to grow to be a big issue.

[fightingsioux4life]

21 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

Local businesses also only have a finite amount of money within their budget for "advertising".
Not saying there isn't more money out there, because there is, but I'm also saying what you're suggesting will come at the expense of funds that are already directed towards Champions Club/REA/Alerus Center that support the program in different ways.

So our donor base is 100% tapped? Everyone who wants to give is giving? I don't believe that. Others on here have documented the lack of outreach and follow-up on the part of the Champions Club. Someone on here posted actual E-mail correspondence with UND officials and their responses were mostly boilerplate talking point drivel. Others get no response at all. There are real problems with UND athletics and fundraising, but all I get from you is impassioned defenses of UND officials and everything they do or don't do.

This D-I move has been an overall disaster. Which is obvious to any objective observer, except those who cannot take their green-colored glasses off. We should not have moved up to D-I if we were not prepared for the increased expenditures that come with such a move. Now hockey is faced with the challenge of NIL and the response on here is more hapless shoulder shrugging and the loser attitude of "we can't do anything about it".

Either we figure this out or we should just move down to Division III where none of these problems will exist.

[jdub27]

2 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

So our donor base is 100% tapped? Everyone who wants to give is giving?

Did you read the second line of my comment? I literally said that there is more money out there. Holy overreaction.
An overall disaster? Wow.....

My point was that a lot of what people are asking, for local business to just "give more", is just going to end up redirecting existing dollars.
Not a single person has said "we can't do anything about it" and then just given up. (Again you, arguing against points no one is making).
Others pointing out the reality is much more than wave a magic wand and tell businesses to just give more isn't a defeatist attitude. It's trying to help people realize its going to be a team effort and probably require some grassroots support.

[Benny Baker]

Don’t disagree with most comments. Would be great for UND to become more self sufficient without Engelstad money but the fact is that UND does not have the alumni base to compete with Big 10 schools in this new era of college athletics. 

[fightingsioux4life]

1 minute ago, Benny Baker said:

Don’t disagree with most comments. Would be great for UND to become more self sufficient without Engelstad money but the fact is that UND does not have the alumni base to compete with Big 10 schools in this new era of college athletics. 

So we are just screwed? We should just settle for being the Valparaiso of college hockey? Cripes, the B1G has one good year in hockey (out of 10 so far) and everyone is running for the lifeboats. I am not ready to do that.

[Benny Baker]

Just now, fightingsioux4life said:

So we are just screwed? We should just settle for being the Valparaiso of college hockey? Cripes, the B1G has one good year in hockey (out of 10 so far) and everyone is running for the lifeboats. I am not ready to do that.

No, that’s why I brought up Kris Engelstad.

My comments have nothing to do with the Big 10’s success on the ice but everything to do with the fact that those schools produce alumni at a rate of 4:1 compared to UND. And I bet if you were to look, you’d find that a Michigan or Wisconsin grad, for example, makes more on average than one from UND too.

[fightingsioux4life]

2 hours ago, jdub27 said:

Did you read the second line of my comment? I literally said that there is more money out there. Holy overreaction.
An overall disaster? Wow.....

My point was that a lot of what people are asking, for local business to just "give more", is just going to end up redirecting existing dollars.
Not a single person has said "we can't do anything about it" and then just given up. (Again you, arguing against points no one is making).
Others pointing out the reality is much more than wave a magic wand and tell businesses to just give more isn't a defeatist attitude. It's trying to help people realize its going to be a team effort and probably require some grassroots support.

Our move up has been a disaster. We are still trying to crawl into contention in a long line of sports. It's been 15 years since we moved up and we are barely treading water. What would you call it?

I never said any of this is easy. Nothing worth having ever is. I am simply frustrated with the state of UND athletics and the whole defeatist attitude by some people on here. I don't question your loyalty to UND at all. I do think you accept official explanations for things way too easily. That can lead to a lack of accountability for people in high-level positions whose decisions have a huge impact on our success or lack thereof.

[The Sicatoka]

There is a difference between a B1G (and Ivy) grad after college. Look at the banking/equity careers. 

For comparison, Mike Prpich is farming and raising a family in SK. https://twitter.com/Pirps19 

 

[SWSiouxMN]

2 minutes ago, Benny Baker said:

No, that’s why I brought up Kris Engelstad.

My comments have nothing to do with the Big 10’s success on the ice but everything to do with the fact that those schools produce alumni at a rate of 4:1 compared to UND. And I bet if you were to look, you’d find that a Michigan or Wisconsin grad, for example, makes more on average than one from UND too.

I think a fair question to ask is how much is UND actively trying to access that alumni base.  I know of what some of the CC and UND alumni association does, but how good are they at their outreach?

i.e: people like myself, who while I cannot donate thousands of dollars, might be able to do a tens or hundreds of dollars a year. 

I will never be a big fish but if you get enough of those small and medium fish, that might be a big help in sustaining something.

[Frozen4sioux]

24 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

 

This D-I move has been an overall disaster. Which is obvious to any objective observer, except those who cannot take their green-colored glasses off.

This is the reality, but we just had to try and keep up with the Jones... and for what to be constantly jealous of their tier 2 pretend D1 titles?

14 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

So we are just screwed? We should just settle for being the Valparaiso of college hockey? Cripes, the B1G has one good year in hockey (out of 10 so far) and everyone is running for the lifeboats. I am not ready to do that.

This "one year" is not an anomaly 

If a person can not see the past and future trajectory, there's really no hope for them... 

 

[The Sicatoka]

Ralph built The Ralph seeing B1G Hockey was coming. 

He intended it as a toe-hold but too many see it as an endpoint. 

The Ralph is not enough, it's a start. 

We're to finish the journey. 

[SWSiouxMN]

1 minute ago, The Sicatoka said:

Ralph built The Ralph seeing B1G Hockey was coming. 

He intended it as a toe-hold but too many see it as an endpoint. 

The Ralph is not enough, it's a start. 

We're to finish the journey. 

So what would be the logical next steps in your mind Sic?

[fightingsioux4life]

3 minutes ago, Benny Baker said:

No, that’s why I brought up Kris Engelstad.

My comments have nothing to do with the Big 10’s success on the ice but everything to do with the fact that those schools produce alumni at a rate of 4:1 compared to UND. And I bet if you were to look, you’d find that a Michigan or Wisconsin grad, for example, makes more on average than one from UND too.

We have a lot of successful alumni who have done very well and would probably give back if they were courted properly. The key is percentage of engaged alumni, not total number of alumni. We have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to enrollment, numbers of alumni, size of metro areas, things to do, ect. Yet, we have 8 NCAA titles banners hanging from the rafters. There is zero reason why we should have to fade into oblivion because of NIL or whatever else.

We have to adjust to changing times and we need to be proactive rather than reactive. But relying on one big donor is not going to get us there. We need to recruit and engage a broader spectrum of alumni who loved their time at UND and want to pay it forward for future generations. How we get there is a complicated question to answer.

[jdub27]

17 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

I do think you accept official explanations for things way too easily. That can lead to a lack of accountability for people in high-level positions whose decisions have a huge impact on our success or lack thereof.

Here's a general alternative to your (incorrect) assumption: Some people actually take the time to have conversations with the people who are making decisions, try to understand what is going on and figure out what they can do to make a difference. They also use that time to give input to give them additional information to consider while they are making their decisions. They don't have issues disagreeing with decisions made and directly voice that to those people when they feel necessary. They also take the time to understand why they made the decision they did, which is a lot more productive than blindly disagreeing and complaining about it.

To me, that seems lot more effective than making assumptions and taking random internet commentary as truths.

[cowboys5xsbs]

Maybe its time to use some of that bakken money 

[Kab]

Hockey in the US is expanding

more kids are playing in the metro areas

as this happens many of the high end talent will want to play in places like Phoenix because of weather and in other metro areas because they want to be in larger population canters 

the Ralph alone will not convince some of these kids to come to Und 

[Kab]

Just now, cowboys5xsbs said:

Maybe its time to use some of that bakken money 

Maybe fix the roads and schools out west first, Fargo can find it’s own money, some think it’s theirs, it’s not 

 

[fightingsioux4life]

9 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

This "one year" is not an anomaly 

If a person can not see the past and future trajectory, there's really no hope for them... 

Then why didn't the B1G start killing it back in 2011? Realignment was announced in Summer 2011 and took effect with the 2013-14 season. They could have started recruiting off the B1G brand name 12 years ago. So why didn't the B1G do better before this?

[The Sicatoka]

12 minutes ago, SWSiouxMN said:

So what would be the logical next steps in your mind Sic?

Are the existing mechanisms at full functionality. Do they need reorganization.

Are we reaching everyone we could be. (The GOBC syndrome.) 

And who's responsible, because if everyone is no one is. Who. 

[fightingsioux4life]

5 minutes ago, jdub27 said:

Here's a general alternative to your (incorrect) assumption: Some people actually take the time to have conversations with the people who are making decisions, try to understand what is going on and figure out what they can do to make a difference. They also use that time to give input to give them additional information to consider while they are making their decisions. They don't have issues disagreeing with decisions made and directly voice that to those people when they feel necessary. They also take the time to understand why they made the decision they did, which is a lot more productive than blindly disagreeing and complaining about it.

To me, that seems lot more effective than making assumptions and taking random internet commentary as truths.

Fair enough. However, that doesn't explain away the talking point boilerplate drivel someone on this forum received in response to e-mails about the state of our programs. They posted it in another thread on MBB earlier this year. Which makes me cynical about your all-purpose solution of having conversations with these people. Their jobs are 50% political, so don't think they are above resorting to political boilerplate language to answer your questions. Getting a straight answer on these things is next to impossible.