DAC Schools Jumping to DII from NAIA

[star2city]

A major push to DI seems inevitable at UND with this news:

DAC studying a possible move to the NCAA

In order for the DAC to survive, they have to keep Minot State, which will only be satisfied with NCAA DII membership.

Buning's statements on playing NDSU, and now this, would only seem to confirm the most serious DI inquiry to date at UND will be taking place.

Quotes:

Minot State University Athletic Director Rick Hedberg said the move by schools such as North Dakota State to NCAA Division I also is a factor.

"When the top teams like NDSU and Cal-Davis moved to Division I, there was a leveling of the playing field," he said. "Now Division II is looking for teams." 

Hedberg said DAC presidents decided to look into moving the entire conference to Division II during their summer meetings.

"The NCAA seems very interested in what we have to say," he said.

Hedberg said the NCAA will send three representatives to the DAC's meeting Sept. 13 in Jamestown, though no decisions are expected to be made.

"We got a very positive response when we talked to them," Hedberg said. "When we approached the NAIA, we didn't get the same response. They pretty much said, 'do what you have to do.'"

[dakotadan]

Mr. Bunning may begin to wonder if he should have ever taken the AD job here. The nickname issue started before he even got to see his first athletic game at UND and now I would assume the alumni may really start pushing for DI. On top of that he has a budget to work out. He is going to have his hands full for quite some time.

[UND92,96]

Let's say hypothetically that UND did go dI/IAA without a conference invitation in hand, and assuming NDSU and SDSU are still in the Great West for football, would their bitterness towards UND override common sense by lobbying for the denial of Great West membership by UND? Keep in mind that the GWC is desperate for members now that they're down to five after this year.

[Cratter]

Mr. Bunning may begin to wonder if he should have ever taken the AD job here. The nickname issue started before he even got to see his first athletic game at UND and now I would assume the alumni may really start pushing for DI. On top of that he has a budget to work out. He is going to have his hands full for quite some time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm going to assume Mr. Buning is a fairly smart person. I'm going to guess he already knew that "Fighting Sioux" was going to be controversial. He probably has the internet and probably did some sort of research before he applied for the job....probably was aware of the Division I issue, heck maybe he stumbled upon this site. Maybe Buning himself wants UND to go Division I.

I'll play the NDSU fan. Why now? Scholarships haven't been reduced anymore recently. Division 2 schools have been jumping to Division 1 for some time now along with NAIA and Division 3 schools joining Division 2. Why the big push?

[star2city]

I'll play the NDSU fan.  Why now?  Scholarships haven't been reduced anymore recently.  Division 2 schools have been jumping to Division 1 for some time now along with NAIA and Division 3 schools joining Division 2.  Why the big push?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why the big push? A Big Sky bid in 18 months is likely, so UND won't have to go through the pain, aggravation, increased indepedent cost, and loss of revenue of waiting around for a conference to accept us. (How's that for a preferred and most probable answer?) Also, thanks to NDSU/SDSU for doing all the heavy plowing and trailblazing so we didn't have to. If we had moved up at the same time as them, it wouldn't have helped UND's position until at least two of the schools were out off DI probation.

[ESPNInsider]

[dakotadan]

I'll play the NDSU fan.  Why now?  Scholarships haven't been reduced anymore recently.  Division 2 schools have been jumping to Division 1 for some time now along with NAIA and Division 3 schools joining Division 2.  Why the big push?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll play the typical alum and football fan. Sure schools from around the country have been coming and going from DII. That never really had a direct effect on UND. But now UNC, SDSU, and especially NDSU have made the move. Also, when they started talking about DI, we were in the middle of building the Ralph, the Al, the Betty, adding DI women's hockey, and women's soccer. We have since moved into the facilities and know in general what our attendance and revenue/profit potential will be with these buildings. Women's hockey and soccer have played for a few seasons and are establishing themselves. These teams will also help us out with Title IX issues if we make a move to DI. And on top of all of this, we now have the DAC looking at DII. This will most likely make our alumni wonder if we want to continue playing NDSU, SDSU, and UNC or accept being in the same division as the DAC.

If you ask me alot has changed since 2000.

[teamsioux]

The funny part is that NDSU fans are too ignorant to realize UND is sitting back and letting them be the test dummies, which they are very good at. UND couldn't have asked for more than Fargo testing the waters first. UND has their own little lab experiment just down I-29.

[Cratter]

I'll play the typical alum and football fan. Sure schools from around the country have been coming and going from DII. That never really had a direct effect on UND. But now UNC, SDSU, and especially NDSU have made the move. Also, when they started talking about DI, we were in the middle of building the Ralph, the Al, the Betty, adding DI women's hockey, and women's soccer. We have since moved into the facilities and know in general what our attendance and revenue/profit potential will be with these buildings. Women's hockey and soccer have played for a few seasons and are establishing themselves. These teams will also help us out with Title IX issues if we make a move to DI. And on top of all of this, we now have the DAC looking at DII. This will most likely make our alumni wonder if we want to continue playing NDSU, SDSU, and UNC or accept being in the same division as the DAC.

If you ask me alot has changed since 2000.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So basically because SDSU & our rival, NDSU did it.

Kupchella put it best,

"We may have to make this move even though ultimately it may make no otherwise logical or financial sense to do so."

Does anyone really think there would be all this talk about the Big Sky if NDSU was committed to division 2.

If NDSU didn't move the DAC would probably reconsider moving to D2.

Minot State University Athletic Director Rick Hedberg said the move by schools such as North Dakota State to NCAA Division I also is a factor.

[IowaBison]

The funny part is that NDSU fans are too ignorant to realize UND is sitting back and letting them be the test dummies, which they are very good at.  UND couldn't have asked for more than Fargo testing the waters first.  UND has their own little lab experiment just down I-29.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't see anything honorable about riding on coattails, but whatever floats your boat. Most folks don't brag about it though.

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

Sioux fans, can the football center be expanded? Thanks.

And what in the world is si tanka huron? (not trying to offend anyone)

[The Sicatoka]

And what in the world is si tanka huron? (not trying to offend anyone)

A tribal college in South Dakota that declared bankruptcy.

[bincitysioux]

A major push to DI seems inevitable at UND with this news:

DAC studying a possible move to the NCAA

In order for the DAC to survive, they have to keep Minot State, which will only be satisfied with NCAA DII membership.

Buning's statements on playing NDSU, and now this, would only seem to confirm the most serious DI inquiry to date at UND will be taking place.

Quotes:

[star2city]

Illinois, Florida St, Utah, and UND all in a Final Four? So a DI move must be in the offing!!

Seventeen schools remain targeted by the ban, among them the University of Illinois (Fighting Illini), the University of Utah (the Utes) and the University of North Dakota (Fighting Sioux). Unless they win an appeal like Florida State did (and FSU officials say they have been contacted by some of the other colleges), these institutions will be forced to change their nicknames or don logo-less unis in any NCAA-sanctioned tournament.

This means the Final Four could be comprised of four teams, all in anonymous solid-color trunks and jerseys, like teams in some small-town church league.

Actually, a “Tribal Festival” holiday BB tournament consisting of the above four schools, at a rotating location, would not only ‘cement’ relationships between the schools, but could raise scholarship money to tribal members and help UND successfully move to DI.

[bisonguy]

Update from Tuesday's meeting DAC seeking more info before D-II decision

AMESTOWN, N.D.

[dakotadan]

Update from Tuesday's meeting [url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=102958

[BostonSiouxFan]

The funny part is that NDSU fans are too ignorant to realize UND is sitting back and letting them be the test dummies, which they are very good at.  UND couldn't have asked for more than Fargo testing the waters first.  UND has their own little lab experiment just down I-29.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those "test dummies" are doing pretty well. I wish we were as "ignorant" and realized we should move up sooner rather than later. DII is going to be an absolute joke before you know it (it's already on it's way). MSU-Moorhead has made the move to DII, and now Mary and the Dac-10 teams are coming. Let's get out while the getting is good.

NDSU had some vision for the future, and I applaud them. Are you so blinded by your dislike for them that you don't see that? Compare our football schedule to NDSU's, it night and day, and not in UND's favor.

[Bison Dan]

[The Sicatoka]

Since NDSU began its transition, it would seem that NDSU and UND have had the same number of established DI conferences asking each to join.

The issues remain unchanged: conference and money.

Conference was addressed above.

As far as money, I'm interested in seeing the Fiscal Year 2005 numbers (EADA data for July 2004 through June 2005) for both UND and NDSU. The last reports I heard for each were that UND was coming in about $200k in the red for the year and that Mr. Inniger was $600k short of the $1 million he alone (outside or Team Makers) he needed to raise to make budget. What are the real final numbers and what can be learned from each set?

[GCWaters]

Since NDSU began its transition, it would seem that NDSU and UND have had the same number of established DI conferences asking each to join.

The issues remain unchanged: conference and money.

Conference was addressed above.

As far as money, I'm interested in seeing the Fiscal Year 2005 numbers (EADA data for July 2004 through June 2005) for both UND and NDSU. The last reports I heard for each were that UND was coming in about $200k in the red for the year and that Mr. Inniger was $600k short of the $1 million he alone (outside or Team Makers) he needed to raise to make budget. What are the real final numbers and what can be learned from each set?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If NDSu does finish $200,000 in the red for the year, that would still be half of the $400,000 in red ink that the EADA reported for UND in 03-04....not sure I see your point here....

[Bison Dan]

Since NDSU began its transition, it would seem that NDSU and UND have had the same number of established DI conferences asking each to join.

The issues remain unchanged: conference and money.

Conference was addressed above.

As far as money, I'm interested in seeing the Fiscal Year 2005 numbers (EADA data for July 2004 through June 2005) for both UND and NDSU. The last reports I heard for each were that UND was coming in about $200k in the red for the year and that Mr. Inniger was $600k short of the $1 million he alone (outside or Team Makers) he needed to raise to make budget. What are the real final numbers and what can be learned from each set?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no doubt that for the first couple of years we'll have some shortfall. Team Makers has already doubled their support to 1.4 million this year with 1.32 already in the bank. The support and money will be there. I think the money would be there for UND too, but womens hockey does put a large hole in the budget.

[The Sicatoka]

If NDSu does finish $200,000 in the red for the year, that would still be half of the $400,000 in red ink that the EADA reported for UND in 03-04....not sure I see your point here....

Please re-read my post and reconsider your response. Thank you.

Bison Dan: I think what both sides are (slowly) realizing is that they need each other for the BB gates, mens and womens, (8000) that they give each other annually plus the every-other-year football gate.

[The Sicatoka]

NDSU has the potential for a $600k FY 05 shortfall according to the last report on Inniger's progress.

UND is the one with the $200k problem in FY 05.

[UND92,96]

Re-read, still don't get it, even with your snotty response....seems to me you're ignoring the log in your eye to focus on the splinter in NDSU's...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I will be interested to see exactly what adding roughly 60 scholarships (27 for football, 3 for men's basketball, plus presumably a corresponding 30 for women's sports), plus the greatly increased travel expenses, does to NDSU's athletic budget. We probably won't know the full scope of this until the 2005-06 information comes out, which is more than a year away, but the 2004-05 info will be interesting, also. As for how it compares to UND's, it's an apples-to-oranges comparison. There are simply too many different sports that one school has and the other does not. We all agree that having a deficit of a couple hundred thousand dollars is not a good situation, but it's somewhat understandable considering the recent addition of women's hockey. It's going to be a lot easier for UND to address its deficit than for NDSU to meet its new budget considering all the additional expenses since the 2003-04 season.

[Bison Dan]

I will be interested to see exactly what adding roughly 60 scholarships (27 for football, 3 for men's basketball, plus presumably a corresponding 30 for women's sports), plus the greatly increased travel expenses, does to NDSU's athletic budget. We probably won't know the full scope of this until the 2005-06 information comes out, which is more than a year away, but the 2004-05 info will be interesting, also. As for how it compares to UND's, it's an apples-to-oranges comparison. There are simply too many different sports that one school has and the other does not. We all agree that having a deficit of a couple hundred thousand dollars is not a good situation, but it's somewhat understandable considering the recent addition of women's hockey. It's going to be a lot easier for UND to address its deficit than for NDSU to meet its new budget considering all the additional expenses since the 2003-04 season.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What will be more interesting will be if UND jumps to DI while running a deficit in dii.