SDSU allowed to move, if it can find a conference

[jimdahl]

As expected, the SD Higher Ed Board of Regents has decided to allow SDSU to move if it can first secure a conference affiliation.

The Regents President expressed skepticism about the proponents' arguments, but said he won't stand in the way of SDSU taking care of itself (but stressed that SDSU is responsible for self-funding the move via athletics revenues only):

* The regents dictated that the schools will not get additional funding from student general activity fees or state taxes to support such a move

* They cannot cut academic scholarships to fund athletic scholarships

* Any deficit in the athletics budget must be dealt with by cutting athletic programs, scholarships or coaches' salaries

No surprises in this step (most people thought there was very little chance of the Board of Regents rejecting SDSU's own decision, an extra hurdle that ND schools don't face). SDSU won't actually submit an application and move unless they first secure a conference affiliation (the biggest hurdle that NDSU bypassed).

Nothing here to really tip UND's hand yet, as nothing's really changed. If SDSU finds a conference and then moves, it will be interesting to see if 3 teams leaving the NCC is enough to force a response from UND.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeenne...ews/4724889.htm

[SDSUFAN]

I am not surprised by Jewett's comments and his ties to USD pretty well sum it up. He betting on failure, and should we SDSU people be surprised by his attitude. What UND fans dont know is that he has hauled Wild Bill Janklow's water for a long time. Janklow's days as governor are over next month. Maybe Jewett will be gone from the BOR too. Plus he is trying to placate the people in his community of residence, namely Aberdeen and NSU with comments. Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.

[SDSUFAN]

As expected, the SD Higher Ed Board of Regents has decided to allow SDSU to move if it can first secure a conference affiliation.

The Regents President expressed skepticism about the proponents' arguments, but said he won't stand in the way of SDSU taking care of itself (but stressed that SDSU is responsible for self-funding the move via athletics revenues only):

* The regents dictated that the schools will not get additional funding from student general activity fees or state taxes to support such a move

* They cannot cut academic scholarships to fund athletic scholarships

* Any deficit in the athletics budget must be dealt with by cutting athletic programs, scholarships or coaches' salaries

No surprises in this step (most people thought there was very little chance of the Board of Regents rejecting SDSU's own decision, an extra hurdle that ND schools don't face). SDSU won't actually submit an application and move unless they first secure a conference affiliation (the biggest hurdle that NDSU bypassed).

Nothing here to really tip UND's hand yet, as nothing's really changed. If SDSU finds a conference and then moves, it will be interesting to see if 3 teams leaving the NCC is enough to force a response from UND.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeenne...ews/4724889.htm

Jim:

It was not a given that the Board of Regents would approve the move. Its a surprise that they did.

[jimdahl]

Jim:

It was not a given that the Board of Regents would approve the move. Its a surprise that they did.

Apparently surprise is a relative term based on each individual's expectations of the future. I don't know anyone (outside of you, apparently) who honestly expected the Board of Regents to intervene in SDSU's decision.

They took a firm position of saying that SDSU was solely responsible for any negative fallout from any negative impact of their decision, but allowed them to make their own decision. A wonderful decision that I never had any doubt they'd make -- let the school move up, but don't foot the bill if something goes wrong. You honestly thought they would forbid SDSU from moving up?

[SDSUFAN]

Jim:

Its about the rivalry that Dr Oien was chastised for no longer existing between Augustana, USD and SDSU. I think Jewett's remarks kind of show the anxiety that is felt in Vermillion and has been felt there since the NCC spring meeting when President Miller jumped in bed with President Chapman. No sexual impropriety implied here, except that in working with NDSU, that made Augustanta and USD both sit and take notice. They expected to SDSU to be laughed into shame with grandiose dare of wanting to study a move to D1. Also most of Jewetts law clients are NSU grads and live in Aberdeen. Another pressure for Mr. Jewett. USD and NSU though spinning a different story are threaten about SDSU being sucessful in their move to D1. They stand to lose in donations and students within South Dakota with SDSU'S move to D1. Why are there so many naysayers on this board and else where especially about the marketing study? Maybe we can fly. See below.

As far as me being the only one who had doubts about the Board of Regents, I want to type in a column from The Brookings Register December 11, 2002. Chuck Cecil is a SDSU grad and a former owner of several small weekly newspapers. Chuck also worked as a writer for Former SDSU and Late President Hilton M. Briggs, who unfortunately was killed in a car accident last year and was driving at the age of 89. Briggs was a shrewed farm boy from Iowa and that a whole another story. He is part of the reason SDSU is in a position to consider D1 as he was president from 1958 to 1975. Briggs is known for the quotation when when asked what his opinion was off the Board Of Regents idea of moving the SDSU College of Engineering to Rapid City and the School of Mines. Briggs said" It make about as much sense as castrating your prize beef bull."

Since Cecil's column Stubble Mulch is not on the web, I will share it with you and tell me that others were not concerned about the board of regents and their connections with USD and the possible disapproval of the D-1 move. Its very political, when you have to deal with the Board of Regents and have a four term Governor who can stack the board with all his cronies and in effect give the governor controll over all six state assisted universities. The Board or Regents and their skewed decisions some times makes about as much sense as the recent election in Iraq. I believe Saddam got 99.9% of the popular vote.

Here is Cecil's column:

Regents should give Division I move a chance

By Chuck Cecil.

A week ago I sat through nearly five hours of hearings in Sioux Falls as SDSU Division 1 plans were presented to the Board of Regents. The meeting was in the new building on the Southwest Vo-tech campus whose name is a collection of the intitials of the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Dakota State University...USDSDSUDSU or something like that.

It desperately needs a name people can pronounce. I suggest Higher Education Center.

You would have been extremely impressed with the group who spoke in favor of the university's commendable effort to grow with the times and to prepare for the future.

Al Tuntland, a personable, practical and very, very sucessful businessman whose hometown is Brandon, but who now lives in Minnesota, is an SDSU alumus and leader of the prestigous SDSU Foundation. He told the regents in a can-do review that the foundation and other friends of the university will raise the necessary funds for the move just as they have for many other campus projects.

He urged the Regents to approve the plan. He said that if one does not have the freedom to fail, then there is no chance to suceed.

Another sucessful businessman, Al Kurtenbach, president of Daktronic, Inc, of Brookings hit the mark when he opined that we South Dakotans are seriously afflicted with low self-esteem. " I think it serves as a handy excuse not to do anything" Kurtenbach said. I liked that.

Cindy Mydland, president of Wells Fargo Bank in Brookings had much the same message. She said South Dakotans often spend too much time with their heads down, looking at their shoes."

SDSU President Peggy Miller started the long day off with a urging to "Go Team" followed by excellent comments about how the move fits into the university's overall plan to provide quality education. She and her staff and hundreds of others studied the D-1 issue almost to death. They could refute every arguement against it but those present who want the past to return and the present to stay just as it is.

She was followed by an "expert" the Regents (Gerdy) asked to review SDSU's documents. He was a professional naysayer and as expected, his was a negative reaction. He started out by forming the letter "T" with his hands and urged "time out", suggesting the Regents go slow.

So when Keith Jensen of Brookings, a former SDSU Alumni Director, stepped forward to express his support for the proposed move, he seized upon the "go team" and "time out" analogies.

He told the regents as that as they review the SDSU study, they are akin to the professional football offical who peers into the instant replay machine at field side when a call has been questioned. Often, when the replay fails to show the results one way or another, the offical says there is "no disputable evidence" and their initial call stands.

Jensen told the regents that they review the documents just as an offical would review the instant replay, they must find "indisputable evidence" that what is contained in the SDSU study isn't true before making their final call. If there is "no indisputable evidence" to the contrary, he told them then it was their duty to make the right call.

Another SDSU graduate, Myrna Williamson, now retired and living in Sioux Falls, was the Army's first female general. She made her point and I think, it summed up the the message of the day with a story.

"The master" was standing at the edge of a cliff. Behind him were the people. "Come closer the master urged. But they held back and shied away, afraid of falling. Again they were admonished to come closer to the edge.

Finally, in slow, mincing steps, they cautiously edged forward and looked down into the dark abyss. Then master pushed them off. But they didn't fall. They flew.

Gen. Williamson and the others that spoke so eloquently in favor of the move to Division 1 asked the Board of Regents to give SDSU an opportunity to fly.

We think they will. We'll know later this week.

END OF CECIL COLUMN.

What interesting here is none of Cecil's observations except Kurtenbach's were reported by the Argus reports. I wonder why. I suspect these observations would detract from the negative preception that the Argus Leader wanted to report.

Even Chuck who has a great sense of humor was not totally convinced the Regents would give a green light. Note he says "We think they will." That indicates the same doubts I had about the Board of Regents.

Of the individual regents who I got know only at their website, the big surprises where the young law student from USD who is part of the board and Pat Ledrum from Rapid City. Pat has fought SDSU on other issues. For those two to vote in favor was indeed a pleasant surprise.

Regent Norris from Spearfish has a degree from NDSU so his yes vote was also a welcome. Nef from Milbank has a honorary degree from SDSU so he could hardly look the other way on this issue and Rentchler or something like that from Sioux Falls, was a surprise from an Argus quoted reaction in October. He move from neutral to in favor. So it was a toss-up call at best and there were probably no "for sure" votes except for Nef.

The former legislator and farmer from Britton voted no and I guess we forgot to invite him to the Beef Bowl and Pork Classic as he does not now appear to be a big SDSU fan. He graduated from Huron College where more ineligible basketball player have participated then all the schools in the Dakota's combined. I guess he must have roomed with one at Huron maybe thats why he has such a hard on for athletics and SDSU.

The three way rivilary of SDSU-USD-Auguustana has an affect on Regents and how they preceive things.

Another point is the restrictions adopted by the Regents were offered initially by Dr. Oien and President Miller. The Regents only adopted their work. It was not the Regents who came up with the orginal idea. I guess they could have voted it down and let the chips fall where they may.

With four of the members having degrees from USD, they were put in a tough spot. If they voted in the affirmative, they shoot their alma mater in a foot. If they stand in the way of SDSU, then there is preception of being unfair. So I am hardly the only person who doubted that the Regents would approve the D-1 move. If I am the only one as Jim Dahl implies, then none of the Foundation heavies would have taken time off to come and testified in Sioux Falls last week.

[diggerdan]

Quoting Chuck Cecil column

Another SDSU graduate, Myrna Williamson, now retired and living in Sioux Falls, was the Army's first female general. She made her point

[SDSUFAN]

Diggerdan:

You would have to meet the General to understand, she is quite positive in her thinking and had to as she was the first woman to wear a star on her shoulders in the US Army. I been told she was a person who got things done in the military. She is very positive in her outlook.

Yes the analogy is a little wild but General Williamson made her point to the regents and wanted to put the sense of doubt by the Board of Regents aside.

The analogy did not harm as I see it now. The moral was about fear and doubts. The Board of Regents had that since Mr. Jewett was skeptical as he said.