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[UND-1]

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Here is the forum article about the Big Sky meetings. What does this mean for UND? It seems like we are prepping for a move to D1-AA but I don't know what this tells our brass about the situation.

Here is another article from Joe Bison at WDAY and his take.

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[PCM]

just doesn't jive

Most journalists would have correctly stated "just doesn't jibe." But maybe this is Hallstrom's subliminal way of telling Bison fans that the Big Sky Conference has no interest in NDSU as a dance partner.

[Supertrex]

How does UND fall "a decade behind" these guys? I guess I don't understand that point. NDSU has not been successful in finding a conference. So now they want to go all the way with football and pursue a D1A conference? With a 15000 seat venue??? I think not. I'm at ASU this weekend. 70,000 seats for football - that's what a D1A football stadium looks like.

In the meantime, I read good things about UND's athletic programs every day. Zach Parise will be a household name soon. So will Brandon Bochenski. Mike Commodore too. And Jim Kleinsauser, etc.... I'm sure the list a long one, but I digress.

Yes, I believe that UND should look at and eventually become a Division I school for all sports. I just don't like hearing the "well, at least we're ahead of UND" from NDSU fans everytime NDSU has a conference affiliation setback, mainly, because I don't think that is true. When UND pulls the trigger and goes D1, Both UND and NDSU will enter a conference together on nearly equal footing (albeit, NDSU has had more scholarships for a longer period, but except for football, they don't seem to be benefitting much from that advantage).

[jimdahl]

How does UND fall "a decade behind" these guys?

[IowaBison]

The falling a decade behind comment makes no sense.

We're not talking about the Stonecutters.

[UND Fan]

Whether NDSU made the right decision or not (as I have said before, I think it was the right decision for football but probably disasterous for all other sports with the possible exception of wrestling), the fact does remain that they are ramping up their scholarship limits (already there in FB). It will take time for UND to catch up when it comes to scholarships/scheduling, etc. It is a given that we could not go to full funding of all allowed scholarships for all sports immediately. In fact, we may have to take an approach more similar to SDSU - ramping up a few more each year.

Bottom line - I firmly believe that UND is making the right decision in waiting but nobody should assume that we will be right there with NDSU as far as quality of programs shortly after we would make the move. We would be substantially behind our neighbors to the South.

[bincitysioux]

.......It will take time for UND to catch up when it comes to scholarships/scheduling, etc.  It is a given that we could not go to full funding of all allowed scholarships for all sports immediately.  In fact, we may have to take an approach more similar to SDSU - ramping up a few more each year.

Bottom line - I firmly believe that UND is making the right decision in waiting but nobody should assume that we will be right there with NDSU as far as quality of programs shortly after we would make the move.  We would be substantially behind our neighbors to the South.

I agree that UND could not likely add scholarships at the rampant rate that NDSU appears to be. And with a 5 year wait to qualify for the post season, I wouldn't see a need to. Throwing out the exploratory year, for football alone we'd only need to add 6 to 7 schollies per year in order to be fully funded by the time we are eligable for the playoffs. NDSU would certainly be the better team during our transition years, but I disagree that we would be substantially behind them. They have proven in their first two years in I-AA that the leap for a program from the top of DII to I-AA is not as big a gap as they would like to think.

I think the top scholarship priority in the first few years of move to DI should be focused on volleyball and women's basketball. From what I saw, NDSU/SDSU scheduling woes were far more severe in basketball than they were in football.

[IowaBison]

The reason to ramp up the scholies is two-fold.

First, people want to see quality, competitive athletics.

Second, you need to average 60 scholarships per year to be a 'counter' for money games with DI-A teams.

SDSU has a fantastic men's basketball schedule this year, NDSU's is much improved over last year's.

[dakotadan]

I for one think that the 'SUs will be getting an invite from the Big Sky in the next few years. What's standing in the way is not the travel issue, it is politics that just need to play out. Obviously there are those in the BSC that want the 'SUs and are willing to continue to push for him.

I don't understand why people are so supprised about what happened at the meeting, not much has changed since their last expansion talks. The issue was simply brought up to keep it in the president's minds and keep them thinking about it.

The biggest problem is that those in charge don't want to upset Sac State. If the 'SUs were added and Sac State was upset and jumped ship, the BSC would be short teams for their auto-bid. Once UNC becomes playoff eligable, that will not be an issue. And from what I have read in online forums, not too many BSC fans really care if Sac State is in the conference or not. Also, UNC is most likely to be another advocate for the Dakota schools.

I just hope that by then UND will have taken enough steps to be in a position to be even considered for an invite.

[bincitysioux]

The biggest problem is that those in charge don't want to upset Sac State. If the 'SUs were added and Sac State was upset and jumped ship, the BSC would be short teams for their auto-bid. Once UNC becomes playoff eligable, that will not be an issue.

Don't you only need six schools to have an autobid?

[bisonguy]

Don't you only need six schools to have an autobid?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's seven for BB, which allows a conference to share in the mulit-billion dollar TV contract.

[star2city]

All the pain of rejection seems to finally be replacing the DI bravado with some real clarity in NDSU-land, based on this column by Kolpack:

[url="http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=105057

[LennonIsTheMan]

It was refreshing to see this http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/12838926.htm in the Herald today. No bitter childish, juvenile trash talking or spin by some smug, unhappy, sportswriter who's trying to be big-time and make a name for himself. No "my dad can beat up your dad" rhetoric, no pissing match incitations. Just reporting the facts of the story is nice to see every once in a while. I wonder if the Fargo Forum is capable of this or if they will always have that wannabe big city reporter attitude forever, and feel like they have to write some negative column on every issue that involves the Sioux. Living in Fargo and having to listen to a couple of the columnists here is like listening to my 5 year old whine and complain on a regular basis. Hell I even feel sorry for ndsu too with the negative commentary they have received in the past. Hey Forum, this is North Dakota......NOT New York. If you want to go to a big city and rip apart every college or professional athlete, then look for a job there. Dont try bring New York to North Dakota.

Wow, did I just ramble on longer than I wanted to or needed to. My bad, but I feel much better.

[PCM]

It was refreshing to see this http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/12838926.htm in the Herald today.  No bitter childish, juvenile trash talking or spin by some smug, unhappy, sportswriter who's trying to be big-time and make a name for himself.  No "my dad can beat up your dad" rhetoric, no pissing match incitations.  Just reporting the facts of the story is nice to see every once in a while.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While I understand completely your frustration with the spin put on UND athletics by Fargo sports writers, the difference here is that the article you cited is a news story, not an opinion piece. News is supposed to be factual and objective. Editorials, columns and opinion pieces should be based on facts, but in them, writers are allowed to express their point of view.

[LennonIsTheMan]

[4siouxnow]

Just a question, why would UND want to make the move to D-1, there are alot of advantages to staying at the top of D-2, I think it's much more attractive to prospective athletes to tell them that they will have a chance to compete for a national champion, than to never really have that opportunity as a mid major, and in most sports there is very little difference in the level of play between the best at D2 and these Mid majors. That is why none of the mid majors want to play UND in most sports. Womens basketball for example there is no way that any of the Missouri Valley schools will play UND they are afraid of what very well may happen.

I think UND has done the right thing by staying right where they are. If you were an athlete would you stick around through this 5 year transition period, when you have no hope of post season play, I think not.

[UND-1]

"Taylor envisions NDSU playing a Sun Belt Conference-type of team for about $150,000 to $175,000 and a Bowl Championship Series I-A team for significantly more.

It depends on the quality of the Bison football team, too.

[BisonMav]

"Taylor envisions NDSU playing a Sun Belt Conference-type of team for about $150,000 to $175,000 and a Bowl Championship Series I-A team for significantly more.

It depends on the quality of the Bison football team, too.

[bisonguy]