Reason to go DI

[jimdahl]

RPI also means something different to UND fans than NDSU fans.

*RPI Hockey team vs RPI basketball ratings

Particularly poor choice of lame comebacks -- I think the average Sioux fan knows a hell of a lot more about RPI than the average Bison fan because our #1 sport has been D-I for as long as RPI has existed... You should have tried to pick on Quinnipiac, that's a funny word.

[UND92,96]

I know where Furman is. I know they have a decent DI basketball program, and a very solid I-AA football program. I know more about them than I do Upper Iowa. Lucky for me, if I wanted to learn about Upper Iowa, I could go see them in the Betty this weekend. I think I will choose to save my $11 and remain in the dark. I'd much rather listen to a Sioux basketball team lose to Furman on the road on the radio, than waste my time at a home double-header that includes Mary and Upper Iowa.

Playing Upper Iowa (men) and Mary (women) in February isn't ideal, but then again, neither is NDSU's January/February home schedule (men):

Utah Valley St. (RPI 295)

SDSU (RPI 230, but at least a familiar opponent)

UMKC (RPI 264)

Idaho (RPI 312)

IPFW (RPI 269)

Jamestown College

Mayville St.

Mary

Whether playing AT Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado St. and Kansas St. is worth having those home games during what is normally the meat of a schedule is debatable.

[BisonMav]

Particularly poor choice of lame comebacks -- I think the average Sioux fan knows a hell of a lot more about RPI than the average Bison fan because our #1 sport has been D-I for as long as RPI has existed... You should have tried to pick on Quinnipiac, that's a funny word.

Didn't know hockey had a RPI rating, sorry or giving a lame comeback on your messageboard.

[The Sicatoka]

"Um, can you repeat the part of the stuff where you said all about the ... things?"

If you have a conference, you have about half (or more) of your schedule defined each year and you know where you'll be travelling to --> known costs years/seasons in advance.

If you have a notion of what a big chunk of your travel budget will be (conference) that's far better than being an independent and having no idea of who or where you'll be playing year to year (unknown travel is unknown costs which is nearly impossible to try to budget for).

If you can start to define travel (conference) you start to define costs which means you can form a budget to work to.

[CoteauRinkRat]

If you have a conference, you have about half (or more) of your schedule defined each year and you know where you'll be travelling to --> known costs years/seasons in advance.

If you have a notion of what a big chunk of your travel budget will be (conference) that's far better than being an independent and having no idea of who or where you'll be playing year to year (unknown travel is unknown costs which is nearly impossible to try to budget for).

If you can start to define travel (conference) you start to define costs which means you can form a budget to work to.

Got it, thanks Sicatoka.

[BisonMav]

If you have a conference, you have about half (or more) of your schedule defined each year and you know where you'll be travelling to --> known costs years/seasons in advance.

Unless you belong to the NCC with 12 conference games and 15 OOC games.

I understand your point and it is a good point, just couldn't resist making another lame response.

[dakotadan]

I sense a Bison fan posing as a Sioux fan. No real Sioux fan would say something like that.

Why not? I'll say it.

Come on people, Furman is a DI team. At least NDSU isn't losing to Mayville and Minot State.

The Bison had the balls to move up and to date, UND hasn't. Apparently we're content in the VERY watered down ranks of DII.

If people think our schedules have been rather disappointing this year, wait and see what will likely happen in the next couple of years. The NSIC is adding 2 more teams this next year. That means less out of conference games for them. Considering that the NCC schools are having trouble scheduling the way it is, what are they going to do after this? Are we going to see EVEN MORE DAC teams on our schedules? And considering that many DAC teams or possibly even the conference as a whole is looking at moving to DII, I am sure that UND would be very willing to help them with games during their transition. Or maybe Minot State and Dickinson State would be interested in joining the NCC.

Not a very exciting future if you ask me.

[Cratter]

At least NDSU isn't losing to Mayville and Minot State.

Not a very exciting future if you ask me.

Its likely they won't lose to those teams but I'm not going to predict the future like you.

Home schedule for the Bison:

Feb 8 MBB vs Jamestown

Feb 10 MBB vs Mayville State

Feb 22 MBB vs Mary

Not very exciting if you ask me.

[The Sicatoka]

Unless you belong to the NCC with 12 conference games and 15 OOC games.

I understand your point and it is a good point, just couldn't resist making another lame response.

What if the NCC were to add 2 or 3 teams?

[star2city]

What if the NCC were to add 2 or 3 teams?

Any word on any school moving? There had been talk about UN-Kearney, Winona, St Thomas, and even Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. It would seem that the NCC has got to decide which direction (east or west) it will commit to. The NCC will need to to drop the requirement of a full voting member to play football. Schools like Montana St-Billings and Wisconsin-Parkside are on the geographic fringes of their conferences and would probably be interested in the NCC if they weren't required to add football. If the NCC committed to a westward expansion - UN-K and MSU-B might be enticed. If an eastward move was commited - maybe schools like St. Thomas, Winona, MTU, NMU, and UW-P would be more inclined. Since the more western tier of NCC schools are more likely to move to DI, it would seem Roger Thomas' only course of action is to consciously move the center of the NCC to the east by adding schools from that direction.

[informant]

Dave,

You're a moron. Go ahead and make an ass of yourself, but please don't speak for this or other Sioux fans.

Hi,

DI hockey shouldn't be doubled in North Dakota. And as for respect, did you respect the Bison when they had their great dynasty football teams in the 60s, 80s, and early 90s? Don't answer. I already know.

[bincitysioux]

I found this comment by a Jackrabbit fan over on SDSU's message board.

News for the people holding out for a DI NCC, take UNO off the list of possible schools moving up. Yesterday on 1570 AM Jeff Culhane interviewed the UNO AD and he said a DI move is not an option for UNO at this time. He cited politics and lack of conference affiliation as the major reasons against moving up. He also spoke favorably of the DII conference to the south (MIAA?) and said it would be a better fit for UNO if the NCC expands to the north or the east.

http://diaafootball.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB....384;start=30#30

I can understand the arguments that schools like USD or SCSU might follow UND if we move to DI. I know we have already speculated about it several times, but if it is true that the UNO AD is talking about leaving the NCC for the MIAA due to the geography of the current NCC, with its current members as is, that is scary. If UND decides to stay in DII, can you imagine a six team NCC that does not include UNO?

If we're gonna stay, we better go to work at getting Kearney to join this league. If we're gonna move, we better do it before we lose basically our biggest draw for all sports for our last years in DII.

[choyt3]

The only way it makes any sense for UNK to join the NCC is if UNO is in the league. Without UNO, the NCC will see Mary, Bemidji State, Winona State, or Concordia-St. Paul before UNKearney.

[dakotadan]

I found this comment by a Jackrabbit fan over on SDSU's message board.

If this comment is true, it puts the NCC between even more of a rock and a hard place. It seems like a difficult task already to find a member to join the NCC, now we have to worry that if we pick the wrong one, UNO will jet. Not a good position to be in.

One also has to wonder why the UNO AD would be making comments like this to the public. They have to realize how unstable the NCC currently is. Have they made these comments to UND and the other NCC schools? This only makes it worse. Maybe UNO wants to make the move to the MIAA and are making comments like this to push the UND DI issue. If UND moves and the NCC basically folds, then they would never be the bad guy for leaving.

[star2city]

I found this comment by a Jackrabbit fan over on SDSU's message board.

http://diaafootball.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB....384;start=30#30

I can understand the arguments that schools like USD or SCSU might follow UND if we move to DI. I know we have already speculated about it several times, but if it is true that the UNO AD is talking about leaving the NCC for the MIAA due to the geography of the current NCC, with its current members as is, that is scary. If UND decides to stay in DII, can you imagine a six team NCC that does not include UNO?

If we're gonna stay, we better go to work at getting Kearney to join this league. If we're gonna move, we better do it before we lose basically our biggest draw for all sports for our last years in DII.

Curious that UNO's Culhane has actually spoke of the NCC expanding to the north and east. That can only mean Northern Michigan and Mich Tech are actually serious about joinging the NCC from the GLIAC. There was also talk of Wisconsin-Parkside moving from the GLVC. The distance to the U.P. of Mich would naturally repel UNO. If UNO moves to the MIAA, look for Kearney to go with them. The NCC would then be

The NEW NCC

Mich Tech

N. Michigan

Wis-Parkside (non-football)

UM-Duluth

MSU-Mankato

SCSU

Augie

USD

UND (to DI ?)

WWash (football only)

CWash (football only)

9 conference fb games (8 w/o UND)

16 conference BB (14 w/o UND)

[bincitysioux]

The only way it makes any sense for UNK to join the NCC is if UNO is in the league. Without UNO, the NCC will see Mary, Bemidji State, Winona State, or Concordia-St. Paul before UNKearney.

That's what I'm saying. If UND is gonna be a part of the NCC for the long-term, RT better be trying to make UNO happy, and keep them here too. I feel that the NCC is bad enough as it is now, I would want no part of it if UNO were not in it.

[bincitysioux]

Maybe UNO wants to make the move to the MIAA and are making comments like this to push the UND DI issue.

I'm sure from a financial stand point, the MIAA makes alot more sense to UNO than the NCC, i.e. rivalries and travel. To my knowledge, UNO's biggest in-conference rivals (hence biggest draws for football and basketball) were USD and nearly equally with SDSU. They've lost SDSU, and they were replaced with two schools from the Pacific Northwest. I imagine that is not a fun situation. At least UND still has SCSU as a rival and Duluth (from the hockey history) is becoming somewhat of a rival. I'll bet if UNO played Pitt St. in conference year in and year out, that could develop into one hell of a rivalry. I don't blame them for looking at the MIAA, but I sure don't want them to leave the NCC.

[ND4Life]

Can someone explain why Nebraska-Kearney has been so reluctant to join the NCC? I would think travel would be better for UNK in the NCC as opposed to the RMAC.

If it's a matter of UNK not being able to meet certain NCC scholarship or budget requirements, I say cut UNK some slack. At this late stage, it's more important for the NCC to get a school that has proven it can compete in a range of sports, especially football and basketball. Let UNK worry about meeting financial standards later.

UNK is a natural fit for the NCC and the most attractive Division II school in the region. In my opinion, they should have been invited the day Morningside left. Then we wouldn't be hearing any talk of UNO leaving.

[The Sicatoka]

I'm sure from a financial stand point, the MIAA makes alot more sense to UNO than the NCC, i.e. rivalries and travel.

UNO in the MIAA would be the best of all worlds for them:

- much better travel (especially for basketball season)

- conference play centered around Omaha/Kansas City/St. Louis recruits

- non-conference play against NCC and NSIC schools (for MSP media exposure)

- non-conference play against RMAC schools (for Denver media exposure)

I can see where UNO's AD is coming from on this.

[dakotadan]

Another reason to go DI.

[SiouxMD]

Another reason to go DI.

The MBB team has a looooong way to go before duplicating this feat...congratulations to Montana!

[bigmrg74]

The MBB team has a looooong way to go before duplicating this feat...congratulations to Montana!

Dirty rotten MoFu's......

I had that pick for my brackets, but I changed it last minute yesterday morning....

[UND92,96]

The MBB team has a looooong way to go before duplicating this feat...congratulations to Montana!

Very true, but it is interesting that one of the rumored candidates to replace Glas within the hopefully not-too-distant-future is Montana assistant and ex-Jamestown College head coach Brad Huse. link.

[bincitysioux]

Very true, but it is interesting that one of the rumored candidates to replace Glas within the hopefully not-too-distant-future is Montana assistant and ex-Jamestown College head coach Brad Huse. link.

He would be a nice addition to UND. I went to alot of JC games when he coached there. He has a good coaching style, that is fun to watch.

[dakotadan]

The MBB team has a looooong way to go before duplicating this feat...congratulations to Montana!

Very true. But with the Ralph and the Betty as recruiting tools, there is no reason that UND couldn't accomplish the same thing. Montana won the Big Sky tournament in an evening game on ESPN and followed it up with a good win in the NCAA tournament. Great exposure. I will be cheering for them.