Good DI article

[NDSU grad]

The way I figure the Mid-Con will add 2-4 teams out of IPFW, SDSU, NDSU, Utah Valley State, and UTPA. UND may be in the mix. I don't know if the Mid-Con views Centenary and Southern Utah as being long-term members of the Mid-Con, in which case UTPA and Utah Valley State make little sense. You'd think if they wanted to add IPFW they would have done it by now to get to ten. How do they feel about the Dakota schools? I really don't know; you don't really hear much from the Mid-Con about us. I guess time will tell.

[star2city]

The biggest complaint about SUU in past Big Sky talks has been academics, with it being closer to a community college than a research university.

Though it is located within the Big Sky's footprint, it is not easy to get (not as bad as Flagstaff though).

Also, SUU doesn't fully fund its football team.

The vocal opponents of SUU have been Weber State, who apparently don't want anything to do with the school, and North Arizona (for no great reason).

A few years ago in the media, Fullerton was asked about SUU getting into the Big SKy. He specifically stated that there were vocal opponents against their addition, but he also stated that Weber St. was fully supportive of them getting BSC membership. By the wording of his reply it was clear the vocal opponents could only have been Montana, MSU, or possibly EWU.

[IowaBison]

A few years ago in the media, Fullerton was asked about SUU getting into the Big SKy. He specifically stated that there were vocal opponents against their addition, but he also stated that Weber St. was fully supportive of them getting BSC membership. By the wording of his reply it was clear the vocal opponents could only have been Montana, MSU, or possibly EWU.

That's interesting and the almost the opposite of what I had heard.

Montana and Montana State, as is NAU and to a lesser extent PSU, President's of such institutions are most likely against the addition of a school such as SUU.

Much like IPFW in the Mid-Con, SUU has wanted in the Big Sky for A LONG time, but they have a couple of serious strikes against them.

[MplsBison]

SUU is a non counter for DI-A schools.

That means they didn't average 60 scholarships over the last three years and that a DI-A school can't count them for a BCS win.

[bincitysioux]

Here are some more articles on DI conference happenings/possible shiftings that could all impact UND if we go Division I now, or sometime down the road.

Playing ball with the WAC (Sacramento State)

[url=http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=78478]I-AA West: The Mid-Con May Play a Big Role in the Great West

[bincitysioux]

This is about 10 days old, but here is what Steve Hallstrom had to say in his Bison Media Blog after he finished working on his feature last week about UND's DI decision.

NOTE: Please do not copy and paste the entire text of articles from other sites on to SiouxSports.com. Thank you. A moderator.

[The Sicatoka]

Here are some more articles on DI conference happenings/possible shiftings that could all impact UND if we go Division I now, or sometime down the road.

Playing ball with the WAC (Sacramento State)

The big step is getting football from Division I-AA to I-A. The Hornets already have what would be the second highest enrollment in the WAC (27,932), a budget ($9 million) in the lower tier and an ambitious building campaign to "change the face and character of Sacramento State."

SacSt's athletic budget is $9 million? Total?

And UND's is reportedly $10 million in DII.

EDIT: Well, I found $11.2 million for SacSt in here. (More than half their budget comes from student fees and institutional support.)