Exploritory Year

[4siouxnow]

Can someone explain to me exactly what the exploritory year is and what all it entails, does this mean there is a commitment to go DI, or does it still leave options open?

Would we still compete in D2? If this is the decision for this comming year does it count on the 5 year transiton, even though schedules I'm sure are done and would be virtually a D2 schedule.

When and if we go D1 will it be an issue with the nickname, and scheduling, for example I know the liberal U of I would not schedule the Sioux. I think there are alot more of these liberal wacko U's at the d1 level.

[bincitysioux]

I'm no expert but as far as I know the exploratory year is the first year of the five year trasition. We would still be considered DII, and still be members of the NCC, it'd be our last year in the NCC. We would count as DII to any DI opponents. 2003 was NDSU's exploratory year, their last year in the NCC and DII. I'm sure IowaBison could explain it alot better.

[IowaBison]

Can someone explain to me exactly what the exploritory year is and what all it entails, does this mean there is a commitment to go DI, or does it still leave options open?

Would we still compete in D2? If this is the decision for this comming year does it count on the 5 year transiton, even though schedules I'm sure are done and would be virtually a D2 schedule.

When and if we go D1 will it be an issue with the nickname, and scheduling, for example I know the liberal U of I would not schedule the Sioux. I think there are alot more of these liberal wacko U's at the d1 level.

It really doesn't mean much, as a school can choose to remain in its current classification at the year's end and can (would) play a DII schedule.

For a school like UND, the decision would be equivalent to making the move as staying DII would be quite damaging. I don't know if it has happened to a DII school in recent years, but there are a couple of HBCUs, at least one in Florida, that declared the move to DIA football, started making the transition, then stopped, and their athletic departments all but imploded.

I wouldn't worry about the nickname thing, it's not a divisional issue, imo. Now scheduling, that is a different matter (though not in the exploratory year).

[RD17]

It is true that officially entering the exploratory year doesn't force UND to make any sort of D-I commitment until the first year is complete.

But the problem is with the NCC. I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that UND would have to notify the conference by September 1, 2006 if it plans on not being a member in the 2007-08 school year. So if UND were to announce its intent to move to Division I in May, the exploratory "year" would in essence only last three months because of the need to officially notify the NCC by 9/1.

[IowaBison]

The penalty for not following the NCC rule is only $35,000.

[RD17]

The penalty for not following the NCC rule is only $35,000.

But you'd be burning a lot of bridges.

I don't think UND wants to wait until spring 2007 when the fall schedules are set and leave the other NCC schools with scheduling problems, especially considering that the new D-II scheduling rules will make it quite possible to still play a few of the NCC schools during the transition.

[Bison Dan]

But you'd be burning a lot of bridges.

I don't think UND wants to wait until spring 2007 when the fall schedules are set and leave the other NCC schools with scheduling problems, especially considering that the new D-II scheduling rules will make it quite possible to still play a few of the NCC schools during the transition.

Since when has UND ever cared about burning bridges?

[PCM]

Since when has UND ever cared about burning bridges?

Who filed for divorce?

[CoteauRinkRat]

Since when has UND ever cared about burning bridges?

Once again, someone asks a good question and there are some intelligent responses to them, and you have to add a bunch of smack into a thread when it is not needed.

[Bison Dan]

Once again, someone asks a good question and there are some intelligent responses to them, and you have to add a bunch of smack into a thread when it is not needed.

So when NDSU when DI, UND didn't burn any bridges? Okay that must be why there's so much love.

[PCM]

So when NDSU when DI, UND didn't burn any bridges?

Logic isn't your strong suit, is it?

[Bison Dan]

Logic isn't your strong suit, is it?

So NDSU burned the bridges by moving to DI? I don't remember NDSU running their mouth off like UND. If NDSU burned the bridges why is UND looking at moving to DI? Must have been the smart move. What effect will UND's move up to DI have on the NCC?

[PCM]

So NDSU burned the bridges by moving to DI? I don't remember NDSU running their mouth off like UND. If NDSU burned the bridges why is UND looking at moving to DI? Must have been the smart move. What effect will UND's move up to DI have on the NCC?

How deep you gonna dig that hole?

[GeauxSioux]

How deep you gonna dig that hole?

Give him a bigger shovel.

[SiouxMD]

Give him a bigger shovel.

...and face him to the south.

[USA Hockey]

I just wanted to know where everyone was hearing the info on the exploratory year.

[tony]

I just wanted to know where everyone was hearing the info on the exploratory year.

Heck, you don't have to hear it from anybody (besides 9 times out of 10 what you hear is wrong).

Here is the NCAA's 2005-06 DI Manual:

http://www.ncaa.org/library/membership/div...6_d1_manual.pdf

Go to page 358 - the part that interests you is in section 20.5 Change of Division Membership

If I'm not misinterpreting things, to make 2006-07 UND's exploratory year, UND would have to notify the NCAA by September 1, 2006 (best to get your app in a little earlier). UND cannot retroactively declare that 2005-06 was their exploratory year.

[The Sicatoka]

Heck, you don't have to hear it from anybody (besides 9 times out of 10 what you hear is wrong).

I think "USA Hockey" was asking more of a "why is this brought up, I haven't heard a thing officially from UND" than a "what is this/logistics" question. (That's how I read it at least.)

[IowaBison]

But you'd be burning a lot of bridges.

I don't think UND wants to wait until spring 2007 when the fall schedules are set and leave the other NCC schools with scheduling problems, especially considering that the new D-II scheduling rules will make it quite possible to still play a few of the NCC schools during the transition.

Actually, it wouldn't make any difference as UND can stay in the NCC during its exploratory year.

Or it could leave the conference and still play its schedule as a non-conference opponent (remember that UND would still officially be DII that year).

If UND some how was offered membership in the Big Sky in 2007 (which I give the probability of .0001) then there would be a problem. But would they care? (I wouldn't if I were them).

Basically UND can file for 2006/2007 to be its exploratory year by contacting the NCAA and tell the NCC it will be leaving the conference in 2007 OR it can delay the process for the next year (or later). Like I said, UND has to be pretty sure it will be making the transition when it declares its exploratory year as it will be tough to get the !@$! back in the horse afterwards.

[USA Hockey]

I think "USA Hockey" was asking more of a "why is this brought up, I haven't heard a thing officially from UND" than a "what is this/logistics" question. (That's how I read it at least.)

Your right, that was my intent. After reading this on the message board I went on fightingsioux.com to see if we had made an official announcement.

[RD17]

Actually, it wouldn't make any difference as UND can stay in the NCC during its exploratory year.

Or it could leave the conference and still play its schedule as a non-conference opponent (remember that UND would still officially be DII that year).

If UND some how was offered membership in the Big Sky in 2007 (which I give the probability of .0001) then there would be a problem. But would they care? (I wouldn't if I were them).

Basically UND can file for 2006/2007 to be its exploratory year by contacting the NCAA and tell the NCC it will be leaving the conference in 2007 OR it can delay the process for the next year (or later). Like I said, UND has to be pretty sure it will be making the transition when it declares its exploratory year as it will be tough to get the !@$! back in the horse afterwards.

I understand how the whole process works. All I'm trying to point out is the difference it makes having the NCC involved if UND is going to do this the right way.

If UND were a D2 independent now, it could declare 2006-07 as the exploratory year and wait until 6/1/2007 until deciding on Division I without having a negative effect on anyone else.

But since UND is in the NCC, and since the NCC has a requirement that it be notified 12 months in advance if a school plans to leave, the right thing to do would be to notify the NCC on 9/1/2006 if it intends on following through with a move to Division I.

So, in essence, since UND is concerned with mantaining a good relationship with the other NCC schools, it has nine less months to "explore" D-I without a commitment one way or the other.

That's all I'm trying to say.

[BisonMav]

But since UND is in the NCC, and since the NCC has a requirement that it be notified 12 months in advance if a school plans to leave, the right thing to do would be to notify the NCC on 9/1/2006 if it intends on following through with a move to Division I.

Wasn't this originally an 18 month notification?

[tony]

Wasn't this originally an 18 month notification?

I think that it's the other way around. NCC schools planning on leaving the conference originally were required to give 12 months notice, but when SDSU started looking at DI, the NCC bumped it up to 18 months. That means the deadline has already passed for UND to make a penalty-free break with the NCC for this year .

Of course, I could be completely wrong. Maybe the NCC turned around and rescinded the rule after SDSU left.

[IowaBison]

Forget this good neighbor crap. NDSU and SDSU stayed in DII an extra year hoping that a few more schools, if not the whole NCC, would make the move. All that happened was that they lost a year.

At worst, after making its declaration to move UND would be in the NCC for at least one more year (it's exploratory year). That's more than enough time for the NCC to decide what it needs to do.

It is possible, if not likely, that UND would play the majority of its first transition year games against DII opponents as well. (If their intent was to placate the NCC, this would be one way to do it)

[RD17]

It could very well be that it is 18 months... I had the September 1 date in my head but maybe that is not correct or has been changed or whatever. Regardless of what the date is, if UND is going to do this it doesn't want to wait until June 1, 2007 (the end of the exploration year) to notify the NCC that it won't be a member in 07-08.

Forget this good neighbor crap. NDSU and SDSU stayed in DII an extra year hoping that a few more schools, if not the whole NCC, would make the move. All that happened was that they lost a year.

Hmmm... was that "being a good neighbor" to the rest of the NCC or was this done simply because NDSU and SDSU didn't have a conference to call home? I have a very hard time believing that the two schools would have waited the extra year if they had already had an invitation from a D-I conference in hand.