D-1 Survey Says...

[PCM]

So you're not going to answer the question about whether that would make you angry?

I'm supposed to be angry about something that won't happen?

[The Sicatoka]

I am shocked and would have to say that this surely gives Kuppy more than enough cover to not make the jump........

The flip side of these results is if a group showed up with the money and a conference option opened up it's all out there on the table: The DI supporters could show they've met the criteria of the majority of folks.

[RD17]

As someone who took the survey, I don't agree with that characterization of it at all. If anything, I felt that the questions were skewed in favor of UND going DI.

But who knows? Maybe Kupchella was directing mind control waves my way at the time.

It certainly would be nice if we could see a copy of the survey so everyone could judge for themselves.

[The Sicatoka]

I don't think that what you're suggesting is even a viable option.

Yo, "MplsBison", you asked that question other ways and places. Try this and see:

" .... MplsBison, just out of curiousity, would you be angry if NDSU anounced that some of the resources that would've gone to football will now go to help the volleyball and baseball teams with the transition?"

I think you'll find yourself giving the same answers that PCM gave.

[PCM]

It seems to me that some people are assuming a bit too much about the survey results. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more likely that Kupchella will base his decision on what the committee's report says rather than what the survey results say.

[PCM]

It certainly would be nice if we could see a copy of the survey so everyone could judge for themselves.

I can't help you there. All I can do is give my impression of the survey.

[WYOBISONMAN]

The flip side of these results is if a group showed up with the money and a conference option opened up it's all out there on the table: The DI supporters could show they've met the criteria of the majority of folks.

However, given the locations of both UND and NDSU I don't think having a conference home for all sports is realistic. You gotta take some risks in making the jump.....investing in the future so to say. In the end, the conference will work out for NDSU and it would work out for UND too.

I just can't see UND staying D2 if the division is seeing schools like Mary and potentially Minot State moving up to D2. I love to dish $hit out to the UND fans as well as any Bison fan, but in no way can one seriously consider the Mary's and Minot States peers of UND. Hell, Winona isn't really even a peer. Anyway.......I am sitting here in Wyoming quite stunned by these results......

[Diggler]

If I had to guess, I'd say it's more likely that Kupchella will base his decision on what the committee's report says rather than what the survey results say.

So it's not going to be a Family Feud based decision? That's very disappointing.

[RD17]

It seems to me that some people are assuming a bit too much about the survey results. If I had to guess, I'd say it's more likely that Kupchella will base his decision on what the committee's report says rather than what the survey results say.

Maybe. But with Kupchella's track record on the D-I issue, it would certainly appear to me that he will use any ammo he can to keep UND in D-II, regardless of what the committee says.

[PCM]

So it's not going to be a Family Feud based decision? That's very disappointing.

I was hoping for a dart throw.

[RD17]

I can't help you there. All I can do is give my impression of the survey.

Oh I understand that... it would just be nice to see how everything was worded since there seems to be some controversy.

[MplsBison]

" .... MplsBison, just out of curiousity, would you be angry if NDSU anounced that some of the resources that would've gone to football will now go to help the volleyball and baseball teams with the transition?"

I think you'll find yourself giving the same answers that PCM gave.

No, I wouldn't.

My answer would be: hell yes I'd be angry. Football is the main sport at NDSU. Therefore, football should have as many resources as it needs and then basketball and then after that I don't really care much.

Which obviously means I can understand how a UND hockey fan would be mad about resources being taken away from their main sport.

I'm just mad that UND isn't going DI because we can't play them in football and basketball anymore. Those were almost guaranteed sellouts and we can use that money.

[The Sicatoka]

I'm just mad that UND isn't going DI because we can't play them in football and basketball anymore.

That's an assumption.

Kupchella's response to the NCAA August surprised me. I never thought he'd surprise me. I'll wait to see what comes this time.

Those were almost guaranteed sellouts and we can use that money.

That's honesty.

I appreciate that.

[gjw007]

I think this section from the Herald's article is rathering telling:

Forty percent of season ticketholders said they would increase personal support for athletics if UND teams played Division I opponents and bigger schools rather than smaller schools. But 61 percent of season ticketholders said they would pay higher ticket prices to see UND play teams such as Montana, Montana State, Northern Iowa and NDSU rather than Minot State, Mary, Jamestown and Mayville State.

It would seem to be a contradiction as the first part suggests limited desire by season ticketholders to play the higher division team but are interested in playing the higher division team when specific teams are listed. I'm surprized that only 61% favor playing teams such as Northern Iowa, Montana, etc. rather than Minot State, Jamestown, etc. Such a change from the view when I attended UND in the 1970s. It wasn't a question of moving to D1AA as much as it was a matter of when.

[PCM]

Oh I understand that... it would just be nice to see how everything was worded since there seems to be some controversy.

Different people will have different reactions to the survey depending on their point of view. I consider myself more or less neutral on the subject. I'm not against a move to DI as long as there's a plan to do it in an economically feasible manner. As The Sicatoka says, answering the cost and conference questions would go a long way toward easing my mind.

I'm also looking at the issue from the perspective of a parent who's not wealthy and who will soon be sending a student to UND, which perhaps makes me a bit more pragmatic.

[The Sicatoka]

As The Sicatoka says, answering the cost and conference questions would go a long way ...

Heck, I say answer one of the two and more than half of the problem goes away.

(Yeah, the math doesn't work, but conference solves part of money, and money solves almost everything.)

[jimdahl]

Where's this "favoring raising $1.5 million more yearly" phrase coming from?

Obviously the question was something like "Should UND remain D-I in hockey and D-II in other sports or spend an additional $1.5m per year to reclassify other sports to D-I?". Despite the possibly poisoned question, at least one result is similar to NDSU's at the same point (26% of faculty for), but the UND community maintains its well-known focus on wanting answers on conference first (90% think its important).

Hidden among the survey results is that some of the money could be there:

Forty percent of season ticketholders said they would increase personal support for athletics if UND teams played Division I opponents and bigger schools rather than smaller schools. But 61 percent of season ticketholders said they would pay higher ticket prices to see UND play teams such as Montana, Montana State, Northern Iowa and NDSU rather than Minot State, Mary, Jamestown and Mayville State.

This precisely mirrors what I perceive as the prevailing sentiment on this board -- we're ready to reclassify and help get the extra money IF UND can explain who we'll playing against or how they're going to pay the extra expense, but we have a lesser willingness to follow the SU's and jump in hoping it will work out sooner rather than later (I felt this same way when NDSU was moving 4 years ago, too).

[The Sicatoka]

From NDSU Market and Revenue Potential survey:

It is apparent that survey respondents prefer that NDSU maintain conference membership with North Central Conference schools (assuming several schools reclassified to Division I) as opposed to membership in the Big Sky Conference or the Gateway Conference.

NDSU respondents wanted "the known" (the NCC foes) over the options.

I see that theme, give me a "known" (a conference), playing out in the UND results as well.

[GeauxSioux]

Heck, I say answer one of the two and more than half of the problem goes away.

(Yeah, the math doesn't work, but conference solves part of money, and money solves almost everything.)

I know that I'm being optomistic (and probably naive), but with the rumors that were flying last week regarding the Big Sky, is it possible that Kupchella is playing it coy and knows that he has the conference in hand? Couple that with the response that 90% of the survey saying that he had to have that in hand and all he is has to have is the money. As Jim pointed out people would be willing go give more money for Division I. I know that is waaaay out there.

Or is the complete opposite true and Kupchella has heard that there is no conference invitations in the offing and he has the survey to say "Not now"?

[aff]

I know that I'm being optomistic (and probably naive), but with the rumors that were flying last week regarding the Big Sky, is it possible that Kupchella is playing it coy and knows that he has the conference in hand? Couple that with the response that 90% of the survey saying that he had to have that in hand and all he is has to have is the money. As Jim pointed out people would be willing go give more money for Division I. I know that is waaaay out there.

Or is the complete opposite true and Kupchella has heard that there is no conference invitations in the offing and he has the survey to say "Not now"?

Theres not going to be a conference invite for UND to the big sky, I would bet my house on it. I hate to be mean about it, but if I had to guess I would say that the SUs will be in the Mid con before the end of the summer, with IPFW. President Kup knows this, and wont go D-I when there is actually something to risk, instead of riding the two SUs coat tails into a conference. Where UND goes from there is anybodys guess.

[mksioux]

[Which obviously means I can understand how a UND hockey fan would be mad about resources being taken away from their main sport.

Most of us hockey fans know that Sioux hockey will always be fully funded and have the necessary resources to be a top-flight program. So there's nothing to get mad about.

You can now stop trying to drive the wedge.

[govikes27]

Here's my take:

-faculty: 95% responding stay DII wouldn't have surprised me. Many don't pay any attention to the local sports, and even those who do can't easily support increasing athletic budget when salaries are so low, some departments having next to no budget, and state support being as poor as in is in ND. I can't really blame them. NDSU's faculty was strongly against a move too.

-students: about what I expected, though still disappointing. A segment that cares about athletics, but a larger segment only concerned how much it costs them. Some students do choose UND for reasons other than sports I guess.

-season ticket holder(i.e. sportsfans): Mixed reactions. Want to see bigger competition and avoid playing the smaller schools, but want to stay DII. Huh? Image is better than NDSU's? Perhaps (among ourselves), but eventually casual obersevers are going to assume NDSU is the "greater" school due to it getting more media attention.

Often questions aren't specific enough in these polls, like asking if UND supporters are comfortable being second-fiddle to NDSU in athletics. Obviously, that is slanted toward a pro-DI move, but that will be the inevitable conclusion if the two play in seperate division for a sustained period of time.

I believe Kupchella will say "no move." Which is a mistake, IMO. This is supposed to be the "definitive" decision, but come on, whenever NDSU has sucess making the football playoff or even a Big Dance appearence (not all that improbable if they get into the Mid-Con) there will be a growing feeling of "heck, NDSU has had sucess, and we can do anything they can--why not us?" Envy? Well, competitiveness is probably a more accurate term. As more time passes and the realities of the current situation become more appearent, support for DI will only continue to grow.

Finals week sucks.

[star2city]

Theres not going to be a conference invite for UND to the big sky, I would bet my house on it. I hate to be mean about it, but if I had to guess I would say that the SUs will be in the Mid con before the end of the summer, with IPFW. President Kup knows this, and wont go D-I when there is actually something to risk, instead of riding the two SUs coat tails into a conference. Where UND goes from there is anybodys guess.

So do you rent?

[star2city]

Seems to me there has been way too many sullen folks on this board who are becoming swayed by uninformed opinions. If nothing else, the DI survey should be a trumpet sound, calling Sioux fans that are passionate about DI to action. Sioux fans persevere, they take hope, they believe in what seems like the impossible. That is who we are.

Reasons UND is Going DI

[gjw007]

DenverBison05 posted this link on www.bisonville.com about NDSU's survey. You might find it interesing as the NDSU survey also was against the division change.