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UND declaring internal Division 1 move


D1sioux

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What do you think that atmosphere and camraderie at the Ralph would be if they took away the two bars and the beer and liquor sales?

Pretty much bonkers par usual.

Evidence:

March 24, 2006 (Ralph Engelstad Arena)

Holy Cross 4 Minnesota 3 (OT)

North Dakota 5 Michigan 1

March 25, 2006 (Ralph Engelstad Arena)

North Dakota 5 Holy Cross 2

I doubt the arena has ever been louder than during those North Dakota games, and there was no alcohol (NCAA tourney site).

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A rather unflattering column regarding the UND move to DI from the Wahpeton Daily News.

Division I — the new Division II

I don't get what people are upset about, it seemed about right to me. Of course the bottom of D-I now looks like D-II used to. That's precisely why we're reclassifying, because all of our peers that used to be D-II are now D-IAA. We either had to reclassify to stay with our peers or not reclassify and become peers with Crookston.

Of course the reclassification has both pros AND cons. I hope the school and its supporters don't start trying to pretend those cons don't exist now that the decision has been made; rather we need to continue to carefully consider, weigh, and mitigate them to ensure the best transition.

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St. Paul Pioneer Press: Sioux's move up benefits recruits

"If Minnesota goes after a kid, then backs off, we'll go in on them," said Gene Taylor, athletics director at North Dakota State University.

The Bison aren't the only ones.

"We've always recruited what the Gophers didn't go after," said Chris Mussman, associate head football coach at the University of North Dakota. "We've battled in there for those guys, and we've won quite a few of those battles."

But the Fighting Sioux probably haven't won as many lately. UND hopes to change that. The competition for those second-level kids is about to be taken up a notch.

Last week, UND officials announced the school is moving all its athletic programs up from Division II to Division I. That's all programs except for men's and women's hockey, which already are Division I. The move comes four years after perennial Division II football power and area rival NDSU announced it was making the move.

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At the old Ralph, there was no alcohol served. There was a three or more year waiting list for season tickets before the move to the new Ralph.

The only games that were hard to get tickets for were the Gophers and Badgers at the old Ralph. The others frequently had 2000 empty seats in a 6000 seat arena. And the regionals were full and loud this year because it was the playoffs. Maybe they should try an alcohol free weekend during one of their non conference series this year to see what effect it has on attendence. If it doesn't have an effect, maybe they should make it permanent.

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The only games that were hard to get tickets for were the Gophers and Badgers at the old Ralph. The others frequently had 2000 empty seats in a 6000 seat arena. And the regionals were full and loud this year because it was the playoffs. Maybe they should try an alcohol free weekend during one of their non conference series this year to see what effect it has on attendence. If it doesn't have an effect, maybe they should make it permanent.

I don't know what games you were going to, but after I moved back to Grand Forks in the mid 90's I went to very few games because I couldn't get tickets. There were some open seats in the student block for some games, mainly non-conference, but they weren't sold until after the game had started (rush seats). You had to go stand in a line and wait for a chance to possibly get a seat. The students controlled almost half of the seats in that building because their (our) student fees paid for a large portion of the building.

Going alcohol free would not decrease attendance a great deal, but it would cut revenue and profits. Why should the Ralph decrease revenues if they don't have to? The REA and UND athletics are trying to build revenue to help pay for a move to Division I/I-AA (or have you forgotten).

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The only games that were hard to get tickets for were the Gophers and Badgers at the old Ralph. The others frequently had 2000 empty seats in a 6000 seat arena. And the regionals were full and loud this year because it was the playoffs. Maybe they should try an alcohol free weekend during one of their non conference series this year to see what effect it has on attendence. If it doesn't have an effect, maybe they should make it permanent.

Since your suggesting this I think ndsu should lead the way by prohibiting drinking at their tailgating for bison football this fall. I recall a great deal of pissing and moaning concerning that a few years back. It's absurd to argue that the only reason people attend Sioux hockey games is because of the alcohol and yes I'm sure that not everyone at a Sioux hockey game is their solely for the hockey. There are probably any number of reasons why people attend Sioux hockey games just like there are probably any number of reasons people attend bison games. People attend for the entertainment experience and if alcohol is part of it so be it. Eliminating the sale of alcohol would have no greater effect on attendance than eliminating some other minor part of the experience would have.

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The only games that were hard to get tickets for were the Gophers and Badgers at the old Ralph. The others frequently had 2000 empty seats in a 6000 seat arena. And the regionals were full and loud this year because it was the playoffs. Maybe they should try an alcohol free weekend during one of their non conference series this year to see what effect it has on attendence. If it doesn't have an effect, maybe they should make it permanent.

Pass over whatever your smoking. People were in line waiting for tickets almost every game trying to buy rush tickets.

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Sounds like the folks at UC-Davis wouldn't have a problem with another Upper Midwest school like UND being added to the Great West Football Conference.

Talk Pleases Great West

By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum

Published Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Warzecka (UC-Davis A.D.) said he talked with UND athletic director Tom Buning last week.

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Also from the Forum editorial:

(Which raises the question: Will the two NCAA schools be able to use the trophy since one side of the big coin depicts an American Indian, and UND is embroiled in a dispute over use of the Sioux logo? The other side, by the way, depicts a bison, NDSU
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