bincitysioux Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 USD has named their "review committee", and are looking at November 6th to be done with their review. Athletic Review Task Force Announced at The U Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 6, 2006 Share Posted August 6, 2006 Here is in article from the Omaha World Herald. UNO's A.D. has been negotiating with the MIAA. Tom Shatel: UNO A.D. working on finding a new league The athletic director was trying to broker a deal for UNO to join the MIAA, a 10-team conference that includes Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State."David initiated the contact," McFillen said. "There is an interest by our institutions at expanding in the future. We would like to go beyond our current number. UNO would be a good fit." Wow. The MIAA is the Big Ten of Division II. It's a power league, a 36-scholarship football conference. The perfect place for UNO to maintain its status as a Division II athletic giant. And do so by bus. The thought would be that UNO could join the MIAA, continue playing serious football and find a stable home. Meanwhile, UNO could figure out if and when it wants to move up to Division I. That's the perfect scenario, the light at the end of the tunnel for an athletic department watching the North Central Conference collapse around it. This is the perfect vision. Herbster's vision. "We're in the information-gathering stage now," Herbster said on Friday. "But I do think this is a great fit, academically, athletically and geographically. This is the best option in Division II for us. There is no reasonable place for us to go." McFillen said his league has no timetable, but wouldn't be against adding UNO in two years, when the NCC is expected to fall apart. He said the MIAA also is not set on an even number, and having to add two schools. He said UNO could be the lone addition, much like Penn State in the Big Ten. Not good news for the NCC. UNO actively pursuing membership in another DII league, even before USD announces what its intentions are makes the NCC basically a ticking time-bomb. This could also help USD make up their minds and leave for DI, or maybe a slim chance of them also trying for MIAA? Not surprisingly, with all of their other current problems, it doesn't sound like UNO will be joining us in the move to DI anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Found this at the USD Message Board. The entire USD committee will gather Nov. 5 to finalize its report, which then heads to President Jim Abbott as he decides whether USD will make the move to Division I, Nielsen said. "Will we give just information or will we make a recommendation? It's up to the committee," Nielsen said. "As far as a final decision, it's up to President Abbott's time frame, not ours." However, one deadline looms ahead for schools looking to make a jump yet this school year, according to NCC commissioner Roger Thomas. "In the NCC by-laws, the school leaving to reclassify has to let us know officially by Dec. 31," he said. "If a school has done so this year, they finish their conference obligations for 2006-07 and stay in the conference in 2007-08, then they can leave." USD does not necessarily intend to make a decision this year, but the committee's work would be completed in time for Abbott to act by the Dec. 31 deadline if he so desired, Nielsen said. "We are aware of the time line and dates in the NCC by-laws, and we take those into account when we make that decision (on whether to reclassify)," he added.From the same article, it looks like Roger Thomas may be losing touch with reality. Thomas said he has talked about a merger or expansion with the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) and the Great Lakes and Northern Sun conferences. While the NCC and Northern Sun mesh geographically, one major difference finds the NCC allowing 36 football scholarships while the Northern Sun allows 24, he said. Under a two-year agreement, the NCC has temporarily expanded its football league by including Western Washington and Central Washington, Thomas said. Those two schools were left with few Division II options in the Northwest, he said. "Economically, it's not a great answer with the cost of air travel," Thomas said, "but it's a couple games that could help us address the need (for contests)." The NCC's reputation as one of the strongest Division II conferences in the nation has created challenges in seeking new members, Thomas said. "Our strength becomes our weakness. Those (prospective) schools are not geared up the way we are for a typical NCC school," he said. "Most of them don't have the budgets and staffing. Sometimes, they don't have the support services that goes into an athletic department. The NCC is tough top to bottom. It's the nature of the conference, and the way it has been." Thomas noted one remaining scenario: NCC schools moving to Division I and rejoining SDSU and NDSU in a conference. "It's in the back of a lot of people's minds," he said. "It would be an economically feasible league, rekindling the same rivalries with reduced travel. It's not out of the realm of possibility." If he is talking about the entire conference, I think that ship has sailed, RT. Yankton Press & Dakotan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DI IN FARGO Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Found this at the USD Message Board. From the same article, it looks like Roger Thomas may be losing touch with reality. If he is talking about the entire conference, I think that ship has sailed, RT. Yankton Press & Dakotan The man has lost his mind. Were already in the Mid-Con. He's grasping at straws and as far as I'm concerned he made the bed let him sleep in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sicatoka Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 Dear RT, Dude, Duluth and Augie don't have the "bling." And the Mid-Con wouldn't look at adding up to four (UND, SCSU, MSU-Mankato, USD) schools to make 16; they'd add that many if there was a mass Mid-Con exodus first. But in that scenario the Mid-Con could be short the key prize: the MBB autobid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WYOBISONMAN Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The man with two first names is off his rocker....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The man with two first names is off his rocker....... Or maybe he realized that leaving UND was just plain nuts and he's trying desperately to regain the "glamor" that the NCC Chair used to have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 What about Western and Central Wash? They're really going to be out there on an island now. RMAC maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Over on D2football.com, there is a thread with a copy of an e-mail sent by USD to its students. It is a Q & A survey regarding a DI move. It asks the obvious questions like conference, cost, facilities, etc. To me, every answer comes off as overly pro-moving DI. Sounds more like an advertisement in favor of a move than anything. And they've hired a consulting firm. LINK The University of South Dakota is a research university with a broad array of undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. These academic characteristics are more consistent with Division I institutions than with those in Division II. USD?s peer institutions, regionally and nationally, sponsor Division I athletic programs, either through an individual sport or the entire program. Every flagship institution in the United States classifies at least one sport at the Division I level, and most classify their entire athletic programs at that level. Although, the University of North Dakota has sponsored Division I programs for several years in men?s and recently in women?s hockey, their recent announcement indicates an intent to have all sports competing at the Division I level, consistent with its flagship designation. In addition, South Dakota is the only state in the United States that does not have its flagship and primary land grant institution sponsoring DI athletics. I think UND may have a partner in this move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakotadan Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Over on D2football.com, there is a thread with a copy of an e-mail sent by USD to its students. It is a Q & A survey regarding a DI move. It asks the obvious questions like conference, cost, facilities, etc. To me, every answer comes off as overly pro-moving DI. Sounds more like an advertisement in favor of a move than anything. And they've hired a consulting firm. Beat ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Beat ya. Oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coyote Fan Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 It looks like the USD-UND game in Grand Forks this year will be the last D2 game between the two clubs in the Alerus Center but it's looking like the rivalry might take on a brand new look instead of ending all together. Since NDSU claims to be SDSU's biggest rival and visa versa it looks like we are going to have to be considered biggest rivals until the fans and alumni of each school realize once again that USD and SDSU and UND and NDSU will always be biggest rivals to each other. UND being as far north as they are and USD being as far South as they are despite being in ajoining states don't have alot of mingling between fans. The rivalry would have been alot bigger had Grand Forks and Vermillion just happened to be an hour apart and right across the border from each other. I wonder if UND and USD if they move up together will necessarily be a part of the same conference. I would think but they are quite aways away from each other to be travel partners. USD eventhough from a very small town is geographically the best fit for both the MidCon and the Gateway. This is getting very interesting all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverman Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 It looks like the USD-UND game in Grand Forks this year will be the last D2 game between the two clubs in the Alerus Center but it's looking like the rivalry might take on a brand new look instead of ending all together. Since NDSU claims to be SDSU's biggest rival and visa versa it looks like we are going to have to be considered biggest rivals until the fans and alumni of each school realize once again that USD and SDSU and UND and NDSU will always be biggest rivals to each other. UND being as far north as they are and USD being as far South as they are despite being in ajoining states don't have alot of mingling between fans. The rivalry would have been alot bigger had Grand Forks and Vermillion just happened to be an hour apart and right across the border from each other. I wonder if UND and USD if they move up together will necessarily be a part of the same conference. I would think but they are quite aways away from each other to be travel partners. USD eventhough from a very small town is geographically the best fit for both the MidCon and the Gateway. This is getting very interesting all around. IMHO, wouldn't Augustana play more of a factor for USD?? Don't get me wrong I want to see UND play USD. If USD brings back the Sitting Bull Trophy I agree this is getting very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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