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Potential for a D1 NCC


WYOBISONMAN

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If NDSU and SDSU were to not get accepted to the Big Sky Conference and in light of the news on auto-bids for the hocky tournament....What are the odds of a D1 NCC? It is an interesting thought. I think if NDSU and SDSU get into the Big Sky the chances are ZERO. However, this new news on the auto-bids probably has a lot of folks in the UND administration scratching thier heads. February 20th will tell us a lot when the BSC take a vote on whether or not to expand. My first choice is to get into the Big Sky, second choice would be be to have a D1 NCC wit the stronger schools going D1.

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The NCAA has already moved to fix the hockey auto-bid issue.

http://www.uscollegehockey.com/news/2003/0...2/06_006096.php

Did you hear that the MAAC conference has had three members (St. John's, Canisius, Fairfield) drop IAA football since the end of the season? Financial issues in each case. Luckily they still have six members remaining (in FB).

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There was never much of a chance of the WCHA losing its bid. It was just an issue of the impact of some rules not being properly understood when the rules were formed, so now exceptions have to be written in. However, in the long term UND should pay attention to the NCAA's bias favoring multi-sport conferences. As hockey continues to grow it could align more along multi-sport conference lines and UND could find it difficult to play at the top level of hockey if it's not top-level in other sports.

That said, I think the possibility of a DI NCC is quite low (unfortunately). USD is out. Rumors have swirled for years that UNC didn't feel it was a good geographic fit in the NCC and that may have been part of why they moved to D-IAA. SDSU's requirement that they not move without a conference could hinder their participation, also. We had a thread a ways back discussing the composition of a possible new conference (though it fell apart when bombarded with the tired anti-UND campaigns that seems to invade every thread in this topic).

I personally really wanted the DIAA NCC because it would have been by far the cheapest route for all the schools involved (maintain current geography for low travel costs and maintain rivalries to keep the gate revenue up through a tough transition time). Unfortunately, not enough schools wanted to move back when it was feasible (UND was among the nays). It's quite irksome because a move in the future will be much less practical and more difficult than participating in an NCC move.

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WYO, despite the auto-bid issue being resolved - I suspect that UND is seriously studying this issue. There is a push for D-IAA at UND, but it has been primarily from the football people. It would be interesting to know what Lennon was promised on this issue. Its no secret he wants the program to move up. Given his abrupt withdrawal from the Sac St. job (I thought he was gone) and the comments he made to the Winnipeg recruit (albeit hearsay), something was discussed.

Even if UND were to move up though, that would only make three schools. UNC didn't like its postition in the old NCC, it's doubtful they would rejoin their old conference partners. 3 schools is not enough and even if you could pull USD in, I don't see any of the other NCC schools making the jump. I don't see a conference with less that 6 members as viable and there is no way you could get an established D-1AA school to join, they would just screw themselves out of ever getting a basketball autobid during the probationary period.

I would be surprised if the Big Sky admitted new members this year. Nevertheless, I still like NDSU's approach better than SDSU's - they've made a commitment to D-1. Yes, a conference affiliation is needed and the Bison will struggle with scheduling and the like each year they don't have one but OTOH, each year they're out there, they become more attractive as a potential conference member. Its a risk, but I've never heard Taylor or Chapman say it isn't. NDSU looked at the Division II landscape, stood up and told it's fellow NCC members "We're better than this". Then they went and did something about it. We can argue about whether they did the right thing or not but the fact is they did something that took balls. I applaud them.

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This is probably the first time that I've agreed with everything a UND guy said (well, almost everything). However, if NDSU doesn't have a conference lined up by the end of the 2004 season, I'd consider that a failure as NDSU's AD stated that NDSU would have a conference by then or else heads would roll. I think that made some people believe that there were behind-the-scenes negotiations going on that meant that NDSU had a conference all but locked up.

I've been thinking that UND might be waiting to see if they get a lot of money from the Ralph Engelstad estate. If they get it, they could go DI without having to do all groundwork that NDSU did and they'd be doing it without the full support and leadership of the President Kupchella. If UND doesn't get enough money to do whatever they want, then they'll go through the same process that NDSU did.

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Even if in the end NDSU and UND do not wind up in the same conference i would like to see UND go D1AA just to keep the rivalry intense between us. Once we get a few years down the road, if UND stays D2, NDSU really gains nothing from beating the Sioux and looses a lot if we get beat. I like it when we are on equal footing and have a lot to be gained by winning or loosing the game. When we are in the same conference and have that title on the line it just adds a lot more to the intensity.

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A DI NCC is not a possibility. It never was. A new conference might get the name but it wouldn't be anything like the old NCC and the travel issue would arise no matter what. If your going DI you have to pay much higher travel costs.

Iwakota has delivered the most honest and straight forward post Ive ever read from a UND fan concerning this issue. Its a far cry from the nay saying that has resulted in tiring conversations eluded to by the administrator of this site.

NDSU has made the Decision 1 for a large number of reasons. We know that the conference affiliation is important but it might not happen tomorrow. As we build relationships a future conference affiliation is certain. SDSU has had its hands tied by Nay sayers in their state.

Making the move and then managing your future opportunities is the very best way to go. Success or failure is not going to be measured over the next 2 years or so. The long view is very necessary to undertake the type of change NDSU is now entering. None of the observations that floated up and out of the din of the anti move crowd both in Fargo, Grand Forks and other places were of the long view variety. All were short term criticisms of tactics. None undermined the soundness of the strategy.

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tony, I (gulp) agree with you. Well, up to your last sentence. ???

I'm not as sure as you that they'd do the full evaluation. They have larger and smaller market reports and data points immediately available to compare to.

However you still struck upon the crux of the issue: Can it be afforded? Money solves the travel/conferences issues. (Money solves a lot of issues, but we knew that.) You're right, many are waiting to see if UND's "afford it" issues solve themselves and how other fiscal issues regarding DI play out around the region.

The new wildcard of the NCAA showing a leaning for "all sports at one level" schools/conferences has to weigh into UND's thoughts. UND might have to make the move just to keep (I'll say it) the hockey cash-cow safe.

Does anyone know about the budgets at SCSU, Mankato, Duluth, or Omaha? Are their hockey programs "revenue positive" like at UND? If so, they may have to evaluate the same circumstances.

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JBB:

DII hockey was shut down within the last decade. Why? The "play up in one sport" rule caused most of the DIIs to go up. That's why Bemidji State moved up.

For the record, DI hockey is primarily DI schools: 35 DIs (13 are IAs, 16 are IAAs, 6 are IAAAs), 20 DIIs, 5 DIIIs.

You'll see a Division I UND long before you'll see NCAA DII hockey again.

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As a DII institution playing "out of class" in hockey, is it your desire to join NDSU in Division I?

As far as Parise: the photo tells the story. He is gone so fast I hope the door doesnt hit him in the backside on the way out. I'm not sure Division I NDSU would really want to participate in a segregated sport like hockey that knows nothing of the student athlete as evidenced by the graduation rates your hockey program sports.

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You heard it right here, folks. NDSU has no interest in recruiting DI athletes of Parise's talent and ability. ;) Isn't JBB a hoot? ;)

Hockey is a segregated sport? Try telling that to the Kariya brothers, Donald Brashear, Scott Gomez, Richard Park, Anson Carter, Brett Peterson and UND's own Marc Ranfranz, to name but a few.

You really need to find a new song to sing, JBB. ???

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" .... a segregated sport ... " sayeth the purveyor of wrestling. ???

PS - JBB, are you sure you want to talk graduation rates?

Story courtesy UND Media Relations

December 31, 2001

According to the NCAA Graduation-Rates Report for NCAA Division II and III Schools issued in 2001, North Dakota leads all North Central Conference schools in graduation rates for student-athletes with 77 percent.

The report tracks graduation rates of student-athletes from 1994-95 to present.

Assistant athletic director for compliance Jared Bruggeman said,

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Let me guess, you'd rather talk about DII football titles won last century.

I don't mind talking hockey. I am not a big college hockey fan. I live in the Twin Cities, hockey hotbed of the Midwest. Even at the University of Minnesota Basketball is watched more than hockey. Ask Sid Hartman (just kidding). We have had both Basketball Final Four at a poor site, Metrodome, and Frozen Four at a great site, Xcel, and Basketball drew a much larger following, and much more excitement around town. High School hockey is more exciting, and if I want to watch a higher level, the NHL will do. Therefore, I would rather see the Bison move up to I-AA than sport a hockey team.

One other question, how does the Ralph compare with the Xcel? Not as a college venue, but as a state of the art arena.

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