UND 2008 schedule

[UND92,96]

I know UW-L beat SDSU a few years ago, but it's hard to get excited about a DIII team that was 5-4 this year. Now bring in DIII champ Whitewater and I'm a little more intrigued.

Of course, even Whitewater probably wouldn't be all that intriguing considering they lost to a pretty woeful St. Cloud State team last year.

[siouxweet]

why isn't cal-poly scheduled?

[UND92,96]

Based upon who UND is returning, and the records of last year's opponents, it appears the Sioux will only be a big underdog in the SIU game. I think both Idaho State and SE Louisiana are realistically winnable (both were 3-8 last year). UC-Davis will be tough, but both Western Washington and SDSU managed to win there last year, for whatever that's worth.

[coach daddy]

There'll be more than 5000! Anytime you can make fun of a full house (19,000) for a fb game then be prepared to have it come right back at you. Some of you love to start it but can't take it once it gets going. We'll see how many DI home games you have this year. If you sell them out I sure won't be cracking any jokes about it, I'll be the first to congratulate you.

A.) You know nothing about "hosting" a playoff game so shut your pie hole.

B.) You wouldn't congratulate UND if the med school found a cure for AIDS, so shut your pie hole.

C.) There is a message board for NDSU people called Bisonville, go there or shut your pie hole.

[The Walrus]

Nothing is official yet....but close!

I think Coach Mussman and Coach Mannausau did a Great job getting a schedule put together. You need to keep in mind they did this without any help, they are just begining to build some of their connections, we have a Lame duck President that I am not sure knows there a 4 qtrs in a football game. They have had no AD or Athletic Administration help (wonder if TB was here, could we get a open date with Army? or if RB was the AD wonder if Barry Alvarez would take his call?).

In the years to come I am sure we will, with help exploit the D1 connections that Hockey has helped us build, with some Hockey and Football doubleheaders in early season. We also have to keep in mind that we have a Great program, believe it or not schools shy away from great programs, you think UNI is excited about what happen to them?

Anyway my hats off to Muss and Mike for their hard work, lets hope we can get a 6th home game, or be that sacraficial lamb for some FBS team on the road, I know they are still working at it...

Go Sioux!

[Matt]

Ummm, not sure where you get that about Winona. Not many people thought Winona deserved to make the playoffs all those years.

I got that from the playoff comittee.

[sultan]

Walrus is right. The schedule is pretty good considering what has gone on in the last few months at UND. WE have a lame duck anti sports President, the AD hasn't been hired and we lost our football coach. It's almost amazing we have the schedule we have. It is not like UND didn't try . From what I've heard, we tried our darnest to get San Diego, Butler, Cal Poly, McNeese State and NDSU. The combination of being a non-counter next year and the success that we have had in football (beating UNI for example) really hurts us. I'm sure some of those teams we almost had on the schedule simply didn't think the chance of losing to us was worth the risk. It will get a whole lot better after next year. Maybe we can still get Cal Poly this year. I'm crossing my fingers.

[mksioux]

I got that from the playoff comittee.

I misinterpreted you then. To me, saying Winona was a playoff team is different than saying the DII "folks" considered them a playoff caliber team. The former is a fact. The latter is an opinion, implying that the larger DII community considered them worthy of the playoffs. I interpreted your statement to be the latter, which I was refuting.

[Shawn-O]

Walrus is right. The schedule is pretty good considering what has gone on in the last few months at UND. WE have a lame duck anti sports President, the AD hasn't been hired and we lost our football coach. It's almost amazing we have the schedule we have. It is not like UND didn't try . From what I've heard, we tried our darnest to get San Diego, Butler, Cal Poly, McNeese State and NDSU. The combination of being a non-counter next year and the success that we have had in football (beating UNI for example) really hurts us. I'm sure some of those teams we almost had on the schedule simply didn't think the chance of losing to us was worth the risk. It will get a whole lot better after next year. Maybe we can still get Cal Poly this year. I'm crossing my fingers.

I believe Cal-Poly is full up at 12 games. SloStang will confirm? Does Wyoming have a slot open?

[SloStang]

I believe Cal-Poly is full up at 12 games. SloStang will confirm? Does Wyoming have a slot open?

Cal Poly has 11 games under contract and is negotiating for a 12th.

[dakotadan]

Only 1 DI game at home and that team when 0-11 last year? This is a good schedule? If this would have been the schedule for NDSU their first year you all would be rolling over laughing.

Where did I say that this was a great schedule? Reading this thread you can obviously see that there are Sioux fans that aren't that impressed. But it could definately be worse.

The difference is that bison fans would be on every sports board on the internet trying to convince us it was the toughest schedule in the country.

[Bison_Kent]

The Bison home schedule in 2003 (first transitional year) had six games--four against DI playoff eligilbe teams (Northwestern State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Valpo). The other two were a NAIA and a DII team that came off a playoff season the year before in Carson Newman. NDSU defeated Northwestern State and NSU made the DI playoffs that year. Cal Poly beat NDSU by a field goal in the Fargodome and finished 8-3 yet were not selected to the postseason--due to playing two transistional DI teams. NDSU also had Southern Utah at home (a Bison win) in that first year so NDSU actually had three scholarship fully playoff eligible teams on their home schedule.

Valparaiso, although a non-scholarship team, won the Pioneer League title the year before (2003). Remember, the Pioneer League last year had some wins over scholarship teams so they are not like DIII teams in my opinion. Drake beat Illinois State. San Diego beat Northern Colorado. Dayton beat playoff team, Fordham.

We will see how UND's home scheduled teams do but I highly doubt any will make the DI playoffs or be on the verge like two teams that NDSU played.

[coach daddy]

The Bison home schedule in 2003 (first transitional year) had six games--four against DI playoff eligilbe teams (Northwestern State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Valpo). The other two were a NAIA and a DII team that came off a playoff season the year before in Carson Newman. NDSU defeated Northwestern State and NSU made the DI playoffs that year. Cal Poly beat NDSU by a field goal in the Fargodome and finished 8-3 yet were not selected to the postseason--due to playing two transistional DI teams. NDSU also had Southern Utah at home (a Bison win) in that first year so NDSU actually had three scholarship fully playoff eligible teams on their home schedule.

Valparaiso, although a non-scholarship team, won the Pioneer League title the year before (2003). Remember, the Pioneer League last year had some wins over scholarship teams so they are not like DIII teams in my opinion. Drake beat Illinois State. San Diego beat Northern Colorado. Dayton beat playoff team, Fordham.

We will see how UND's home scheduled teams do but I highly doubt any will make the DI playoffs or be on the verge like two teams that NDSU played.

Wow, a Bison guy who doesn't believe UND can match something previously done SU; don't hear that over here very often of here. You know, there is a serious lack of humility missing at the old AC. We'll just have to try and keep up as best we can with those gol darn guys from the south. Shucks, they've had so much success the last 10 years, well, I don't know how we'll ever get it done.

[SloStang]

The Bison home schedule in 2003 (first transitional year) had six games--four against DI playoff eligilbe teams (Northwestern State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Valpo). The other two were a NAIA and a DII team that came off a playoff season the year before in Carson Newman. NDSU defeated Northwestern State and NSU made the DI playoffs that year. Cal Poly beat NDSU by a field goal in the Fargodome and finished 8-3 yet were not selected to the postseason--due to playing two transistional DI teams. NDSU also had Southern Utah at home (a Bison win) in that first year so NDSU actually had three scholarship fully playoff eligible teams on their home schedule.

Valparaiso, although a non-scholarship team, won the Pioneer League title the year before (2003). Remember, the Pioneer League last year had some wins over scholarship teams so they are not like DIII teams in my opinion. Drake beat Illinois State. San Diego beat Northern Colorado. Dayton beat playoff team, Fordham.

We will see how UND's home scheduled teams do but I highly doubt any will make the DI playoffs or be on the verge like two teams that NDSU played.

Bison Kent, you are putting a green and gold rosey spin on it. Of the four DI playoff eligible teams on the Bison home schedule the first year, the only one they deserve credit for scheduling is Northwestern State. Cal Poly and Southern Utah were conference games and Valpo was a very bad team that would be soundly beat by most of the teams on UND's home schedule. Saying that Valpo was DI playoff eligible is like saying you could be president. Technically correct, but it will never happen.

[bincitysioux]

The Bison home schedule in 2003 (first transitional year) had six games--four against DI playoff eligilbe teams (Northwestern State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah, Valpo). The other two were a NAIA and a DII team that came off a playoff season the year before in Carson Newman. NDSU defeated Northwestern State and NSU made the DI playoffs that year. Cal Poly beat NDSU by a field goal in the Fargodome and finished 8-3 yet were not selected to the postseason--due to playing two transistional DI teams. NDSU also had Southern Utah at home (a Bison win) in that first year so NDSU actually had three scholarship fully playoff eligible teams on their home schedule.

Valparaiso, although a non-scholarship team, won the Pioneer League title the year before (2003). Remember, the Pioneer League last year had some wins over scholarship teams so they are not like DIII teams in my opinion. Drake beat Illinois State. San Diego beat Northern Colorado. Dayton beat playoff team, Fordham.

We will see how UND's home scheduled teams do but I highly doubt any will make the DI playoffs or be on the verge like two teams that NDSU played.

I can't believe that you are not building up Montana Tech, and Carson-Newman! An esteemed media-type like you knows very well that both of those teams would have taken Valpo to the woodshed. NDSU's home schedule in 2004 was probably one game better than UND's will be in 2008, but UND's away schedule is what, probably 3 or 4 times better than 'SU's road schedule was?

[sultan]

Does anybody know or remember just how good Carson Neuman was the year they played the Bison? I really don't care what they did previous years. NDSU usually bases everything about the strength of their schedule on what teams did in the past and not how strong they actually were the year NDSU plays them. NDSU fans are apparently worried that our schedule isn't tough enough. They usually say we don't try to schedule good teams. This year we tried our best to get as tough of schedule as possible. Some of those tough teams were even penciled on the schedule till they backed out on us. I think they need to stop worrying about us. For all the spouting off their doing, their having a hard time filling their own schedule right now . There done with transition and the mighty bison can't fill there own schedule. Maybe they should worry more about themselves and less about UND.

[GeauxSioux]

I think The Walrus sums it up the best. Next year, when we are a counter, will be better.

Go Sioux!!!

[clh741]

Does anybody know or remember just how good Carson Neuman was the year they played the Bison? I really don't care what they did previous years. NDSU usually bases everything about the strength of their schedule on what teams did in the past and not how strong they actually were the year NDSU plays them. NDSU fans are apparently worried that our schedule isn't tough enough. They usually say we don't try to schedule good teams. This year we tried our best to get as tough of schedule as possible. Some of those tough teams were even penciled on the schedule till they backed out on us. I think they need to stop worrying about us. For all the spouting off their doing, their having a hard time filling their own schedule right now . There done with transition and the mighty bison can't fill there own schedule. Maybe they should worry more about themselves and less about UND.

Carson-Newman was ranked #3 in the AFCA DII poll when NDSU played them.

[dmksioux]

UND's schedule is what it is. The home schedule is on the weak side and the road schedule is decent. As has already been said, UND tried to put together a tough schedule. I don't think NDSU did us any favors by doing as well as they did with their transition. They demonstrated that a mediocre DII team can move up and play at the next level quite successfully with equal resources. UND on the other hand has been one of the top DII teams for the last several years. The established teams in FCS are all quite aware that a game with UND with increased resources would be anything but a given this next year. You can even use SDSU as an example as well since their D11 program wasn't much to talk about prior to their transition. They goy some good games early on and beat some of the established FCS teams.

[tjbison]

Does anybody know or remember just how good Carson Neuman was the year they played the Bison? I really don't care what they did previous years. NDSU usually bases everything about the strength of their schedule on what teams did in the past and not how strong they actually were the year NDSU plays them. NDSU fans are apparently worried that our schedule isn't tough enough. They usually say we don't try to schedule good teams. This year we tried our best to get as tough of schedule as possible. Some of those tough teams were even penciled on the schedule till they backed out on us. I think they need to stop worrying about us. For all the spouting off their doing, their having a hard time filling their own schedule right now . There done with transition and the mighty bison can't fill there own schedule. Maybe they should worry more about themselves and less about UND.

I agree, but remember when the schedule is made the AD's pick "power" teams from the previous year, and as NDSU and many other schools have found out, if you schedule a Ranked team from the year before they may turn out to be a flop. UND's 08 schedule is what I think is expected for a transition team, and everyone beats down Southern Utah, they may very well turn it around this year or next and be a very powerfull team (their 07 schedule was brutal and they nearly took a couple of those). I do not agree with the everyone is scared to play us card, thats just dumb. Good luck! everything will change in 09.

[Bison06]

I agree, but remember when the schedule is made the AD's pick "power" teams from the previous year, and as NDSU and many other schools have found out, if you schedule a Ranked team from the year before they may turn out to be a flop. UND's 08 schedule is what I think is expected for a transition team, and everyone beats down Southern Utah, they may very well turn it around this year or next and be a very powerfull team (their 07 schedule was brutal and they nearly took a couple of those). I do not agree with the everyone is scared to play us card, thats just dumb. Good luck! everything will change in 09.

There have been a lot of Bison fans laughing at the schedule you guys have coming up for next fall, but I am not one of them. Scheduling at the beginning of the transition is not easy. It isn't as though you wanted to schedule all of these teams, it was out of necessity. Your administration put a lot of hard work into getting great teams on the schedule and it just didn't happen. It will, no worries. So fight through the first year(maybe 2) and the schedules will be really exciting when you come out on the other end. Every fanbase has a-holes, we aren't all that way.

[FargoBison]

I can't believe that you are not building up Montana Tech, and Carson-Newman! An esteemed media-type like you knows very well that both of those teams would have taken Valpo to the woodshed. NDSU's home schedule in 2004 was probably one game better than UND's will be in 2008, but UND's away schedule is what, probably 3 or 4 times better than 'SU's road schedule was?

Your away schedule is about the same as NDSU's was, home schedule is worse but NDSU had some help since the GWFC was still in its infancy. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter, your building for 2012. What you do in year one is pretty much irrelevant. UNC was 9-3 or something like that and just look at them now.

[SiouxCrew11]

Has the schedule actually been officially released yet?

I know about the Walrus' proposed schedule but I thought that it was sposed to be officially released thurs or friday. This keeps me optimistic that if they keep holding out there could be a surprise game in there whether it be a better home game or a sacrificial trip to an FBS school.

I'm stayin optimistic!

[nd1sufan]

Has the schedule actually been officially released yet?

I know about the Walrus' proposed schedule but I thought that it was sposed to be officially released thurs or friday. This keeps me optimistic that if they keep holding out there could be a surprise game in there whether it be a better home game or a sacrificial trip to an FBS school.

I'm stayin optimistic!

You may get the better home game, but you can forget about the FBS game for the first three years. FBS schools are looking for 6 wins against bowl counters. UND is not a bowl counter until at least the third season of the transition.

[SloStang]

You may get the better home game, but you can forget about the FBS game for the first three years. FBS schools are looking for 6 wins against bowl counters. UND is not a bowl counter until at least the third season of the transition.

While you are right about not being a bowl counter until the third year (need to have averaged 57 scholarships over the last 2 seasons), that does not mean they will not get a FBS game until then. UC Davis played and beat Stanford when they were in transition and were not a bowl counter. It will be harder, but not impossible.