USD fans being set up for a fall

[89rabbit]

Wow, I am not sure if it is their AD or their school newspaper that is painting the move to D-I as all lollypops and sunshine, but I am afraid whoever it is, is setting up the USD faithful for a fall.  The story bellow seems to take the stand that all USD needs to do is send the Mid-Con a letter letting then know that the Coyotes are interested in joining and BAM they are in.  :

http://media.www.volanteonline.com/m...-2891106.shtml

A.D. eyes Great West, Mid-Con

Vance Janak

When USD President Jim Abbott announced the university would make the move from Division II to Division I athletics, uncertainty was pushed to the forefront.

One of the uncertainties is conference affiliation, as USD will go through the first of four years of transition in 2008-09.

USD Athletic Director Joel Nielsen is working to change some of that uncertainty and help the Coyotes find a home in a D-I conference.

Nielsen said he has sent a letter of interest to the Great West Football Conference for football and the Mid-Continent Conference in all other sports.

"Our hope and our expectation is for us to have some sort of agreement in place for as soon as 2008 in football," Nielsen said. "We are certainly hopeful and are encouraged by the signs thus far and until we hear officially though, we can't get too excited about that."

The letter Nielsen sent to Mid-Con officials stated that USD is interested in entering the league for the 2008-09 season.

"While we're hopeful, we're also very realistic and understanding that it may not happen in '08-'09, it could happen in '09-'10," Nielsen said. "We would certainly want consideration as quickly as possible because we feel as though we have a great product to sell in the university, coaches, student-athletes, our facilities and everything that goes with it."  .  .  .  (read more)


Like I said I am not sure if it is the author or AD Nielsen, but let me clue them in .  .  .  don’t be surprised if you are not accepted to any conference until you have almost completed your transition.  Also keep in mind that there are no guarantees that the Mid-Con will expand and if they do that they will invite USD to join.  Didn't they learn anything from watching our transition?  :-?

I am beginning to think USD's whole plan really is "well SDSU did it so we can do it too".  Best of luck USD I think they are going to need it.


Go State!  

[SDSUcks]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

Sounds like a borderline smack topic to me just because of the inference of USD being set up for a fall. What are Nielson and Abbott supposed to say. If would rather they paint a rosey picture than to be pessimistic and say something to the effect that a conference would be a long shot at best. Of course they are going to do some speculation. That doesn't by any means say that USD is a shoe in for any conference and doesn't mean that USD isn't realistic about their uncertainties. They didn't make any statements that said USD is going to be invited into a conference. They just discussed possibilities. Should they tell their people that USD is likely going to be an independant for 10-20 years and likely struggle to have any success in D1. Sorry Rabbit fan (s) but we don't have the same pessimistic attitude about this towards USD as many SDSU fans have towards USD and their move.

If SDSU followed the same line of thinking as you reflected in your comments they would have never made the jump to D1. Of course there are uncertainties. Any Coyote Fan knows that.

What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time. I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.

[mitchell2006]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

Article from Jeff Kolpack's blog. Kolpack is a sports reporter for the Fargo Forum.

http://www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia/?blog=8304


992 miles: that's the distance the University of South Dakota will be traveling when it plays West Texas A&M next fall.

It is getting there by bus.

The Coyotes are hitting the highway because it already has plane trips to Central Washington and McNeese State (La.). True, the players are young bucks and can handle a long road trip. But I still wouldn't want to be 6-5, 310, beat up after a football game and want to get back on a bus for an all-night ride.

USD is making its Division I move beginning in 2008. A concern has been the ability of the school to handle the bigger budget. When your marquee sport has to bus 992 miles, that concern is validated.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time. I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.

There's nothing like a 922-mile bus ride to fuel the momentum.

[mitchell2006]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

Mapquest has it as a 14 hour trip one way.

[89rabbit]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

 Of course they are going to do some speculation.  That doesn't by any means say that USD is a shoe in for any conference and doesn't mean that USD isn't realistic about their uncertainties.  They didn't make any statements that said USD is going to be invited into a conference.    

http://media.www.volanteonline.com/m...-2891106.shtml

The letter Nielsen sent to Mid-Con officials stated that USD is interested in entering the league for the 2008-09 season.

"While we're hopeful, we're also very realistic and understanding that it may not happen in '08-'09, it could happen in '09-'10," Nielsen said.  


To me that statement says "we are a shoe in for the Mid-Con by '09-'10 at the latest".  Now maybe that is not what Joel Nielsen meant (or maybe it is and you guys are a shoe in), or perhaps the author of the story is the one painting the picture, but either way I think USD fans who read this story would be very disappointed if the '09-'10 school year passed without an invitation to join the Mid-Con.  

To me that statement goes beyond being optimistic and raises expectations and provides a time line.  If the Mid-Con doesn’t expand by ’09-’10 or expands by then but invites other schools I think the USD faithful will be disappointed, don’t you?

The story ends by singing the praises of the rivalry, cementing my belief that USD may only be interested in the Mid-Con.  The thing to keep in mind when you are looking for a conference home is it doesn't matter who you are interested in .  .  . it only matters who is interested in you.  

I am sure USD will find a conference home.  What I am not sure about is where that home will be and how soon you will move in.  Best of luck to you, I personally feel this story may set up the USD faithful for a fall if USD does not join the Mid-Con in the time frame that your AD seems to have put forth.


I am glad we already have our conference homes!   8-)


Go State!  

[jackmd]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

[quote author=SDSUcks link=1178110217/0#1 date=1178126663]What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time.  I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.  

There's nothing like a 922-mile bus ride to fuel the momentum.[/quote]

I bet you they'll be taking a plane. When it came to the playoff game in Michigan some donors stepped up and supplied the cash. I suspect the same might happen for this "road trip" to Texas. Granted, it can't keep happening but I have a suspicion that Coach Ed and the AD are expecting someone to help out. Maybe I'm wrong but thats my guess.

[Haldersham]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

[quote author=jacksfaninne link=1178110217/0#3 date=1178136272][quote author=SDSUcks link=1178110217/0#1 date=1178126663]What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time.  I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.  

There's nothing like a 922-mile bus ride to fuel the momentum.[/quote]

I bet you they'll be taking a plane.  When it came to the playoff game in Michigan some donors stepped up and supplied the cash.  I suspect the same might happen for this "road trip" to Texas.  Granted, it can't keep happening but I have a suspicion that Coach Ed and the AD are expecting someone to help out.  Maybe I'm wrong but thats my guess.[/quote]

Getting off topic, here, but NCAA should have provided the travel funds for air travel even for a D2 Football playoff game. These costs often eat up any profit from ticket revenue and this why the host team has to provide a guarentee number in order to host. This has been my understanding. Doc, since you reside in Yankton, you probably pick up on a number of USD happenings so the Booster scenaio may have substance, but maybe the boosters were later reimbursed too, who knows.

As far as USD getting into the conferences, at this point in time I think they can be optimistic about when and where etc. Lets see how it goes. The Mid Con commish is not in any position to say yes or no to any request such as the one from USD and UND. I think we should just let the USD folks worry about their own problems and we need to take care of our stuff.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

[quote author=jacksfaninne link=1178110217/0#3 date=1178136272][quote author=SDSUcks link=1178110217/0#1 date=1178126663]What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time. I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.

There's nothing like a 922-mile bus ride to fuel the momentum.[/quote]

I bet you they'll be taking a plane. When it came to the playoff game in Michigan some donors stepped up and supplied the cash. I suspect the same might happen for this "road trip" to Texas. Granted, it can't keep happening but I have a suspicion that Coach Ed and the AD are expecting someone to help out. Maybe I'm wrong but thats my guess.[/quote]
Regardless, I can't wait to read all the Argus articles about how many miles usd travels to the games they play. That was pretty much a required element in every story written during the early part of our transition.

But I guess when you're leading the way, you're going to take some shots.

[JimmyJack]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

Sounds like a borderline smack topic to me just because of the inference of USD being set up for a fall.  What are Nielson and Abbott supposed to say.  If would rather they paint a rosey picture than to be pessimistic and say something to the effect that a conference would be a long shot at best.  Of course they are going to do some speculation.  That doesn't by any means say that USD is a shoe in for any conference and doesn't mean that USD isn't realistic about their uncertainties.  They didn't make any statements that said USD is going to be invited into a conference.  They just discussed possibilities.  Should they tell their people that USD is likely going to be an independant for 10-20 years and likely struggle to have any success in D1.  Sorry Rabbit fan (s) but we don't have the same pessimistic attitude about this towards USD as many SDSU fans have towards USD and their move.

If SDSU followed the same line of thinking as you reflected in your comments they would have never made the jump to D1.  Of course there are uncertainties.  Any Coyote Fan knows that.

What is certain is that Coyote Athletics has the most overall momentum they have had for a long time.  I feel much more hopefull about the move considering that momentum.  

It's probably not a good strategy to be making public statements about conferences at all. The conference chase involves entrance into a closed society, sort of a club. Dr. Oien and President Miller were very circumspect in their public statements, downplaying expectations and making it abundantly clear that nothing is a sure thing in the chase for a conference. They never discussed the chances of getting into any conference, much less offering a date for possible entry. You get the idea that members of the club (conference) might not like some upstart crowing about their chances of getting an invite (remember, you have to be invited... you don't "apply&quot. Again, that's just my sense of the thing. There's nothing wrong with talking about how the transition might play out, but I would probably be very careful about mentioning specific conferences and raising any USD fans' expectations about how it might play out. I think that's all 89 was saying by posting that article.

History (SDSU's for example) tells you it generally doesn't play out the way you expect it to. If it did, we'd have been invited to the Big Sky 18 months ago. At that time, the rejection was a crushing blow. But now it looks like a blessing. You just can't possibly know what's going to happen.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

If Dr. Oien said it once, he said it a hundred times, "You don't ask to get in, you wait to get your invite." However, that does not mean you put out a "woe is me" statement. I think Nielson probably will pull back a little bit in his comments, but not too much. I think he definitely will need to learn to leave the years out of the comments. He has set the bar as 09 for the Mid-Con, and as the past few years have shown everyone across the country, no one knows what conferences will look like that far out. That could help or hurt USD.

[JackJD]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

Sounds like a borderline smack topic to me.... 

I've got my hand on the flag, Ucks, keeping an eye on you and getting ready to toss it.

Go Jacks!

[SDSUcks]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

If Dr. Oien said it once, he said it a hundred times, "You don't ask to get in, you wait to get your invite." However, that does not mean you put out a "woe is me" statement. I think Nielson probably will pull back a little bit in his comments, but not too much. I think he definitely will need to learn to leave the years out of the comments. He has set the bar as 09 for the Mid-Con, and as the past few years have shown everyone across the country, no one knows what conferences will look like that far out. That could help or hurt USD.

That not exactly true about not asking to get in. The remaining four NCC teams requested to get into the Northern Sun and they got in. There is nothing wrong with letting it be known of your intentions. I would rather make that mistake then making the mistake of not saying anything and having a prospective conference not know of your interest. I have still yet to hear that USD is saying they will (not hope to) get into a particular conference and when that will be. Don't look into things so much.

[thebluehatman]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.../NEWS/70502035

David Herbster has been named associate athletics director at the University of South Dakota and director of development at the USD Foundation.

The 1991 Virginia Tech grad served as assistant to the chancellor and director of athletics at Nebraska-Omaha from 2005-2007.

I believe UNO's problems have been passed on to USD. ;D

[joeboo22]

Re: USD fans being set up for a fall

[quote author=1stRowFANatic link=1178110217/0#10 date=1178165012]If Dr. Oien said it once, he said it a hundred times, "You don't ask to get in, you wait to get your invite." However, that does not mean you put out a "woe is me" statement. I think Nielson probably will pull back a little bit in his comments, but not too much. I think he definitely will need to learn to leave the years out of the comments. He has set the bar as 09 for the Mid-Con, and as the past few years have shown everyone across the country, no one knows what conferences will look like that far out. That could help or hurt USD.

That not exactly true about not asking to get in.  The remaining four NCC teams requested to get into the Northern Sun and they got in.  There is nothing wrong with letting it be known of your intentions.  I would rather make that mistake then making the mistake of not saying anything and having a prospective conference not know of your interest.  I have still yet to hear that USD is saying they will (not hope to) get into a particular conference and when that will be.  Don't look into things so much.    
[/quote]

First of all there is a big difference between the Northern Sun and the Mid-Con, the Northern Sun was second tear to the NCC in D-II and will take the NCC bottom feaders with open arms. Second of all USD could of informed the conference with out publically announcing it. If USD is trying to get into the Mid-Con they should of been as quiet about it as possible. The Mid-Con will have 3 new members next year who faced hell in the independent ranks and the XDSU's are not about to let a team that could of moved to the D-I ranks with them but chose not to allowed into a conference so easily. Of course I could be way offline maybe its already a done deal but I doubt it.. Basketball is the major money maker in the conference and with NDSU's mens and SDSU's womens success in victories and attendence figures would make me believe that the Mid-Con would give them a say in all of this and I don't see either school supporting USD or UND into the conference.