Why USD CAN go DI.

[jackmd]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

I think there may be more to the UNO to MIAA than previously thought. Shatel indicates that the MIAA would be looking to add in 2 years, or when the NCC falls apart. I would still think that the MIAA would have to swallow hard if UNO had not solved there current issues, however 2 years should do that. (OWH is subscription site, but free)

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=...;u_sid=2219105

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That's right. At the same time Belck was throwing her athletic director under the bus, Herbster was trying to navigate the course for UNO's future.

Doesn't sound much like a puppet or a lame duck, does it?

"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.

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Gotta love facts. Of course we have all heard BS from the mouths of conference commishes in the past. Thanks for the info. I had always expected UNO to bolt for the MIAA but was told by those closer to both UNO and the MIAA that it wasn't likely any time soon. This article seems to indicate differently. I don't think USD was counting on or considering UNO an ally during the collapse of the NCC anyways.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=...;u_sid=2219105

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.
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funny i never thought of UNO as a D-2 Athletic giant. or the MIAA as the Big Ten if thats the case the NCC was the ACC when UNC, SDSU, and NDSU were still in it. kind of funny to hear them say that.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

I'll agree with you on the Big Ten reference, BHM. Shatel is pretty reliable though, so I think UNO getting an invite is much more likely than previously thought. While I still hope USD makes a decision based on what is best for it long-term, I am beginning to think that they will be able to make an argument as to why it is right now, and so absolutely stupid a few years ago. Not sure how they are going to pay for it, but that is their problem.

As for the ACC over the Big 10, it isn't even close. As a basketball nut, the ACC absolutely ruled.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Personally I'm more of a fan of the southern schools like Oklahoma, Florida and Kentucky and a lil Notre Dame are the BIG time schools i keep my eyes on. If i have to have a second, third, fourth favorite team like the mavboys my order would be: SDSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, Notre Dame. But I only have one school i pledge my allegiance to and that is SDSU.

[filbert]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

[quote author=1stRowFANatic link=1150320172/90#104 date=1155060506]
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=...;u_sid=2219105

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.
...

funny i never thought of UNO as a D-2 Athletic giant. or the MIAA as the Big Ten if thats the case the NCC was the ACC when UNC, SDSU, and NDSU were still in it. kind of funny to hear them say that.[/quote]

The MIAA is an elite D-II conference, make no mistake about it. It is what the NCC was ten years ago, and it's adding strong members (aka Ft. Hays State), unlike the NCC.

As I see it the only thing that would definitively turn the NCC's fortunes around would be to bring Nebraska-Kearney in from the RMAC. Kearney's biggest rival in the RMAC was Ft. Hays State, now that they're gone, there may be an opening. Kearney's probably along with Winona State the strongest D-II institution out there in the NCC's approximate footprint. That would give UNO a reason to stay in the NCC. All that having been said I've heard zero buzz about UNK looking for a new conference home.

None of which addresses USD directly, of course, but the more unstable the NCC looks, the more reasonable a D-I move for USD looks.

[JackTwice]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

I had heard on Craig & Mike one day that Kearney only has 12 - 18 scholarships for football so it would be a huge jump to the NCC

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Roger Thomas was on Craig & Mike the other day and he made it sound the UND move is not as certain as some make it out. Admittedly, he has a reason to make it look like the NCC is stronger than it may be, but Thomas indicated that UND's president was strongly against the move and would not hesitate to stay the way they are if the financing is not absolutely solid. I think he may be puffing a bit. Just a random thought, but it sure would be ironic if USD made the jump and then everyone else stayed put. (I don't think that will happen)

[Haldersham]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

I got my hands on the current issue of the UND Alumni Magazine which has an article on going D1. Not much new in it except that they make a point of the fact that the 2006-07 year will be used to increase the Stakeholder support for the move and to find conference affliation. Also they need to put together a business plan. If the finances do not mature into reality, and stakeholder interest does not develope then Kupchella will most likely nix the whole thought and Kupchella has a way out. So I guess Roger can still make his arguement that its not a done deal and not be off base.

Some UND alums and friends are very committed to moving up  but there appears to  be a pocket of resistance which seems to carry weight. Also to meet their financial committments they mention in the article that they could possibly raise student fees. The ND board of control right now is having some real issues about money and their Tad Perry resigned because he could not get along with Joe Chapman NDSU. If you go over to the Bisonville and Siouxsports boards there is discussion about Dr Potts, ND equvalent to Tad Perry resigning. So if UND needs approval from the NDUS which is the same as the SD BOR which is now in kind of a state of termoil over other issues and the board relationship with the legislature, UND can not go elsewhere  such as to go to the legislature and beg for help for moving to D1.

So the big pockets in the UND family are really going to have to put up some dough to make this work. Dont forget Ralph Englestad is no longer living and he seemed to be a one sport guy, namely hockey.

[filbert]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

I got my hands on the current issue of the UND Alumni Magazine which has an article on going D1. Not much new in it except that they make a point of the fact that the 2006-07 year will be used to increase the Stakeholder support for the move and to find conference affliation. Also they need to put together a business plan. If the finances do not mature into reality, and stakeholder interest does not develope then Kupchella will most likely nix the whole thought and Kupchella has a way out. So I guess Roger can still make his arguement that its not a done deal and not be off base.

Some UND alums and friends are very committed to moving up but there appears to be a pocket of resistance which seems to carry weight. Also to meet their financial committments they mention in the article that they could possibly raise student fees. The ND board of control right now is having some real issues about money and their Tad Perry resigned because he could not get along with Joe Chapman NDSU. If you go over to the Bisonville and Siouxsports boards there is discussion about Dr Potts, ND equvalent to Tad Perry resigning. So if UND needs approval from the NDUS which is the same as the SD BOR which is now in kind of a state of termoil over other issues and the board relationship with the legislature, UND can not go elsewhere such as to go to the legislature and beg for help for moving to D1.

So the big pockets in the UND family are really going to have to put up some dough to make this work. Dont forget Ralph Englestad is no longer living and he seemed to be a one sport guy, namely hockey.

That's kinda what I thought. If UND could afford to go D-I, they would have committed to do so, this summer. That they didn't do it (and left themselves an out) means that they're not sure that the money is there to support the move, but they were getting enough political (backer/donor) pressure that they had to do something.

I think they'll wind up going D-I, but not before things get real interesting in and around Grand Forks.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Funny you say that, because you could put in USD instead of UND into your statement, Filbert, and the points would be equally valid. However, I'm still on the "USD not going D1" side of the fence. UND has money (maybe not enough for D1, but still alot more than USD). USD doesn't, yet. The untapped wealth that is reported to be out there for USD is a big if. I'll believe it when I see it.

[jackmd]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Funny you say that, because you could put in USD instead of UND into your statement, Filbert, and the points would be equally valid.  However, I'm still on the "USD not going D1" side of the fence.  UND has money (maybe not enough for D1, but still alot more than USD).  USD doesn't, yet.  The untapped wealth that is reported to be out there for USD is a big if.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Agreeing with MJA again here. If there is money for a DI move then why wasn't there money to equalize scholarships and coaching staff gender when the title IX fiasco lead to the loss of the baseball team at USD? Maybe I'm just naive but I don't think a threat by UND to go DI should lead to any rash decisions by USD.

[bincitysioux]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

That's kinda what I thought.  If UND could afford to go D-I, they would have committed to do so, this summer.  That they didn't do it (and left themselves an out) means that they're not sure that the money is there to support the move, but they were getting enough political (backer/donor) pressure that they had to do something.

I think they'll wind up going D-I, but not before things get real interesting in and around Grand Forks.

NDSU also took two years from the date they announced they'd be going DI to plan things out properly and start a fundraising campaign. People forget that it was actually SDSU that had the knee-jerk reaction to NDSU's move, and decided at the last minute in the eleventh hour to follow NDSU.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

NDSU also took two years from the date they announced they'd be going DI to plan things out properly and start a fundraising campaign.  People forget that it was actually SDSU that had the knee-jerk reaction to NDSU's move, and decided at the last minute in the eleventh hour to follow NDSU.

Yes, if by knee-jerk you mean over a year's worth of planning, research and studies, then yes, it was knee-jerk.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Only someone from UND could come on here and say SDSU's move was knee-jerk. Coyote-Fan says some things that make me want to bang my head against my desk, but UND saying WE made the move to D1 because of a knee-jerk reaction to NDSU is the topper.

[jackmd]

Re: Why USD CAN go DI.

Only someone from UND could come on here and say SDSU's move was knee-jerk.  Coyote-Fan says some things that make me want to bang my head against my desk, but UND saying WE made the move to D1 because of a knee-jerk reaction to NDSU is the topper.  

This is all part of the master plan at both UND and USD. They are sooo superior in intellect as compared to the SU's. We are just pawns on their chessboard of life. DI will soon be begging UND and USD to join and will offer them a choice of conferences. They will wave title IX restrictions and allow UND to keep the Sioux name. NDSU and SDSU will both be forced back to DII to preserve a proper ration of DI schools in the midwest. I finally get it.