USD looking at DI

[el_presidente]

I had heard rumors of this talk and now it is funny to see it talked about in the volante.

Here is the link, full text below:
http://www.volanteonline.com/home/in...9-cbdba4841060

USD athletics are not ready for Division I play
By: Editorial Board
Issue date: 11/22/05 Section: Opinion
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1

Coming off much success in several sports, the confidence of USD athletic teams is skyrocketing. And there is still much room for improvement. But a much talked about move up from Division II to Division I would put a halt to much of that momentum.

There are many factors that could pose problems for not only USD athletics, but also students.

The average athletic budget for a Division I-AA school is $5.2 million. USD would essentially have to double their current budget in order to reach that level.

That budget includes offering more scholarships for athletes in order to stay competitive with Division I programs. With the pressure to perform well against heavier competition, tuition could increase as it did after SDSU's move to Division I. (This is not true, tuition didn't go up)

Coupled with the financial worries, USD could possibly be forced to compete without a conference, as the issue of what conference USD would align themselves with has yet to be addressed. More so, USD teams will not be allowed to compete within their conference for more than four years.

If North Dakota moves to Division I, other North Central Conference teams - including USD - may make the move as well, thus destroying the conference and the rivalries many of us enjoy.

It all seems too risky just for the prestige of being known as a Division I school. We should stay exactly where we are.

[filbert]

Re: USD looking at DI

My guess is that USD isn't going anywhere in terms of NCAA classification for at least five years.

By then, I'd expect SDSU to be well established as South Dakota's D-I school.

We'll see.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: USD looking at DI

I saw this as well...I felt a need to send the "editorial board" a little note....

Just thought your editorial board may find these facts interesting...

According to SDSU's website the cost per credit hour is $76.00.  According to USD's website the cost per credit to attend USD is $76.00 as well.

At USD, the general activity fee is $21.80/credit hour.  At SDSU, the GAF is $19.00/credit hour.

The total estimated yearly costs for a South Dakota resident are as follows:

SDSU: $9,668
USD:  $10,090.30

For you to infer in your article that because of SDSU's move to D1 tuition and fees have increased dramatically is inaccurate.

Making the ascent to a higher level athletically has less to do with increasing tuition; and more to do with fiscal responsibility of the administration.

**didn't want to right a letter to the editor but your "contact us" link takes me to the archives...no need to publish, just food for thought**

Feel free to reply to me via email,

JT

Sorry, almost forgot the links...

USD
http://www.usd.edu/admissions/forms/cost_sheet.pdf

SDSU
http://www3.sdstate.edu/Admissions/C...mate/Index.cfm

[bigjake]

Re: USD looking at DI

In the omaha paper on nov 23rd our star sports columnist -tom shatel- mentioned how und is studying reclassifying and usd is rumored to also. He thinks they are both probably gone sooner or later and then he outlined uno's choices after that happens. It is in omaha.com. He is a big huskers and jays man and really doesn't follow uno and the ncc but he knows everyone around who does know things so maybe he has some special insights.

[filbert]

Re: USD looking at DI

I think of the three (UND, USD, UNO) I'd put the % chance of them moving up in the next five years at:

UND: 50%
UNO: 10-15%
USD: 0%

Much of it depends on which conference NDSU and SDSU wind up in.

If it's the Big Sky, I think that tends to favor UND moving up.

If it's the Mid-Con, that would tend to favor UNO (and USD to the extent that they'd even be ready to go).

If D-II drops football scholarships from their current level in the next five years, raise everybody's chance to go I-AA by from 25-50%.

[filbert]

Re: USD looking at DI

Here's the section of the Omaha paper article in question:

• Don't look now, but the University of North Dakota may force UNO's hand in determining its athletic future.

UND has announced it is making a formal study of the possibility of moving to Division I sports. The school is going to hire a consultant. It will finish the study by the end of this academic year.

Translation: North Dakota is probably gone. And there are reports that South Dakota might move up, too.

If that happens, the seven-member North Central Conference will wither away.

And then, what happens to UNO? Does it A) Go Division I, B) Try to force a move into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (with Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State) or C) Drop a level in football (25 scholarships) and join the Northern Sun Conference?

The next year could be very interesting at UNO.

I wonder what "reports" the Omaha reporter has seen about USD . . .

[bigjake]

Re: USD looking at DI

filbert, I think your numbers sound a little low to me.

UND 65%-UNO and USD 25%
Tom Shatel is too big time to come to much UNO stuff but he is highly connected around here and I have little doubt that usd is looking at possibly going. I think the info he has is probably legit.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: USD looking at DI

There's no doubt USD is "looking" at DI. But that's about as far as it goes right now. They'll take a serious look at it when a few more schools make the move (i.e. UND and UNO).

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: USD looking at DI

filbert, I think your numbers sound a little low  to me.  

UND 65%-UNO and USD 25%
Tom Shatel is too big time to come to much UNO stuff but he is highly connected around here and I have little doubt that usd is looking at possibly going.  I think the info he has is probably legit.

I agree, but I hope UNO's percentage is higher than that. UNO and UND are well-positioned to move to D1 (good athletic budget, D1 hockey, and UNO has the advantage of a large metro area and media market.) With UNO, they have to convince Nebraskans that they won't be a hindrance to the Huskers. I think that's a pretty easy case to make since they won't be competing in the same football division. I hope UNO and UND make the move, and as soon as possible.

[bigjake]

Re: USD looking at DI

I can see und joining you in your quest for d1 greatness but not UNO.
1. We are currently experiencing $ hard times in our athletic dept and both fb and hockey have attendance problems
2. We have a new AD who seems like a real status quo guy who doesn't seem like the kind of guy (like our last AD) who was very good at going out and getting money to do things. This one seems quite averse to that. We have some very wealthy donors who are quite capable of stepping up to do that if they wanted to but I doubt they do.
3. There seems to be more of a move to get hockey going in the right direction financially before we try something else like D1. With a new pro hockey team in omaha we have our work cut out for us with just hockey
4. Also, this Husker issue is just not that big of an issue. I have heard that question asked to several husker officials on radio shows and they all just shrugged it off as no big deal. They won't be competing for the same players we are and if they are they have bigger problems than I think they do.
5. I would put it at 75 percent that we would join the MIAA and 25 percent that we would go d1. Join the MIAA and continue to think about d1 for five or ten years. I know these dakota schools are in a huge hurry to make this move but really what is the rush. So what if we are five or ten years behind you. D1 is not closing down and isn't going anywhere and if we decide to make a move it should be on our terms and not forced by what other schools are doing.
But I believe that UND is probably gone and I would like uno and usd to join the miaa and then they could split that league into 2 divisions. Having grown up around KC and gone to a lot of cmsu games that is a fun league.

[Mavericks#1]

Re: USD looking at DI

I can see und joining you in your quest for d1 greatness but not UNO.
1. We are currently experiencing  $ hard times in our athletic dept and both fb and hockey have attendance problems
2.  We have a new AD who seems like a real status quo guy who doesn't seem like the kind of guy (like our last AD) who was very good at going out and getting money to do things.  This one seems quite averse to that.  We have some very wealthy donors who are quite capable of stepping up to do that if they wanted to but I doubt they do.
3.   There seems to be more of a move to get hockey going in the right direction financially before we try something else like D1.  With a new pro hockey team in omaha we have our work cut out for us with just hockey
4.   Also, this Husker issue is just not that big of an issue.  I have heard that question asked to several husker officials on radio shows and they all just shrugged it off as no big deal.  They won't be competing for the same players we are and if they are they have bigger problems than I think they do.
5.   I would put it at 75 percent that we would join the MIAA and 25 percent that we would go d1.  Join the MIAA and continue to think about d1 for five or ten years.  I know these dakota schools are in a huge hurry to make this move but really what is the rush.  So what if we are five or ten years behind you.  D1 is  not closing down and isn't going anywhere and if we decide to make a move it should be on our terms and not forced by what other schools are doing.
But I believe that UND is probably gone and I would like uno and usd to join the miaa and then they could split that league into 2 divisions.  Having grown up around KC and gone to a lot of cmsu games that is a fun league.

Big Jake I echo your thoughts. Having our soccer team go for a national title is more appealing to me that having our mens B-ball team get blasted by Illinois by 25.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: USD looking at DI

So what if we are five or ten years behind you.  D1 is  not closing down and isn't going anywhere and if we decide to make a move it should be on our terms and not forced by what other schools are doing.
But I believe that UND is probably gone and I would like uno and usd to join the miaa and then they could split that league into 2 divisions.  Having grown up around KC and gone to a lot of cmsu games that is a fun league.

Well D1 may not be closing down, but D2 is fast becoming only a shadow of its former self. I wonder if you'll feel so comfortable in D2 when football scholarships are at 24. And don't give me that "it'll never happen" baloney. It's going to happen. It's just a matter of when. Why do you think UND and others are now, belatedly, looking to go D1? D2 is being watered-down by the Oklahoma Panhandle States of the world. By the way, I see UNO plays them this weekend. Say hello to your new little friend. You're going to be seeing a lot of one another. I'll save you the trouble of trying to defend Panhandle State as a legitimate athletic foe to UNO. I've lived in Oklahoma. Panhandle State is a joke. Your other opponent this weekend, Colorado State Pueblo is a little better, but not much. There is nothing about Panhandle State that makes it a peer of UNO in any way, except that you're both stuck in D2.

[bigjake]

Re: USD looking at DI

We have two bad choices - stay in d2 and play the panhandles of the world or go to d1 and not be able to fund much success. Great choices. Maybe some day we will have 1aa in ALL sports and then we could again compete where we belong. But OKlahoma jackrabbit - you get no disagreement from me that eventually d2 will go down to 30 rides but probably not to the 24 the naia allows.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: USD looking at DI

D2 is being watered-down by the Oklahoma Panhandle States of the world. By the way, I see UNO plays them this weekend. Say hello to your new little friend.

Speaking of Panhandle State, I see USD2 needed overtime to beat the fighting Aggies tonight, 79-77. So sad.

[NorCalJack]

Re: USD looking at DI

It is like the old saying "You are what you eat"

You can also say "You are who you play"

If you play water downed D2 opponents, your program will also be watered down.

If you want you program to advance, you will schedule opponents that are superior to you. At the end, your program will be better than it is today. That is why we schedule Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, Alabama, USC etc. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.

Go State, your on the right track baby!!!!