Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

[sports_buff]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I'm glad to see the basketball team get to go on this trip, that should be a lot of fun and it should help them for next year. Man, I wish I was on the team, it sounds like it will be a great trip. I just assume see most of the money go towards the basketball teams and the football team.
I like coming to this site, because 89rabbit is always keeping me informed about whats going on at USD. Thanks again 89. ;D

[89rabbit]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I know you don't have your own board, so I do what I can. ;D

Go State! ;D

[89rabbit]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I just assume see most of the money go towards the basketball teams and the football team.

That kind of thinking, is what got your school into Title IX/finacial difficulties in the first place.

Go State! ;D

[JBNJBQ]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

That kind of thinking, is what got your school into Title IX/finacial difficulties in the first place.  

Go State!  ;D

What are you talking about?

I looked at the USD women's schedule for this year. They were scheduled to go to two tournaments:

Both in sunny Sioux Falls, South Dakota in December.

I wonder if they had to drive their own cars?

Was that more of an educational experience too?


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


JBNJBQ

[JBNJBQ]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...505110306/1002


Firm: China pulls its support from USD trip
Men's basketball team was due to visit the country on May 21

MICK GARRY
mgarry@argusleader.com

Published: 05/11/05 1:55 am

What seemed a little too good to be true was just that.

The University of South Dakota men's basketball team was to leave on a 10-day trip to China, and now it's not.

According to Basketball Travelers, Inc., the firm that set up the trip and then offered it to USD, the Chinese backed out on promises to help fund the journey, the basketball team learned Monday."We're talking about a $60,000 trip that we were able to put together for about $12,000," said Nels Hawkinson, executive director of Basketball Travelers Inc.

"It seemed perfect, but it boiled down to them deciding not to go through with the financial commitments they'd promised us. We've been scheduling trips for teams all over the world for 20 years now, and I don't ever remember anything ever happening like this."USD was to accompany Alaska-Fairbanks, with a total of five games scheduled against the Shanghai Sharks and the Bayi Rockets, both of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Alaska school will also be missing out on what might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It didn't have anything to do with us," USD coach Dave Boots said. "Basketball Travelers set it up pretty quickly for us. When it didn't work out with China, that was it. It would have been fun for us to go."

Canceling the trip was a disappointment to Coyote players, who were about to begin a 10-day practice period to prepare for the offseason games."Coach Boots told us last week there were some complications, but we all expected they'd iron them out," said graduating senior Steve Anderson. "Everybody had such high hopes. It was going to be a big trip for us, especially the seniors. Now, we're heading out to the real world a little sooner."

This was to have been the first foray into China for Basketball Travelers Inc., as well as USD. Hawkinson, who helped the Chinese national team line up games in the United States in the past, is now hesitant to send another team that direction."I had some very difficult phone calls to make," Hawkinson said. "We'd thought this trip was going to open the door for others. This is obviously a very poor start. I'm not sure we want to pursue it anymore when there are other areas of the world that are sure things."



The Chinese must have found out they are DII schools not DI like the other 23 scheduled to make the trip?


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


JBNJBQ

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I don't feel particularly bad for USD (shocker, I know), but I feel bad for the athletes who were told they were going to be able to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Playing in this thing is something they would have remembered for the rest of their lives. Now, at the last moment, the suits pull the plug? That's BS. It's too bad that in place of what could have been a great memory, they're instead stuck with bitterness over something they couldn't control.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Our young USD friend, sophmore Jeremy Hoeck has commented again in his column in the Argus. I wonder is USD worthy of SDSU rivalry? Nope.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...505160332/1004

Is Augie a worthy USD rival?
Jeremy Hoeck

Published: 05/16/05 1:55 am

While this opportunity to write columns has been great for me, I have the hardest time thinking of topics aside from the sports world. After all, sports are my life and my job. Aside from my girlfriend, sports are the main thought in my everyday life.

My opinions of Sioux Falls-related topics aren't very well-founded ("We need a new downtown library because, well, I need more books to read&quot and my interest in politics extends to "Gee, I didn't even know the school board needed members."

All bias aside, my interest in local collegiate sports has greatly increased throughout this past year. Before entering my current position with the University of South Dakota's newspaper, The Volante, I had no idea what the NCC stood for (North Central Conference) and was so sure South Dakota State wouldn't jump ship. Boy, was I sadly mistaken.I have heard people say more times than I wish to hear that USD and Augustana are now considered the new in-state rivalry. With SDSU gone from the conference, USD was in shock to find it had no main rival any longer. From what I can see, desperation set in with many people. It was almost as if they needed a rivalry. My question is this: Is Augustana really the rival USD is looking for?

Think about it from the basic numbers. This past year, USD had an enrollment of 8,120, while Augustana had an enrollment of 1,770. Because Augustana is a private school, the university's emphasis doesn't shine as brightly on athletics as USD's does.Second, Augustana had only three sports post a winning record (basketball, softball and volleyball), while USD had every sport except softball and tennis post a winning record.

When the USD men's basketball team played Augustana at the Arena on Feb. 24, the most creative sign the Augustana student section could come up with was "Mueller drinks his own pee." Are you kidding me?

While I may be too young to appreciate most of the hard-core bantering SDSU and USD threw at each other in every game they played, I realize Augustana just isn't up to the task. It will never have the success that SDSU had against USD.A rivalry is not simply a one-sided affair; both teams have to win some of the time. And up to this point, I just haven't seen enough from Augustana for it to be considered a rival to USD.

Yes, the two schools may have the proximity factor going for them; everything else just points to two normal in-state universities.Jeremy Hoeck is a sophomore at the University of South Dakota.

Copyright 2005 Argus Leader. All rights reserved

[jack100]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Is Augie a worthy USD rival?
Jeremy Hoeck

Published: 05/16/05 1:55 am
Second, Augustana had only three sports post a winning record (basketball, softball and volleyball), while USD had every sport except softball and tennis post a winning record.

Mr. Hoeck continues to have a hard time getting his facts correct. Augustana's wrestling team finished 2nd in the national tournament and had a 14-2 dual record - that makes at least four Augie teams with a winning record.

[filbert]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Mr. Hoeck continues to have a hard time getting his facts correct. Augustana's wrestling team finished 2nd in the national tournament and had a 14-2 dual record - that makes at least four Augie teams with a winning record.

Please. If USD doesn't play a sport, by definition it is irrelevant. Like baseball, for instance.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Doesn't the Argus edit his articles? Not only does he continually bludgeon factual statements, his writing is very average. His writing seems more akin to a English 101 essay that was written the night prior to it's deadline than it does to an article to be published in the state's largest news publication. I find it hard to read his articles. He has no flow and his sentences are structurally weak in many instances. Doesn't do much for the school or the paper to let this guy write an article, in my opinion.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I agree, Go Jacks 02 would tear him apart, and all i have seen is message board scribbling. So much for the Al Neuharth Center for....

Ill take good old Yeager hall anyday.

[GoJacks02]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Just for you 79, I wrote a little letter to the editor and we'll see if it gets published. In case it doesn't.

When Volante columnist Jeremy Hoeck questions the strength of the rivalry between the University of South Dakota and Augustana, I understand. I have seen this type of behavior before. I was the youngest of three children, and I watched my older brother deal with middle child syndrome.

Until 2004, the North Central Conference was home to South Dakota State University, USD, Augustana and the highest level of college sports in South Dakota. Siblings in sport, each institution has lived up to typical birth order roles.

SDSU, the first-born, has always been a step ahead. As a founding member of what eventually became the NCC, State introduced collegiate sports to South Dakota. Living under that roof for more than 80 years, the Jacks brought home 129 NCC championships.

Augustana is the baby. They’re the smallest. They’re spoiled with all that major-market power, making the older siblings jealous. They seem inadequate compared to both the Jacks and Coyotes, having only managed to collect 27 NCC titles since 1942.

That leaves the middle child. Bigger than Augustana, smaller than State. With claim to 64 NCC championships, the Coyotes have had more success than the Vikings, but less than the Jacks.

Like many middle children, USD rebelled to cope with the solitude that comes with being life-long-second-best. Since it became futile to think of the sporting nature of the USD – SDSU rivalry, the Coyotes made it about hate. Their fans made it about hate. Dead rabbits thrown onto the court made it about hate. Full page ads on the back of the school newspaper made it about hate.

Funny how abundances of pride and adoration mix together to form hate, isn’t it?

When South Dakota State moved out of the NCC, the home they helped build, the Coyotes could finally concentrate on making their own lasting impression. They weren’t done rebelling, though.

In a tantrum aimed at both siblings, USD proclaimed themselves South Dakota’s Team – as if SDSU had moved to Canada and Augustana had pulled a Vatican and made itself a nation. It was Jan Brady wishing to be an only child all over again.

Thankfully, middle children typically straighten themselves out. Perhaps as the pressure of having to compete with the Jacks becomes more of a memory, USD can stop trying so hard to prove themselves and start trying to be themselves.

Along the way, USD should embrace Augustana as a rival. Sure, competitively the Vikings aren’t a great fit. Of course, USD developed a rivalry with SDSU despite the unbalance. If you use NCC Championships as a measuring stick, Augustana will be almost as competitive with USD as USD ever was with SDSU.

It can happen, USD, if you beat them so much they begin to hate you. Then you’ll have your rivalry. Good luck rhyming anything with Augustana.

[89rabbit]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

Just for you 79, I wrote a little letter to the editor and we'll see if it gets published. In case it doesn't.

When Volante columnist Jeremy Hoeck questions the strength of the rivalry between the University of South Dakota and Augustana, I understand. I have seen this type of behavior before. I was the youngest of three children, and I watched my older brother deal with middle child syndrome.

Until 2004, the North Central Conference was home to South Dakota State University, USD, Augustana and the highest level of college sports in South Dakota. Siblings in sport, each institution has lived up to typical birth order roles.

SDSU, the first-born, has always been a step ahead. As a founding member of what eventually became the NCC, State introduced collegiate sports to South Dakota. Living under that roof for more than 80 years, the Jacks brought home 129 NCC championships.

Augustana is the baby. They’re the smallest. They’re spoiled with all that major-market power, making the older siblings jealous. They seem inadequate compared to both the Jacks and Coyotes, having only managed to collect 27 NCC titles since 1942.

That leaves the middle child. Bigger than Augustana, smaller than State. With claim to 64 NCC championships, the Coyotes have had more success than the Vikings, but less than the Jacks.

Like many middle children, USD rebelled to cope with the solitude that comes with being life-long-second-best. Since it became futile to think of the sporting nature of the USD – SDSU rivalry, the Coyotes made it about hate. Their fans made it about hate. Dead rabbits thrown onto the court made it about hate. Full page ads on the back of the school newspaper made it about hate.

Funny how abundances of pride and adoration mix together to form hate, isn’t it?

When South Dakota State moved out of the NCC, the home they helped build, the Coyotes could finally concentrate on making their own lasting impression. They weren’t done rebelling, though.

In a tantrum aimed at both siblings, USD proclaimed themselves South Dakota’s Team – as if SDSU had moved to Canada and Augustana had pulled a Vatican and made itself a nation. It was Jan Brady wishing to be an only child all over again.

Thankfully, middle children typically straighten themselves out. Perhaps as the pressure of having to compete with the Jacks becomes more of a memory, USD can stop trying so hard to prove themselves and start trying to be themselves.

Along the way, USD should embrace Augustana as a rival. Sure, competitively the Vikings aren’t a great fit. Of course, USD developed a rivalry with SDSU despite the unbalance. If you use NCC Championships as a measuring stick, Augustana will be almost as competitive with USD as USD ever was with SDSU.  

It can happen, USD, if you beat them so much they begin to hate you. Then you’ll have your rivalry. Good luck rhyming anything with Augustana.

Outstanding job!

Go State! ;D

[sports_buff]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

[quote author=GoJacks02



Like many middle children, USD rebelled to cope with the solitude that comes with being life-long-second-best. Since it became futile to think of the sporting nature of the USD – SDSU rivalry, the Coyotes made it about hate. Their fans made it about hate. Dead rabbits thrown onto the court made it about hate. Full page ads on the back of the school newspaper made it about hate.

[/i][/quote]

Hopefully nobody brings up the dead coyotes that have been thrown on the floor over the years and the full page newspaper ads saying Osama Bin Mueller. People might think SDSU fans made it about hate.
Just so you know it was tough for us USD fans to watch our older brother get picked on by NAIA teams this year. All brothers hate to see their older brothers lose the strength and power that they once had. We were starting to see that in your last year in DII and now it has just gotten worse. I just hope our younger brother, Augie, doesn't overtake us like your younger brother has.
Everyone says I should start a USD fan board, but why would I need to. This board has plenty of USD news. I swear that USD gets talked about as much on here as SDSU does.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: Hard times at SD's largest D-II University

I agree, Go Jacks 02 would tear him apart, and all i have seen is message board scribbling.  So much for the Al Neuharth Center for....

Ill take good old Yeager hall anyday.  

USD just hired an SDSU Journalism grad (Charles Luebbers, a good guy from K-State) to lead their journalism program.