Montana State backs out of Fargo game

[Walrus]

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/390293/

Montana State stuns NDSU athletic director by pulling out of 2013 football game

FARGO – The athletic director at North Dakota State is not happy with Montana State. Gene Taylor on Saturday said the Bobcats have opted to buy out of next September’s football game at the Fargodome, leaving the Bison scrambling to find an 11th opponent.

[2002jack]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

What a joke. Maybe the whole MVFC should agree not to schedule any games against the Montana schools.

[FargoBison]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

I think Montana is starting to atone for their previous scheduling sins. Montana State though operates like a bush league athletic department I guess, can't believe they would drop a game this late in the process. Other schools have done this before but it was almost a year in advance, not in late February.

[JackJD]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

What a joke. Maybe the whole MVFC should agree not to schedule any games against the Montana schools.

If this isn't already the unwritten policy, it certainly should be. If a school is tempted to schedule Montana State, they should find out the highest buyout Montana State has been willing to pay, and double it in the contract.

I would be tempted to say the MVFC should have an unwritten policy of not scheduling any Big Sky program until the Montana behavior stops.

[Bozemaniac]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

The kitties might actually score points against SMU. At least this way their automatic loss comes with a big(ish?) paycheck.

I think at this point NDSU carries enough clout in FCS to demand home & homes start in Fargo. That, or jack up the buyout.

[Bozemaniac]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

I think Montana is starting to atone for their previous scheduling sins. Montana State though operates like a bush league athletic department I guess, can't believe they would drop a game this late in the process. Other schools have done this before but it was almost a year in advance, not in late February.

UM's atonement is basically having to go on the road first for their marquee matchups (App State, NDSU). MSU is much less marquee for any team, despite what they think of themselves currently, and this will negatively impact their ability to get good teams into Bozeman in the future.

[JackJD]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

On further reflection, I'd always be willing to schedule UC-Davis, Cal Poly and UND. The rest of the bunch are unknowns and to make a point with the Montana schools, I would be reluctant to schedule their conference mates (other than Davis, Poly and UND).

When we get our new stadium, I suppose situations will arise in which we will be tempted to buyout a game...I'll be one upset fan if we do that.

[JackJD]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

UM's atonement is basically having to go on the road first for their marquee matchups (App State, NDSU). MSU is much less marquee for any team, despite what they think of themselves currently, and this will negatively impact their ability to get good teams into Bozeman in the future.

So true. This will bite them in the butt badly. Sure, some teams will go there but why should anyone?

[FargoBison]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

UM's atonement is basically having to go on the road first for their marquee matchups (App State, NDSU). MSU is much less marquee for any team, despite what they think of themselves currently, and this will negatively impact their ability to get good teams into Bozeman in the future.

The buyout for our UM game is also like $250-300k.

I don't have a clue what MSU is doing, NDSU was probably willing to make a trip out to Bozeman had they honored this contract but now Gene Taylor won't even pick up the phone if they call.

[joeboo22]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

I understand why there are buyouts but if I was an AD I probably wouldn't even put a buyout clause in the contract. Make them show up. It is going to cost NDSU much more then the 100K buyout to find another home game.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

Another Montana school backs out of a game in the Dakotas... why am I NOT surprised.

[propar80]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

Waiting for the other shoe to drop and Montana buy out the u this next year. The ONLY reason they won't is because of Glenn and his ties to Montana.

[Bozemaniac]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

Waiting for the other shoe to drop and Montana buy out the u this next year. The ONLY reason they won't is because of Glenn and his ties to Montana.

If the Griz buy out USD but leave Panhandle State on the schedule, I think the fans in Missoula might actually riot.

[JackJD]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

I understand why there are buyouts but if I was an AD I probably wouldn't even put a buyout clause in the contract. Make them show up. It is going to cost NDSU much more then the 100K buyout to find another home game.

I haven't read a football-game contract but it's likely the buyout clause is a "liquidated damages" clause in which the parties agree that if a team backs out, the other team will sustain damages but the damages are impossible to accurately ascertain and therefore they agree to the amount of damages: the buyout amount. If there is no buyout clause and a party backs out of the game, the other party would have to prove the amount of its damages. The buyout/liquidated damages clauses just make good sense: the non-defaulting party knows what it will receive and can get on with life and try to find a schedule replacement.

Programs back out of contracts for financial reasons. BUT, how often do we hear about that for any school that doesn't have the word "Montana" in its name? AD's must take heed when dealing with those types.

[Nidaros]

Re: Montana State backs out of Fargo game

I haven't read a football-game contract but it's likely the buyout clause is a "liquidated damages" clause in which the parties agree that if a team backs out, the other team will sustain damages but the damages are impossible to accurately ascertain and therefore they agree to the amount of damages: the buyout amount. If there is no buyout clause and a party backs out of the game, the other party would have to prove the amount of its damages. The buyout/liquidated damages clauses just make good sense: the non-defaulting party knows what it will receive and can get on with life and try to find a schedule replacement.

Programs back out of contracts for financial reasons. BUT, how often do we hear about that for any school that doesn't have the word "Montana" in its name? AD's must take heed when dealing with those types.

Thanks this makes sense to me, one of those things about contracts. Often they are enforceable. Would NDSU actually take MSU to court if they offered only 15k like they did last time? We are all nice schools after all with images to protect.