Playing USD again (football)

[State_fan]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I am not sure I buy into this "most important" game of the year stuff.  Our friends to the South always practiced that kind of behavior and it never really took them too far.  Even now it seems one of the biggest reasons that they moved to D-I was so they could play us again.

One of the reasons it wasn't the same for us was because the most important game of the year to USD was SDSU.  The most important game of the year to Augie was SDSU, even to a certain extent the most important game of the year for Northern was SDSU.  They all focused on us while we focused on winning/ourselves.

Don't get me wrong I think beating those guys back in the day was a kick, but we always worried about more then just a single game or series.  We wanted to win the conference and get into the playoffs and had other goals that went beyond just the rivalry.

Perhaps some of you miss playing for "something" and the old rivalries seem like a good answer, it would have been nice to have them these past few years when we didn't have much to play for but pride.  Alas it was not to be, but now we face a bright and shinny new future one filled with conference rivals of a higher caliber and I am looking forward to it.  It is great to almost be out of Independent and transitional status!  8-)

Finally to address your question about bragging rights  .  .  .  does Ohio State need to play the University of Ohio to know that they are the better team?  :-? 8-)


Go State!  

Ohio State - U of Ohio..... ok, you got me on that one.  Man, you old guys and your wisdom...      

Anyway, I realize being from state we'd like to think were better than that, being able to see the bigger picture so to speak with conference championships and playoffs. But its always nice to have the recent season's football score in mind when one of your buddies from down south brings out the hick from state comment. Not that I don't have plenty of other slams in mind when it comes to raggin on USD.

[89rabbit]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Last thought on this subject (for awhile).  With the limited number of OOC games that we have, I say we use them to help Cal-Poly, UC Davis, and Southern Utah.  Those guys were there for us these past few years I would like to return the favor until they stabilize the Great West.  We also should support our friends in the Southland Conference and Georgia Southern they too helped when many others didn't.  There are a lot of people in line ahead of the Coyotes in my personal opinion.

We will play the Coyotes again, I am sure of that, but they will have to wait there turn and it could take a little bit.

Go State!  

[State_fan]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Agreed, help out those who helped us out, if they need it.

[Jacks02]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Last thought on this subject (for awhile).  With the limited number of OOC games that we have, I say we use them to help Cal-Poly, UC Davis, and Southern Utah.  Those guys were there for us these past few years I would like to return the favor until they stabilize the Great West.  We also should support our friends in the Southland Conference and Georgia Southern they too helped when many others didn't.  There are a lot of people in line ahead of the Coyotes in my personal opinion.

We will play the Coyotes again, I am sure of that, but they will have to wait there turn and it could take a little bit.

Go State!  

My thoughts exactly.

[1bunnies]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

[quote author=89rabbit link=1173573523/30#31 date=1173734271]Last thought on this subject (for awhile).  With the limited number of OOC games that we have, I say we use them to help Cal-Poly, UC Davis, and Southern Utah.  Those guys were there for us these past few years I would like to return the favor until they stabilize the Great West.  We also should support our friends in the Southland Conference and Georgia Southern they too helped when many others didn't.  There are a lot of people in line ahead of the Coyotes in my personal opinion.

We will play the Coyotes again, I am sure of that, but they will have to wait there turn and it could take a little bit.

Go State!  

My thoughts exactly.[/quote]

This is what Fred said at the press conference also. We will continue to play the California schools and SUU when it works out schedule wise. As far a usd2, who really gives a crap about them.

[BisBison]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

[quote author=Jacks02 link=1173573523/30#33 date=1173739455][quote author=89rabbit link=1173573523/30#31 date=1173734271]Last thought on this subject (for awhile).  With the limited number of OOC games that we have, I say we use them to help Cal-Poly, UC Davis, and Southern Utah.  Those guys were there for us these past few years I would like to return the favor until they stabilize the Great West.  We also should support our friends in the Southland Conference and Georgia Southern they too helped when many others didn't.  There are a lot of people in line ahead of the Coyotes in my personal opinion.

We will play the Coyotes again, I am sure of that, but they will have to wait there turn and it could take a little bit.


Go State!  

My thoughts exactly.[/quote]

This is what Fred said at the press conference also. We will continue to play the California schools and SUU when it works out schedule wise. As far a usd2, who really gives a crap about them.
[/quote]

You guys think just like me. We don't have short memories here either. Scroiux the Sioux and the little Coyotees too.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I'm not advocating playing or not playing USD anytime soon, but I think to use past attendance figures is a little skewed. The last 5 years we played USD, the game was played between two average D2 teams with average fanfare within the state and little fanfare outside of the state. Currently, SDSU and USD are coming off seasons where they enjoyed a higher level of success and general interest than they have in years. Also, without a game between the two schools, the whole issue of who's team was better was left to arguments over beers between alumni. With all that pent up aggression and unresolved issues I think the turnout would be tremendous. SDSU fans would relish the chance to put USD fans in there place and rub their poor decision making in there faces. USD fans would see it as an opportunity to knock SDSU off its high horse. I would imagine the attendance numbers for the first couple of years would be terrific (15K - at SDSU, obviously. SDSU should not agree to play at USD.)

Now, this is coming from someone born, raised and conditioned to be anti-USD and who considered beating USD every year a matter of great importance. However, an unbiased look presents a picture where it's hard to imagine the game NOT producing large attendance numbers and state wide interest. (Of course, this has nothing to do with my belief that SDSU has nothing to gain from playing the game and USD has nothing to lose by playing...but that's another matter.)

[BTownJack]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I would definitely agree here with MJA. The build up for this game would span years and as a result, the attendance would be very high. With that said, I'm not saying we should play them because of this. Due time will present a situation where these two teams will meet on the football field or the basketball court. I'm more than willing to wait a long time for that to happen.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Louisville couldn't get Kentucky to play it in basketball for decades. Didn't really hurt either program by not playing, but starting up the rivalry didn't really help either program. Both teams want to win the game and think of it as a big non-conference game, but both realize that conference games get seeding in conference tournament which means better shot at the big dance. BB is a little different, but my point is having a nearby, in-state opponent does not mean they are going to be your "big game" of the year. Louisville-Kentucky was a big deal the first year, and then started falling off. The same would be true of SDSU-USD if they are not in the same conference. For the Jacks to make the playoffs, it will be more important to win the Gateway Conference, than to win a non-conference team.

[Jacks-D1]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Looking at this through the eyes of the average fan and not the blinded by their hatred of USD eyes of certain SDSU fans, I think there is no doubt we should play USD again as soon as possible. Our state is small and the two major schools are SDSU and USD. I think the vast majority of people in South Dakota want these two to play each other. The attendance would be huge and it is obviously the biggest rivalry each school has. I don't buy the argument that NDSU is our rival and USD is not.

[2002jack]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

Looking at this through the eyes of the average fan and not the blinded by their hatred of USD eyes of certain SDSU fans, I think there is no doubt we should play USD again as soon as possible.  Our state is small and the two major schools are SDSU and USD.  I think the vast majority of people in South Dakota want these two to play each other.  The attendance would be huge and it is obviously the biggest rivalry each school has.  I don't buy the argument that NDSU is our rival and USD is not.

It only improves attendance for one game. We need to be concerned about building a successful program, not about appeasing the majority of SD or its politicians. The real question is, if we played USD, would that somehow improve alumni donations? Perhaps the rivalry game against USD would help drive some fund raising. I'm still on the fence about whether this game should take place.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I don't buy the argument the USD is a rival. We aren't in the same conference and won't be for many years to come; we haven't played them for several years and I would be amazed if we played them in FB, MBB or WBB in the next couple of years.

As for the blind hatred of USD, I am getting kind of tired of hearing that as being the "real reason" why some SDSU fans don't want to play USD. If you want to play them right away, OK. I think it would be bad for the FB team because it would hinder their chances of getting into the playoffs. But if you think making some SDSU fans and USD fans happy would be worth it, OK.

Attendance for one game actually wouldn't be much more than what we have been getting. But if that is a tradeoff you want for an overall competitve program, OK. Can we do both, down the road yes. Right away I don't think so.

Great thing about living in our country is that we are able to worry about things that are really not that important.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I think it would be bad for the FB team because it would hinder their chances of getting into the playoffs.

Attendance for one game actually wouldn't be much more than what we have been getting. But if that is a tradeoff you want for an overall competitve program, OK. Can we do both, down the road yes. Right away I don't think so.

Agree with you on the first. (See the point alluded to in the last part of my post) SDSU has absolutely nothing to gain aside from what theoretically would be a big gate for a USD game. We have established ourselves as a legit 1AA program and want to build on that. Beating USD would do nothing to help build on that as they are an unknown in the 1AA ranks. Also, (and I believe I've made this point before) if we win, we're supposed to win. If we lose, it would make last year's loss to UWL look minor because of the in-state ramifications. Just nothing to gain there.

And that's without any hatred of USD thrown into the mix. There is just truly nothing to gain from a program standpoint of playing that game. We don't lose recruits to USD and until we do that's not an issue. We're an established program with a conference. We don't need them to fill the schedule. The cost benefit of having a game a few hours drive away is really not as big of an issue as it was in the DII budget days. Our games against Minnesota and Iowa St. make that less of a problem. Really no NEED to schedule USD, whatsoever. Again, all bias aside.

Plus, if it's a mere gate numbers issue, the possibility of hitting 16,000 people for a USD game isn't really that sexy anymore considering we are reaching close to those numbers on other games. I still say that the game would be the biggest or close to the biggest gate for the season the first year we played them. I think the interest would dwindle from there, as it has in the past.

Count me on the side of the "No USD on the schedule? Fine with me." side.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

I'm with MJA on this issue, but I don't think it really matters what any of us think...there are some undeniable facts that mean it won't happen for the foreseeable future:

1) Our schedules are going to be laid out for the next three years or more by next fall, with the conference affiliation and the limited number of off-conference spots available. In the following years, USD would doubtless not schedule us on an only-in-Brookings schedule and I'm sure our athletic department is not going to give them a home and home, certainly not before they are fully transitioned (which takes us to 2012-13) and by that time we will be scheduled years ahead as well.

2) The Gateway Football Conference members have all commited to an eight-year stay in the league contract (yes, there is a buyout, but it is stiff), which means there likely won't be any openings in the Gateway until at least 2015. The Gateway is not going to expand to include 11 teams (even if the NCAA decides to allow 12 games.) Which in fact means USD and UND will have to find a home somewhere else.

When all that time expires, if both schools and fans want it, you might see a home and home SDSU-USD football agreement.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Playing USD again (football)

If USD and UND had been a littler kinder to the State U's when we decided to go DI by playing us and not being so publically critical of our plans than I think there would be a better working relationship today and thus more opportunity to keep the rivalries going.