Question for Rabbit Fans

[CaBisonFan]

I have a question for you.  How are the Brookings people and SDSU supporters viewing the move up now?  Are they jumping on the bandwagon...or are there still people that 'long' for the old NCC days?  With the real possibility of moving into the Gateway, we could be getting back to a more balanced schedule with 4 or 5 very meaningful conference games at home each year.  How do you view this?

What do you think of moving to the Gateway vs. staying in the Great West Football Conference?  I have some mixed feelings about this.

What are your thoughts?  If invited, should we make the move to the Gateway?

But I'm also really curious about the fan attitude.  Remember, I lived in Brookings for 7 years in the 90s and know a lot of people in town.  What's going on with their attitude and support?

PS - Part of my heart is still in Brookings and with SDSU.  I taught at Brookings High School and it is where my children spent their elementary school years.  They view Brookings as their childhood home.  I'm not here to stir things up.  I'm very interested in what is going on in the community and surrounding areas. I have 'great' respect for SDSU as an institution. Went to a ton of basketball and football games while I was there, and I cheered for the Rabbits. Last Saturday night was a little tough to watch frankly. I wanted both teams to win. Weird....I know. So I want to be thought of as a real member of the SDSU family. In hindsight, I shouldn't have used the username that I did. It obviously labels me. I WILL NOT smack SDSU. WILL NOT.

[filbert]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

I have a question for you. How are the Brookings people and SDSU supporters viewing the move up now? Are they jumping on the bandwagon...or are there still people that 'long' for the old NCC days? With the real possibility of moving into the Gateway, we could be getting back to a more balanced schedule with 4 or 5 very meaningful conference games at home each year. How do you view this?

What do you think of moving to the Gateway vs. staying in the Great West Football Conference? I have some mixed feelings about this.

What are your thoughts? If invited, should we make the move to the Gateway?

But I'm also really curious about the fan attitude. Remember, I lived in Brookings for 7 years in the 90s and know a lot of people in town. What's going on with their attitude and support?

PS - Part of my heart is still in Brookings and with SDSU. I taught at Brookings High School and it is where my children spent their elementary school years. They view Brookings as their childhood home. I'm not here to stir things up. I'm very interested in what is going on in the community and surrounding areas. I have 'great' respect for SDSU as an institution. Went to a ton of basketball and football games while I was there, and I cheered for the Rabbits. Last Saturday night was a little tough to watch frankly. I wanted both teams to win. Weird....I know. So I want to be thought of as a real member of the SDSU family. In hindsight, I shouldn't have used the username that I did. It obviously labels me. I WILL NOT smack SDSU. WILL NOT.

Honestly, I suspect that some of the local Brookings folks who opposed the move won't come around until the men's basketball team shows some real signs of life. I think the football team won over more than a few of the D-I foot-draggers with how they finished off the season, and I think the interest in football is growing quickly. The crowd at the USC women's basketball game demonstrated that SDSU fans still know how to get it going in Frost Arena.

There will always be those who were more comfortable being a relatively big fish in the small NCC/D-II pond and will remember those days fondly. But as time goes by, and there are new, D-I days to also remember fondly, most of those who are still holding back will come around.

I do know that I, living in Kansas City, wouldn't be nearly as interested in SDSU in general and SDSU athletics in particular if we had not moved to D-I. For one thing, this board probably wouldn't exist, at least not in this form.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

I think filbert's comments pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Every time a Jacks team notches a big win or goes on a streak like the football did it wins more and more people over. Once the men's basketball team comes around then I think everyone will be on board.

Getting into the Mid-Con was huge and I would suspect that playing meaningful conference games against quality opponents will spark a much more consistent interest in all sports. Moving to the Gateway would be a fantastic thing for SDSU. It would lead to a consistent schedule for football.

I've lived in Brookings almost all of my life and it really suprised me how much resistance there was at first. Particularly from business owners that would stand to benefit from more students and faculty at the university but I haven't heard much of that talk lately.

There are still a number of people that have left the Jackrabbit Nation after the move up and drew a line in the sand saying they will never come back. That's unfortunate and they may come to regret that stance but there is more interest in SDSU athletics overall.

There are so many things that are going to happen in the near future that are very, very exciting!

1. Mid-Con conference play next year.
2. Gateway affiliation if it happens.
3. Post-Season eligibility in another year.
4. D-1 conference championships.

The women's basketball team should get an invite to post-season play if they keep up this pace!

It's easy to understand some of the things that made some people against the move but there are so many things that are making those people turn the tide and they are now jumping on board!

The future is really bright! 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

SUPERBUNNY

[BTownJack]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

I have a question for you.  How are the Brookings people and SDSU supporters viewing the move up now?  Are they jumping on the bandwagon...or are there still people that 'long' for the old NCC days?  With the real possibility of moving into the Gateway, we could be getting back to a more balanced schedule with 4 or 5 very meaningful conference games at home each year.  How do you view this?

What do you think of moving to the Gateway vs. staying in the Great West Football Conference?  I have some mixed feelings about this.

What are your thoughts?  If invited, should we make the move to the Gateway?

But I'm also really curious about the fan attitude.  Remember, I lived in Brookings for 7 years in the 90s and know a lot of people in town.  What's going on with their attitude and support?

PS - Part of my heart is still in Brookings and with SDSU.  I taught at Brookings High School and it is where my children spent their elementary school years.  They view Brookings as their childhood home.  I'm not here to stir things up.  I'm very interested in what is going on in the community and surrounding areas.  I have 'great' respect for SDSU as an institution.  Went to a ton of basketball and football games while I was there, and I cheered for the Rabbits.  Last Saturday night was a little tough to watch frankly.  I wanted both teams to win.  Weird....I know.  So I want to be thought of as a real member of the SDSU family.  In hindsight, I shouldn't have used the username that I did.  It obviously labels me.  I WILL NOT smack SDSU.  WILL NOT.

I feel the Brookings people are figuring out this is the right move for this community as are a lot of naysayers before we made the move.  The more success we have at this level the more it will help bring people along.  Being a citizen of Brookings I feel the general attitude is very positive and not often do we hear people talking about the negative things.  I agree with filbert on his point about some will wait until the men's BB team gets things going.  

One good example I have is a story about a good friend of mine that lives in Brookings.  His wife and two daughters were very strong supporters of SDSU Women's BB back in the D-II days.  They were season ticket holders, attend nearly every home game and often went on road trips to follow the team.  They were also financial supporters of the athletic department.  They were very adament they would no longer purchase season tickets, stop going to games and no longer donate to the cause if SDSU went D-I.  They didn't want to miss out on following the team throughout the post-season.  Well, SDSU went D-I and this family stop supporting SDSU athletics.  Since that time their interest has slowly grown and I've seen them at a few games here and there.  Then last Friday night after the USC game I was convinced SDSU had changed their mind for the better.  About 10 minutes after the game was over he had called me on my cell phone to ask the outcome of the game.  This call during a rehearsal dinner for a wedding he was at half-way across the country.  Granted this is just one example but I felt it was fitting for this post.  

As far as moving to the Gateway conference...I feel this is a no brainer.  The main reason...they have an automatic qualifier into the D-1AA playoffs.  Secondly...they are a much more established league and we won't have to continually worry about who is coming and going.  If invited, which I firmly believe we will be, SDSU should not hesitate.  

[Haldersham]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

I think one thing in particular has hurt BB attendence and that was the splitting of the double hitters of men and women into single games. I think so many people thought this was a bargin. I myself thought it would be a good deal to see a double hitter again on Halloween Night when both men and women playe exhibition games. For me the double hitter was too long. I can now appreciatte a single game such as the USC game and being on the road toward home by 9:00 PM.

I think there is still some people who really dont understand what is going on, and they seem to understand opponents like USD and UNO better than  say an Oral Roberts University. Some fans probably dont realize that he started a college, and think of Oral as a faith healer from a distant past.
By and large most of the resistence that is currently out there will fade with time.

The fact the mens program has not had much success has been a factor whereas the women seem to be doing all sorts of good things. Its like anything else that involves marketing, you have to have a good product, namely a winning program to fill the seats at Frost and CAS.

I think USD if they choose to move to D1, really benefits from the strong resistence that SDSU faced since announcing in 2003. USD will probably have less pain to endure, especially if they find the financial resources to expand the new budget that D1 requires.

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

There are many SDSU alums scattered throughout the US, and it is super exciting to finally see SDSU crawling across the screen every week. The women BBer's, the outstanding FB team this year were so good. And so fast!!

In ten years, or less, SDSU & NDSU will be the dominant schools in the Mid-Con. Will we win most sports every year? Not likely, but, we'll be in the top half every year, and like in the NCC, teams will dread the "Dakota trip" to play.

It's been tremendous the intense, but friendly rivalry with NDSU. It's been a great relationship of kind of watching each others back, and helping out the other school thru tough patches. This year, it was SDSU inviting NDSU in for a bunch of volleyball matches, as they suffered losing (releasing) last year's coach and bringing in a new one, with not enough time to get a schedule together. Soon, it may be NDSU inviting baseball or softball into Newman, and helping State get games.

Yes it's great moving on up!

[Haldersham]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

There are many SDSU alums scattered throughout the US, and it is super exciting to finally see SDSU crawling across the screen every week.  The women BBer's, the outstanding FB team this year were so good.  And so fast!!

In ten years, or less, SDSU & NDSU will be the dominant schools in the Mid-Con.  Will we win most sports every year?  Not likely, but, we'll be in the top half every year, and like in the NCC, teams will dread the "Dakota trip" to play.

It's been tremendous the intense, but friendly rivalry with NDSU.  It's been a great relationship of kind of watching each others back, and helping out the other school thru tough patches.  This year, it was SDSU inviting NDSU in for a bunch of volleyball matches, as they suffered losing (releasing) last year's coach and bringing in a new one, with not enough time to get a schedule together.  Soon, it may be NDSU inviting baseball or softball into Newman, and helping State get games.

Yes it's great moving on up!

This message board has helped to build the positives of move to D1. Those who would privately voice disapproval have not been allowed to gain agreement on this board. There have been a few who have tried, but thanks to the out of state alums being overwhelmingly in favor of the move, its hard to have that negative dialogue that one might have in a eating establishment in Brookings. In other words, anti D1 talk seems to go no where on this board. Even talk suggesting coaching changes dont seem to get momentum.

I think the war is over and rhetoric has cooled considerably since the Board Of Regents held their open forum for all concerned who had thoughts on the D1 move. We have had one State Farm Insurance agent who went to Pierre and testified against the D1 move, but even he is somewhat subdued because his own daughter has excelled in D1 Women's Track and Cross Country. I suppose there were as many speaking in opposition as in favor at this forum. A former BB coach was also very vocal and even he is now subdued as no one really want to get involved in that conversation. So yes there have been outspoken opponents but they have not been able to organize as a group and offer stiff opposition. I guess they can only vote by staying away from athletic events, and that seems to be where the opposition is now.

I think if SDSU had the funds and staff to do a survey with a random sample relating to opinions about D1 so far, they would no doubt answer the questions asked by the starter of this thread and mine too. Its still something to talk about.

[Jacks99]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

It's just too exiting to stay on that side of the fence. However, it will take awhile for those most vocal against the move and those not State fans/friends to begin with.

Most against the move decided to still support the move after it was decided and have been won over without a doubt and no longer miss the old days. My family is included in this category.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Question for Rabbit Fans

The most loyal fans never left and the local foot-draggers are being won over slowly, especially with schools like UND and USD belatedly making similar moves and the collapse of the NCC being inevitable. Ultimately, SDSU will have a bigger and more dedicated fan base that it had in the peak of its D-II years because a broader and more dispersed fan base will be able to follow the Jacks from near or far. You won't have to live within an hour or two of Brookings to go to games or to participate in them emotionally via the internet or some other source. The move to D-1 was the right move, especially at a time of record-high enrollment. Give it couple more years. A five-year transition period, it turns out, should be just right.