MID CON SITE Visits

[jackphd]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

The deterioration of the landscaping on campus was a really big surprise to me when I arrived back here last year. With the exception of the main campus greens adjacent to the Campanile and between the Union and HPER Center, weeds have taken over everywhere. There is no care taken to keep things looking nice in most places. It's not just the hot weather, either. It was the same last year. My parents tell me it has been a steady decline over the past decade or more.

Things used to be nicer. The Physical Plant does the best it can to keep things looking good, but I know they don't have nearly the budget they need. It's a shame.

There is one nice change I noticed recently. They have replaced all the windows in Mathews Hall. The old pastel green- and blue-colored inserts and aluminum windows are gone, replaced by stylish dark-brown frames and inserts and nice shiny new glass. I hope they do all the older dorms that way. Mathews looks like a brand new building.

[SoDak]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Dang, I think I etched my name into my window in Mathews back in the 80's. ;D

[thebluehatman]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

the floor in my mathews hall dorm room was deteriorating rapidly back in 2003-2004, floor tiles were pulling up and i put my head through the ceiling tile one morning waking up, and the physical plant never fixed it while i was there.  I drove by campus last week and right next to caldwell hall looked like a mess.  and its not like they don't have the people to mow the grass because i know they were looking for lawn maintance people for the summer on campus back in april and may.

[filbert]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Bisonville board has a link to a Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette article about the first of the three Mid-Con site visits:

Mid-Con officials begin arriving in Fort Wayne today for a three-day visit that will help decide whether the school will be admitted to the Elmhurst, Ill.,-based league.

“There are two ways to do this. One is to pull out all the stops, bring out the brass bands, the flyovers and fireworks,” said Pope, the IPFW athletic director. “That to me creates a false impression of what IPFW is. I think what this site team wants to see is what happens in this community and on this campus on a typical day. I want them to know exactly what they’re getting because I think it’s good enough.”
. . .

League officials will also visit North Dakota State and South Dakota State next week before submitting a report of the findings to its presidents council, which will meet in the fall to discuss expansion. The Mid-Con could accept one to all three of the schools to begin league play in 2007-08.

“My suspicion would be all three because the events of the last five years in particular have shown that there can be significant movements within conferences in a short amount of time, which was touched off by Miami leaving the Big East and going to the ACC and everything fell off from that,” said Pope, adding that a conference with 10 members would be more stable than one with eight because of possible membership changes.

(I've also linked the the article over at the SDSUFans.com blog.)

[89rabbit]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

More stories from Ft. Wayne:

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journal...e/15185197.htm

IPFW rolls out welcome mat for Mid-Con

By Sarah Trotto
The Journal Gazette

A half-dozen IPFW athletes greeted Mid-Continent Conference officials when they arrived Wednesday evening at the Fort Wayne Marriott. A welcome sign graced the hotel. The Fort Wayne Convention and Visitors Bureau supplied gift baskets.

Mid-Con commissioner Tom Douple was impressed.

“We had a great reception,” said Douple, who came to Fort Wayne with three other Mid-Con representatives to begin a three-day site visit of IPFW. The visit will help determine whether the university should be admitted to the conference.

“We visited with some softball, volleyball and cross country student-athletes. They’re excited,” Douple said. “The bottom line is this is a business trip, and the business is the student-athletes.”  .  .  .  (read more)

and

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journal...e/15194780.htm

Wooing of Mid-Con going well
League officials seem impressed with IPFW

By Sarah Trotto
The Journal Gazette

Mid-Continent Conference officials are remaining open-minded about how many schools could be admitted to the league – so open-minded that they’re planning their future athletic schedules based on different scenarios.

The Mid-Con is considering IPFW, North Dakota State and South Dakota State for expansion, and any of them could be admitted.

“I don’t think our presidents have ever set a number for what’s good for the league,” Mid-Con associate commissioner Ed Grom said. “We’ve been at eight, we’ve been at nine, we’ve been at 10 in the past. To be honest, we’ve put together schedules for future years with seven, eight, nine, 10 teams. If a decision is made or when a decision is made, we’ll be prepared.”

Mid-Con officials hope to be better prepared for a decision after visiting all three schools this month.  .  .  .  (read more)



Go State!  

[89rabbit]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Looks like our friends in Fargo are pulling out all the stops.



Photo credit to Bisonguy.


Go State!

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Looks like our friends in Fargo are pulling out all the stops.



Photo credit to Bisonguy.


Go State!  

somebody better be calling Daktronics and getting one of their portable video boards (with a similar message) stationed on I-29 right now.

However, I do know that we have started to put a few nice little touches into the planning of our visit as well - I think we will be just fine.

[Haldersham]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

From what has been published about the committee, it seems their main concerns are academic standards and commitment to D1. I do agree our people will do very well in explaining where we are going and they will get a very thorough presentation. The all academic student athletes, the publicty about our women's bb program are the positives that committee already knows about and they just want to expericence SDSU first hand.

A big weed patch in the middle of campus certainly is very unattractive and yes SDSU needs to keep it's campus in the best condition possilbe, but I dont think these small eyesores, if they exist will cause SDSU be declined an invitation to join the Mid Cont.

Lastly, a Dakt sign would certainly help and I sure Mr. Kurtenbach has it on his to do list.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Take them down to Nick's for a burger and it's a done deal!   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

In all seriousness, a nice entrance to town would be very impressive.  There are places where banners have been hung across 6th Street in the neighborhood of McCrory Gardens. Unfortunately, that is probably where the construction will be when they visit!

A little hype on the boards at Coughlin Alumni and Frost Arena would be a nice touch.  

Just the drive up Medary can be impressive with the flowers and the 125th Anniversary banners hanging on the light poles.  I think that SDSU is a beautiful campus and will look great when the committee is here.  They visit just before the students get back which should be perfect!

The focus will be on the academics and the athletic facilities and I think with the improvements over the last few years and the future plans for baseball and softball, the Mid-Con will be very pleased!

Go Jacks!

SUPERBUNNY

[jackrabit1]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Take them down to Nick's for a burger and it's a done deal! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Yeah... Nothing says "Welcome Mid-Continent" like a coronary and a quadruple bypass! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

"It ain't healthy, but it sure tastes good!"

[89rabbit]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Here are a couple of stories out of Ft. Wayne, sounds like IPFW is pretty happy with their review:

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortway...s/15206139.htm

IPFW puts best foot forward for Mid-Con

AD Pope says whether reps give a yea or a nay, the school did its best.

By Blake Sebring bsebring@news-sentinel.com

In what might be IPFW’s biggest victory ever on a playing field or off it, school officials greatly impressed a committee of Mid-Con representatives checking out the school’s potential membership.

After walking around with fingers and toes crossed in 2002 when IPFW made its first overtures to the Mid-Continent Conference, school officials are relaxed and confident after meetings this week. Waiting until September to see if and when the conference offers an official invitation to join might not be so bad.

“We learned so much about IPFW that we did not know,” Mid-Con Commissioner Tom Douple said. “You can read all the information you want and the brochures and flyers, but until you are on campus and meet the individuals involved, you don’t get a true feeling. We certainly did in the time that we’ve been here.

“Their honesty has been very refreshing. We leave here with a very positive impression of IPFW.”  .  .  .  (read more)


Story #2

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journal...s/15206063.htm

Waiting game awaits IPFW
After visit, Mid-Con officials say they’ll likely decide in September


By Sarah Trotto
The Journal Gazette

All Mark Pope and IPFW can do now is wait.

Mid-Continent Conference officials concluded their three-day visit of IPFW on Friday, saying they were impressed that university personnel were able to answer all their questions about such issues as compliance, facilities and academic support.

The conference officials that visited will filter those answers into a report that will be given to the league’s presidents council, which will determine in September whether IPFW, North Dakota State and South Dakota State should be admitted into the Elmhurst, Ill.-based conference.

Pope, the IPFW athletic director, said the monthlong wait won’t be too difficult because the site visit was so successful. . . . (read more)





Go State!  

[89rabbit]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

From Fargo (sub. site but it is free):

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...;freebie_check

NDSU launches Mid-Con bid

By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Sunday, August 06, 2006


When staff members from the Mid-Continent Conference arrive on United Airlines Flight 6809 Monday afternoon, it will be one small step for mankind and one giant leap for North Dakota State.

The school is treating the conference site visit like a NASA event. It perhaps will be the most important three days in NDSU’s Division I reclassification, which launched in August 2002. . . . (read more)


Go State!

[valpotx]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Good luck with your visit later this week

[89rabbit]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

Good luck with your visit later this week  

Thanks valpotx, best of luck to you in the Horizon.


Go State!  

[JACKGUYII]

Re: MID CON SITE Visits

I see the Governor of North Dakota will be participating in the Mid-Cont site visits. Any word whether South Dakota Governor and SDSU Grad Mike Rounds will be involved? It seems the Fort Wayne and NDSU folks are really rolling out the red carpet. I assume SDSU has planned a similiar experience.