SDsportsFan seems conflicted

[89rabbit]

SDsportsFan,

After re-reading many of your posts, you seem very conflicted in your support of SDSU, in my opionion.  You claim support for the move to D-I yet always seem to bring up some negative aspect to the move.  I would like to help you through your confliction so that you might better enjoy the D-I experience.

Can you help me by explaining any issues you might have with our move.  Or perhaps you could tell me in an ideal world how SDSU's athletics program would look.  I, and many others, really do want to help so that when the Men's team beats an established D-I school like Tennessee State you can celebrate with the rest of us, rather then hunt for a black cloud in the silver lining (or belittle our competition).

Go State!  ;D

[SDsportsFan]

Re: SDsportsFan seems conflicted

SDsportsFan,

After re-reading many of your posts, you seem very conflicted in your support of SDSU, in my opionion.  You claim support for the move to D-I yet always seem to bring up some negative asspect to the move.  I would like to help you through your confliction so that you might better enjoy the D-I experience.

Can you help me by explaining any issues you might have with our move.  Or perhaps you could tell me in an ideal world how SDSU's athletics program would look.  I, and many others, really do want to help so that when the Men's team beats an established D-I school like Tennessee State you can celebrate with the rest of us, rather then hunt for a black cloud in the silver lining (or belittle or competition).

Go State!  ;D

You are correct Rabbit that I am conflicted with our move to D-I. I will readily admit that I was not in favor of this move, but will always support SDSU no matter what. You ask what I would want in an ideal world. Well if given that choice I would want SDSU to be a D-I powerhouse. Like I said that would be what I want in an ideal world. However, I fear that we won't ever be able to achieve that. A big concern I have is that we will never be more than a UMKC at the D-I level. I would never view that as a step up from where we were, in fact I would view it as a step down. I hope that is not our fate, but you are asking about my concerns.
I don't mean to belittle teams like Tenn. St. or bring a black cloud over our wins. I do understand that is probably what I did and for that I apologize, that wasn't my intent. However, I do find it tough to get too excited about beating a team like Tenn. St. on the road when we lose at home to Wayne St. by 26. It does make it look like I was right in saying that Tenn. St. is not that good. I guess I should keep those feelings to myself though, as I don't want to put a damper on everyone else's good feelings.
Another concern I have is not having a conference. I realize you don't get into a conference over night, but it worries me that we don't have one, and I'm not very excited about the midcon.
A lot of my favorite times was watching us play on the road and win in somebody else's house and another concern that I have is that I won't be able to watch our road games anymore as they are all too far away.
It's not just about winning national titles, as I may have come across in an earlier post. Had we been winning titles every year the excitement of that would wear off and I would want a new challenge. Thats why I would never want to go NAIA like you suggested that I might want to do. But it wasn't like that for us, competing for a national title is something that was very exciting. Some of the most exciting times in my life was watching us play in the numerous regionals. I am concerned that I will never experience that kind of excitement at this level. Maybe that will be the kind of excitement I feel from getting into the NCAA tournament, even if it's just the first round.
I appreciate you wanting to help ease my concerns, because I do want to enjoy the D-I experience as much as everyone else. Obviously the people on this board do not share my concerns as it appears that everyone here has enjoyed the experience very much.
Maybe in 10 years we will be in the Big 12, I'll be loving life, and I'll be laughing at the concerns I initially had when we first moved to D-I. I hope thats the way it goes.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: SDsportsFan seems conflicted

SDSportsFan,

All valid concens and fears, imho.  I also share many of the same fears, especially when we lose by 26 at home to Wayne St. and don't even get a look from the Big SKy, but then I think about beating Southern in their house, our women's bball taking it to some of the top teams in the country and Gonzaga upsetting the number 3 team in the nation.  I have faith that we will regain our dominace in mens bball, compete in football and continue competing with the nations best in womens bball.  

For me, since the BSC rejection and the struggles of the men, it's been tough.  But, long before this football season started, I came to believe what everyone was saying to be true, this is a reclassification period and we need to be patient.  It's been re-hashed over and over on this board...this move isn't about this year, it's about the future.  We've been pretty fortunate thus far with the success of our football and wbb teams, but not so fortunate with mbb.  

I hate to bring up the BSC again, but I'm still holding on to hope that that's the conference that we'll (SDSU, NDSU) will be a member of in the future.  (Is this still possible?)

All in all, I don't mind you bringing up the negative sides/aspects of the move.  It gives us something to think about.  I would go ahead and guess that most fans (on this board and at home) share some of your concerns.

[SDsportsFan]

Re: SDsportsFan seems conflicted

Good point in bringing up Gonzaga, I would love it if we could someday be the Gonzaga of college basketball. They have shown that you don't need to be from a major conference to be a basketball power. I would be very happy to achieve that type of success.
Our women will be able to compete. The womens basketball around this area is very good. I look foward to them being tournament eligible.

[89rabbit]

Re: SDsportsFan seems conflicted

SdsportFan, thank you for articulating your concerns.  I will do my best to help alleviate your fears.  Please feel free to follow up with any new concerns or issues that you my need further clarification on.  I really am here to help.

So let me get started by saying thank you for your support of SDSU.  I know that I as well as the folks who run our fine institution appreciate it.

Next let’s turn to UMKC, model.  I, like you, would hate to see SDSU end up the way Big Jake describes their athletics.  However I feel the comparison is flawed and here is why.   First let us look at the institutions in question.  SDSU is A Flagship University with a statewide mission, UMKC is not.

(For the sake of this discussion we will use Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl’s - University of California, Berkeley definition.)  Chancellor Berdahl wrote, “What do we mean by the term "flagship" universities? The term applies, in all the cases I can think of, to the fully mature public universities serving most of states. In most cases, these institutions were the first public universities to be established in their states. Many of what we now call the flagship campuses were established in the extraordinary period of university building that took place in the United States in the roughly three decades from the mid-1850s to the mid-1880s. Many came into being after the Morrill Act of 1863 provided the federal grants of land to the states to establish public universities. Some states built two institutions, a land-grant college focused on agriculture and the "mechanical arts" as well as general education, and another more directed at classical education and the other professions. For example, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Washington, and Texas, among others, built separate institutions, while Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and California combined the land-grant and liberal arts function on a single campus. These institutions formed the core of the public systems of higher education in their respective states. State teachers colleges, later evolving into regional state colleges or universities, formed the rest of the higher education institutions in most states.”

As a Flagship University SDSU enjoys far greater support and notoriety then does UMKC.  Being a resident of Kansas City I can assure you that the University of Missouri (2 hrs away), the University of Kansas (40 min. away) and Kansas State University (3 hrs away) enjoy far more support here then does UMKC.  For that matter UMKC would probably rank 5th best in support within the state of Missouri (MU, University of St. Louis, Southwest Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State). An examination of UMKC’s history reveilles yet again that a comparison is flawed at best.  First UMKC jumped straight from NAIA to NCAA D-I.  They also have very little history of accomplishment in athletics at any level before or after their move.  A better model for how SDSU might fare is a former member of the NCC, that being the University of Northern Iowa.  Although not a Flagship they do enjoy a lot of support within their state.   UNI had success at the D-II level moved up and is enjoying continued success at the D-I/I-AA level (went to the Big Dance and I-AA football playoffs last year) including a National Championship in wrestling.  Personally I think it is far more likely that we emulate a  school like UNI, a former NCC member, then it is that we would follow in UMKC's footsteps.

Next you indicate that you are troubled by our loss to Wayne State and indicate this diminishes our win over Tennessee State.  Let me remind you that looking at one score and trying to compare and predict outcome of another athletic contest is fraught with peril.  I will use the example I posted on another thread of why this logic is flawed.  Wayne State beat SDSU by 26, Marquette beat SDSU by only 16, Marquette went on to beat #24 Wisconsin by 9, the next step in this progression is to say that Wayne State would beat Wisconsin by 19 and I think you see the flaw.  It is ok to think and even express your doubts as to the quality of our opponents, but I think it is safe to say that Tennessee St. was the first of many quality D-I wins that our Men's team will achieve, given time.

End of Part I of II parts.

[89rabbit]

Re: SDsportsFan seems conflicted

Part II of II parts.

Next you expressed concern about the conference situation.  I think we all share that concern however my advice is to set realistic expectations.  Most knew going into this process that we would be independent for most, if not all of our provisional-member process.  It was encouraging that the Big Sky was looking as us so soon in the process.  Many changes have yet to be played out and so patience is the key to our conference hunt.  I can understand if you have concerns about the Mid-Con, however UNI who is now a member of the Missouri Valley started in the Mid-Con.  Just because we might join them doesn’t mean we will be there forever (I will also say on a personal note that I think the Mid-Con is an ok D-I conference and I would have no problem if they chose to offer us an invitation).

Next, you talked about the ability to drive to many of the away games.  I think once our provisional-member process is over and our scheduling settles down you will be able to drive and see the Jackrabbits play.  In the past you may have drive to Mankato to watch MSU-M vs SDSU, in the future you can drive to the Cities to watch the Jacks and Gophers play.  In the past you may have driven to Omaha to watch the UNO vs SDSU in the future you will be able to drive to Omaha to watch the Creighton vs SDSU game.  UNI, Drake, and many other D-I schools are within driving distance to SDSU.  Heck, next year you can drive to Lincoln and watch the Jackrabbits take on the Huskers!

Finally, you talked about the excitement that the D-II regional brought you.  I too have shared in that excitement.  It was a blast.  However I am sure that a birth in the “Big Dance” would put those feelings to shame.  I am pretty sure that getting into the NIT will make me much happier then the D-II regional.  I can tell you for sure that our win over Southern University in football was more exciting then seeing the 1979 Jackrabbits make the NCAA D-II playoffs, for me.  Be patient and be supportive, and also let us know what you are thinking and why that is what makes this board fun.  

I hope you found this helpful.  Sorry it is so long.

Go State!  ;D


P.S. we would be rebuilding this Men's Basketball season no matter what Division we were playing at.  We lost 7 guys off of last years team and that is going to lead to inconsistencies in how the team plays.