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This will be controversial. But this is what I'm thinking. Do we really need a baseball team and a softball team at SDSU? Heck they don't have a baseball team at Iowa State. It's so damed cold around here for most of the spring. The games can't be fun to play in they aren't fun to watch because its so cold. Tell me what recruit wants to play baseball or softball in cold Brookings south dakota? I don't know how much it costs but I don't think its worth it.
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Re: Baseball and softball
From what I've heard most of the non revenue sports are vary inexpensive to run, and will probably stay around. I think baseball and softball are still two sports that have enough interest to keep. They might even help us secure a conference in the future. I don't think this would be a good time to cut sports becasue of lack of public popularity, but if a team is lacking participants it could be dropped. I think swim team has had trouble with numbers in recent years. I don't want to see any sports cut, but if we had to sacrifice any I would choose swimming or tennis over baseball and softball. -
Re: Baseball and softball
I saw something in the last month where the NCAA was considering changes to college baseball to make northern teams more competitive with the southern (year-round) teams.
I think it was in the on-line NCAA News...if I remember I'll go look over there again.
IMHO there's a Title IX problem with getting rid of softball, especially when you're expanding the number of football scholarships. I could see baseball's scholarships being reduced or the sport going non-scholarship, but there's a lot of tradition to SDSU baseball, so I doubt it would be the first sport to go.
There was some talk a while back about adding women's equestrian for equity purposes. Anyone hear anything recently about that?"I think we'll be OK"Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
I don't think we need to talk about cutting any sports. When Dr. Oien and Dr. Miller started planing for our move to D-I, I think they planned for keeping all of them and adding equestrian.
It might hurt our chances to get into a conference. The Big Sky has Tennis (NDSU would have to add this sport) as a requirement. Baseball, although not a requirement for the Mid-Con is very important to them. Oral Roberts is regularly in the College World Series Playoffs.
Besides all of the FES people would have a field day if we dropped a sport. It would be bad PR. Filbert is also right about Title IX. No way we cut any women's sports. I do agree with Charger, if it is true that we are having a hard time finding participants, then maybe you look at that sport, but not right now IMHO.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
About 2 or 3 years ago, I happen to be in Montegomery Alabama and was able to take in a few games of the D2 World Series. The D2 World Series is an event that no NCC has made it to the finals. In fact making the elete eight is not a frequent occurrance for the NCC.
The thing that stuck out about that tourney is that the teams in the South east get such a jump on teams in the upper midwest being able to practice individually between fall and spring season. Its a sport that these schools can practice nearly 12 months out of the year.
The closest team to SDSU in the tourney was Central Missouri, who had beat out Mankato to get to Montegomery.
The thought then that crossed my mind was that the upper midwest teams need some kind of indoor facility for which they could do baseball softball, and many other sports inclufing the Jackrabbit Stampede.
A thought of a solar powered facility that allow natural grass to grow would be idea, but rather than give up the sports, I think we need to do more pipe dreaming to make the playing field level. I am not an expert on needed facilities, but I love to dream.
As much as I love Basketball, I really would not want SDSU to put all its eggs in one basket, and thats what direction we would headed if we dropped certain sports.
The baseball program pre-dates World War one so its been around for a while. In fact the interesting fact about Cleveland Abbott is that he only had 14 letters at SDSU, and would have had sixteen if they had played an intercolligate schedule in 1913 and 1914. I not sure what the reasons were for not getting a basketball schedule set up but there was none during those two seasons. Instead the athletes is they had intramural teams among the four classes of fresh, soph junior and seniors. The enrollment was small enough to do that sort of thing. I suspect the AD and coach Harry Buck Ewing could not convince the administration to fund the travel money for games. It was not uncommon in the 19teens to have athletes compete in baseball and track at the same time. A more simple time than now.
My own personal theory as to why we have not matched NDSU in football sucess is that in the late 1960's and early 1970's many of the resources available went into starting the TITLE NINE programs for which we have a NC in basketball and runnersup in volleyball to show for in the trophy case. So messing with TITLE IX is not a good idea either.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
I for the most part have no problem with Title IX. I am glad to see that our University has done a nice job playing by the rules, unlike a certain D-II Univeristy to the South of Brookings (for you USD grads I am talking about your school, I know you have a hard time keeping up).
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Re: Baseball and softball
NDSU hasn't been bad in women's athletics, either. I don't think that SDSU's football struggles can be blamed specifically on Title IX.
NDSU sponsors men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, track, golf, and wrestling, and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track, and volleyball.
SDSU sponsors men's baseball, basketball, cross county, football, track, golf, wrestling, swimming, and tennis, and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track, volleyball, and swimming.
By my count, that's two more men's programs and one more women's program that SDSU supports that NDSU doesn't. I'd speculate that most of that extra funding has over the years gone to the Bison football program.
I don't think any programs will be on the chopping block until we find a D-I all-sports conference. After that, you might see some of the remaining non-conference sports getting a serious look."I think we'll be OK"Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
NDSU used to have swimming and tennis.
Title IX has been pretty good to NDSU- 5 NC's in basketball, one in softball, and one in indoor track.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
I may have made a strong statement that requires further clarification. Title IX legislation did not put its mandates in place until about 1973. By that time NDSU had 9 to 10 sucessful seasons, and for whatever reasons, SDSU kind of look the other way and did not match the challenge from the North. Frost was built during that period and basketball I am sure picked up once Frost opened up. The resources to expand the football program just seemed not to be there. I not sure of the total scholarships in football during this period, but I believe it was in the mid forties. NDSU was able to fund the maximum and the other NCC schools probably did not.Originally posted by filbert
I do know one member from the 1979 football team had to sweep the seating area at Frost with a broom after BB games, and had he gone to NDSU, he would not have had to do this manual labor to get his grant in aid money. I am sure the work-study programs still continue to exist.
I am not saying that Tittle IX took the money away, but it sure had an impact on other existing programs. A fund raising staff was not in place and the coaches were often required to raise funds in the off season.
I believe this fund raising requirement led to a major disagreement between a head football coach and an AD and a subsequent firing of a football head coach who had a winning record by the way. I dont have the inside facts, but only opinions and its a long time ago. Again other issues played a part in this particular coaches departure.
I am grateful that we have made improvements in raising funds and keeping all sports going. Any way you look at it, since Title IX its been a struggle to do the right thing as mandated by legislation.
The only thing wrong with Sid Bostic being out there raising scholarship money now is that he should have been asked 20 years ago to do what he is doing now. If not Sid then some other alum, who could have measured up to this task.
Our coaches now only have to participate in golf outings and public appearences, but at one time they were assigned boosters and had to ask for money. This practice still goes on at some of the newer members of D2.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
As someone said above, if we start to cut sports now we will be digging ourselves a whole with local media and naysayers for the move. I wouldn't think that baseball and softball would be the first to go because they are both spectator sports and both have a fairly good history at SDSU, especially baseball. For a while (maybe the eighties and early nineties), I don't think anyone could argue that baseball was one of SDSU's most succesful sports if not the most successful. Plus the baseball program has stock with some of SDSU's most successful athletes (Langer) and athletic families (The Krogman Family in Brookings)."I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee." - Joe D.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
Jacks baseball plays UofM tomorrow. I don't think we'll stack up too well against them this year, but I hope we do well. It will be interesting to see how far we have to go to be a succesful baseball program.
http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/Ca...fm?PassID=5055Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
Playing the Gopher, it is probably going to be a long day for our Jackrabbits. That however is ok because the victory is in the fact that we are making the effort. As we make the transition to D-I we will be better for games like this. It will be a measuring stick.
For those of you who don't know Minnesota is pretty good at baseball. They are the defending Big Ten Champs. We are without our long time coach (due to medical leave) and we are having an off season, but good luck to the boys! Play hard and do your best!
Here is a link to a story about the Gopher's baseball team:
http://www.bigten.org/PressReleases/...7-champion.cfm
Minnesota Wins 2003 Big Ten Baseball Championship
Golden Gophers to Host Conference Tournament from May 21-24
The Minnesota Golden Gophers clinched the 2003 Big Ten Baseball Championship on Friday, giving the program back-to-back Conference crowns and three League titles in the last four seasons. Minnesota’s 9-2 home victory over second-place Ohio State propelled the Gophers to the regular season crown and the right to host the 2003 Big Ten Tournament next weekend at Siebert Field, from May 21-24 . . . .
Go State!
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Re: Baseball and softball
I noticed that U of M lost to Minnesota State earlier this year, 5-4. This game might just be a fluke, but I wonder how far NCC competition is from DI. Also, does any one know how the high school talent in the area stacks up nationally. I noticed we have quite a few players from Minnesota. I also noticed we have 19 underclassmen and 11 upperclassmen on this years team. I think another DI baseball team in the region will be able to recruit fairly well, especially now that USD lost their program.Comment
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Re: Baseball and softball
The game's tied 1-1 after four. Here's a link to live stats from the game: http://www.gophersports.com/Gameday/...tats/xlive.htmComment
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Re: Baseball and softball
After 7 score still tied! SDSU Jackrabbits 1 - Minnesota Gophers 1!
8)
Go State! ;DComment
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