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T

the Rat

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UND remains on Big Sky’s radar
Upcoming league meetings could have big impact on Sioux athletics
The University of North Dakota may know within a couple of months whether Sioux athletics will find a long-term home in the Big Sky Conference.

http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/40281/


Cal Poly's desire for FBS status stays on hold

When asked whether Cal Poly should have waited for a possible invite from the WAC, Cone said the school was considering moving up to the FBS level but the university received little indication that the WAC was truly interested.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/30/2100088/cal-polys-desire-for-fbs-status.html#ixzz11C8gfsdv
 
I was perusing some of the other teams boards and I saw this from North Dakota:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/179721/group/Sports/

Says a decision could happen as early as this week. The Summit League recently moved up their campus visit to UND. If the Sky is seriously going to invite UND they will probably need to do it soon. Guess we should keep our eyes peeled. I also wonder if Southern Utah is being considered this week as well. I think Fullerton was going to wait for the Montana decision before moving forward, but if other leagues are sniffing around, better move sooner than later.

UND has great facilities and a pretty good name, but the travel worries me a little. Might be another reason to try for football-only membership.
 
SJHornet said:
I was perusing some of the other teams boards and I saw this from North Dakota:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/179721/group/Sports/

Says a decision could happen as early as this week. The Summit League recently moved up their campus visit to UND. If the Sky is seriously going to invite UND they will probably need to do it soon. Guess we should keep our eyes peeled. I also wonder if Southern Utah is being considered this week as well. I think Fullerton was going to wait for the Montana decision before moving forward, but if other leagues are sniffing around, better move sooner than later.

UND has great facilities and a pretty good name, but the travel worries me a little. Might be another reason to try for football-only membership.
Click to expand...

Fullerton has already said that no more football only schools would be added. If all of the schools have input on the selection as he stated I don't see the west coast schools voting for a Dakota school. As I remember at least Sac and Portland voted against North Dakota State and South Dakota State before over travel concerns. With davis and Poly in the league there would seem to be even more objection to the Dakota schools. I think they were waiting for San Jose and/or Idaho to move to FCS, I don't see that happening.
They should just add Southern Utah and be done with it.
 
travel to SUU is tough....fly into Vegas and then take a 5-hour bus ride to Cedar City. I'd prefer SUU over a Dakota school, but that trip is brutal.
 
For football it wouldn't be too bad especially if the BSC had a West and East Division. You would only have to play Eastern Division teams 2 times a year. It would be worse for our other sports, unless they let Sac State play them in the Big West!

Big Sky West
EWU
Portland
Sac State
UCD
Cal Poly
Northern Arizona

Big Sky East
Montana
Montana State
Idaho State
Northern Colorado
Weber State
Southern Utah
 
its funny, last spring when all the WAC talk was going around, alot of Davis folk were saying we HAVE to go FBS or the program will fold up. i was pushing for a football-only BigSky, and was advocating a 12-team east/west format. well, we're halfway there.

now, if Montana bails, i wonder if they would try to add 2 all sport teams (in addition to Poly/Davis), or stay with what they have.

i'd like to see Sac in the Big West. Nice to have another NoCal team, espeically if UOP ever wises up and jumps to the WCAC.
 
DrMike said:
its funny, last spring when all the WAC talk was going around, alot of Davis folk were saying we HAVE to go FBS or the program will fold up. i was pushing for a football-only BigSky, and was advocating a 12-team east/west format. well, we're halfway there.

now, if Montana bails, i wonder if they would try to add 2 all sport teams (in addition to Poly/Davis), or stay with what they have.

i'd like to see Sac in the Big West. Nice to have another NoCal team, espeically if UOP ever wises up and jumps to the WCAC.
Click to expand...


Last Spring with Fresno and Nevada still in the WAC mix it was a whole different deal. The prospect of home games against those two instead of Idaho State and Northern Colorado etc. was exiting. With the way the new WAC is taking shape featuring remote schools with no connection to California, one of which has not even played a down of football I have lost my interest. The Big Sky is a entertaining, war a week physical football conference that will only improve, when the new teams are added. I don't see why it needs to take so long to add the new schools. Since 3 of the 5 GWFC are coming over why couldn't there be an agreement for Big Sky teams to play the remaining two GWFC teams on their non conference schedules and disband the GWFC. The GWFC was never a AQ conference so nobody would get hurt. About Montana leaving, I hope not I think it would be a big mistake for them. I know that they picture themselves as the new Boise State, but I think they would find themselves more like the new Wyoming! I don't think that their fans would have the stomach for that.
 
Terry Wanless on North Dakota radio regarding Big Sky Expansion.

http://www.740thefan.com/uploads/Terry%20Wanless.mp3
 
Wanless couldn’t have blown his old school any more than he did in that interview. Bringing any Dakota school into the BSC is just adds to the reasons to push for Big West membership; especially if FBS is completely off of the radar for the next decade.
 
On the one hand, SD, I really don't like the idea of football-associate status in the Sky, but under circumstances such as you describe, I'd convert to your position in a heartbeat. With the UXDs or the XDSUs, the Sky would become like the Sun Belt, and therefore not viable.
 
Rumor coming out of egriz (so take it for what it is) that SUU UND and USD have been invited to the Big Sky and that SUU accepted immediately. Anyone think its true? No word from any of the schools.
 
Dude is a newbie with all of 41 posts. He didn't even bother to name his "reliable" source. I suspect he made it up just to get some controversy going. There's nothing on the conference site or at any of the subject schools at any rate.
 
i hope the Dakotas try to hook up with the other Dakotas (state) in the MVC. SUU would be good for football, not sure about the other sports. they have improved their program alot the past two seasons, and would be a good fit for the BigSky football conference. Only drawback is the travel. Fly to Vegas, and hop on a bus for 5 hours! Northern Arizona would probably like having them.

The 4 Dakotas should stay together now that they are all FCS. they should be playing each other every year. Just like Davis, Sac and Poly.
 
Actually Cedar City is listed as 180 miles from Vegas and NAU is about 150 miles from the Phoenix Airport. The bus trip would take less than 3 hours for both. Cal Poly is a pain to get to from the Sacramento area. As I remember SLO is about 280 miles and there is no direct way to get there. I don't know If visiting teams (and Poly flying in and out) can fly into Santa Maria or have to use LAX or one of the Bay Area Airports.
 
Green Laser said:
Actually Cedar City is listed as 180 miles from Vegas and NAU is about 150 miles from the Phoenix Airport. The bus trip would take less than 3 hours for both. Cal Poly is a pain to get to from the Sacramento area. As I remember SLO is about 280 miles and there is no direct way to get there. I don't know If visiting teams (and Poly flying in and out) can fly into Santa Maria or have to use LAX or one of the Bay Area Airports.
Click to expand...

The problem is that that's three hours ON TOP OF a plane ride. Not cool.

I had another option involving a nationally ranked D-II call-up very close to Denver and UNC, but was laughed out of the room.
 
Super Hornet said:
Green Laser said:
Actually Cedar City is listed as 180 miles from Vegas and NAU is about 150 miles from the Phoenix Airport. The bus trip would take less than 3 hours for both. Cal Poly is a pain to get to from the Sacramento area. As I remember SLO is about 280 miles and there is no direct way to get there. I don't know If visiting teams (and Poly flying in and out) can fly into Santa Maria or have to use LAX or one of the Bay Area Airports.
Click to expand...

The problem is that that's three hours ON TOP OF a plane ride. Not cool.

I had another option involving a nationally ranked D-II call-up very close to Denver and UNC, but was laughed out of the room.
Click to expand...


I heard! :lol:
 
Are you referring to Colo School of Mines? My cousin went to Mines and I know the campus, noway, nohow that microdot of a school is BSC worthy. Wake up.
 
GCM: So you're saying that the size of Mines trumps the gains?

To wit: for hoops, one flies into a major airport, gets a hotel nearby, and goes to TWO road games without moving. A nice, restful trip. For football, you're not all tired out from a busride on top of a plane ride.

Bring in SUU, you don't have that nice hotel situation. You'll have the added expense of separate hotels (whether one is talking about NAU or UNC as the other half of the hoops trip is problematic at best).

Financially and geographically, Mines is the better choice in my book. They also seem to have a pretty decent D-II resume, other than facilities. Yet one can find worse facilities in other places in FCS. While I have no idea if Mines is even considering a jump, I think they'd be a MUCH better choice for the Sky given that we already have a Denver footprint in UNC.
 
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