New Enrollment Question

[GOB1SON]

Since we are "IDLEING" this week in football, the VB team will probably smoke SDSU this weekend, and cooler heads seem to be prevailing after all of the passionate posts following the last couple of weeks, I thought I would ask:

What will the athletics look like when we get to 15,000 students? How about if we get to say 18,000 or maybe 20,000?

Do we move up again in Football? MAC or WAC or Mountain West?

Do we start a hockey program (and don't fly off the handle, if you don't see it happening, give a reason!)? (I shouldn't put that in here but it will certainly get some responses!!!!):) :) :)

How about facilities? Is the FDome big enough (I think I know that answer)? How about the proposed new BB arena? Is 6500 enough (I think that is the proposed size, but it is late and I don't want to look it up).

How will some of the "other" sports do? VB, Baseball, and Soccer? How about Wrestling? Will it affect them more? Or less? (I think more because it might create more fans and shine more light on these programs. FB and BB will get as much attention and $$$ as they need.)

Interested to hear folks thoughts.

[BigBison]

As far as moving up to WAC/MAC/Mountain West and/or adding hockey lets wait and see alot can happen between then and now. I dont see hockey happening because we wouldnt get into the WCHA, so whats the point if you dont get into the WCHA.

Facilities wise the Fargodome will be to small and the BB arena at 6500 might be ok sized. The BSA reovation will be good. Maybe we will add an indoor football practice facilitie, maybe over the new field turf that is getting installed this year. Softball needs an upgrade in facilities, which I think is in the works already. VB should be good seeing as how they got an upgrade this last year.

I could also see Baseball getting more schollies, well all sports for that matter.

[Hammersmith]

According to info from NDSU/Forum during the last year, we can expect 15,000 around 2012 and 18,000 around 2017 if current trends continue. (NDSU actually reported trends pointing to 16,000 in 2014, so the previous numbers are guesses based off that.) That means we're looking at five and ten years out.

I don't expect any major changes to athletics by 15,000. The only things that can be realized in five years are already in the pipeline. The BSA will be renovated, the new arena should be built, the BBF will undergo additional mild improvements, the softball field at Ellig should be upgraded, and scholarships should max out. Around that five year mark, I expect Team Makers to reach its long term goal of $3.0-$3.5 million. I think that's enough to fully fund the max in every sport. We should also see more assistant coaches hired in the non-revenue sports and salaries should improve across the board.

On the external side, we should continue to dominate or remain highly competitive in FB, MBB, WBB, WR, VB, Soc, SB, & T&F. CC & BB should improve significantly, while golf will still lag behind. Don't expect any conference changes.


Things get more murky around 18,000(ten years). This could potentially be a time of stagnation. A new FB stadium or major renovations to the FD will not yet be economically feasible, so we'll be stuck at 19k. The same will be true for basketball & volleyball. An indoor practice facility over Dacotah Field will be in the works, but I'm not sure the fundraising will be done by 2017. I think the biggest change might be the addition of M&W tennis along with a small addition to the BSA for the courts.

A conference change to the MAC, WAC or MWC is possible, but I still think it's more likely that NDSU & SDSU will get MVC invites as the whole conference goes FBS. I think a date of 2018-2020 is more likely for that, so it would technically miss the 18,000 window. The only way hockey becomes an option is with a massive shakeup of the WCHA due to the formation of Big 10 hockey. Since I don't see that happening...


Anything beyond ten years is totally wild speculation(as opposed to slightly-loony speculation under ten years). I think the FD will get rebuilt around 2030-2040, with a 2,000-seat expansion of the BB arena coming just after. I hope M/W swimming & diving can be added around 2025, but that will require a natatorium to be added onto the BSA. Don't know if the money will be available. The BBF should get a complete overhaul sometime between 2015 & 2025, but I don't know exactly when. I also expect to see a Bison TV network within the next ten years, and probably the next five.


I think that's enough crystal ball gazing for now.

[roadwarrior]

What happens in the future is more reliant on how much money is donated to NDSU, not so much on the numbers of students currently enrolled.

[GOB1SON]

What happens in the future is more reliant on how much money is donated to NDSU, not so much on the numbers of students currently enrolled.

As usual, you are correct. :)

But more students = more alumni = more donations. I will stereotype the recent graduate a little, but more small donations in the near term and as the alumni base "ages" a little, then more sizeable ones.

How many season tickets can we sell to FB?

If the program continues to be successful, and there is no reason to believe it won't, what will our season tickets cost?

Did anybody ever see us having this conversation 10 years ago? Kind of cool, isn't it? :) :) :)

[roadwarrior]

But more students = more alumni = more donations.

Yes, but the big donations come from those alumni and friends long after they are college age.

[GOB1SON]

Yes, but the big donations come from those alumni and friends long after they are college age.

Absolutely, and I eluded to that in my post. The "big" donors (I don't know what the definition of big is, it varies over time and from school to school, certainly) are going to be alums or interested people that are more comfortable financially and generally this means they are older and have had some success.

The "big" donors now come from a time when the enrollment was a fraction of what it is today and so using population genetics, this limits the number of big donors that there can be. As our enrollment booms, then the proportion of big donors down the road will boom too.

I think the untapped part of this is getting the recent grads in the "giving" spirit (I do have a beef here). I have graduated from NDSU three times (yeah, I am a loser) and I have gotten about a sum total of 10 solicits for donations from the Alumni Association and I have NEVER, NOT ONE TIME been contacted by Teammakers and asked to join or give. Not once.

I graduated from Texas A&M once (only spent 3 semesters there) in 2001, and to this day, I get a dozen or more solicitations a year from them, including numerous requests from the 12th Man club. While I give most to NDSU, I do give some to A&M each year too (which might explain why I keep getting requests).

Why the difference?

If you want to be big time athletically, we are going to need more and more donations.

Just my two cents.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Hey....we need to figure out how to win consistantly in the MVFC before even thinking about another jump. The Bison are in no way close to being ready for a conference like the Mountain West. Trust me....I watch the Bison and I also see a lot of the Mountain West.....

[GOB1SON]

Hey....we need to figure out how to win consistantly in the MVFC before even thinking about another jump. The Bison are in no way close to being ready for a conference like the Mountain West. Trust me....I watch the Bison and I also see a lot of the Mountain West.....

Hey, quit thinking with your reality glasses on. I am talking purely hypothetically. If we get to 20,000, what will the athletic program look like? This will be 10 or 15 years from now (or maybe not if we keep growing at this rate). Wyoming, would you LIKE to see us move up again? If so, why?

[WYOBISONMAN]

Not until we get this level figured out. We are not ready at all for a conference like the MWC. Also, the MWC would not be interested in NDSU. If there were an opening in the MWC, they would look at Boise State to fill it, and I suspect that Boise State would jump at the chance for some good regional rivalries.

There is also the issue of money. A jump to the 85 scholies needed for FBS ball is a big one. Right now NDSU needs to deal with being DI and FCS.

[Bison bison]

Right now NDSU needs to deal with being DI and FCS.

and GoB1son needs to join Team Makers!

[GOB1SON]

and GoB1son needs to join Team Makers!

I am a Teammaker.

But thanks!