Time to Build the Basketball Program

[XUBison]

With back-to-back NCs, you have to wonder what's next for the football program. After the three-peat next year, perhaps a move to the FBS? (A move I would entirely support by the way. ) However, I don't think most people realize Howe much could be done with the b-ball program if it received even a fraction of the insane/awesome fan support the football program enjoys.

Legitimately competing at the very top level of college athletics is most easily accomplished in basketball. There are countless examples of this... Creighton, Butler, Richmond, Xavier, and Gonzaga are all small private schools that have consistently competed at the top with relatively small athletic programs/budgets while playing in non-BCS conferences. UNI, Siu, and VCU are examples of state schools that have done the same. I also don't believe it is an either or proposition between football and basketball... add Villanova and George Mason to the list to further the point.

The BSA renovation along with a move to the MVC would go a long way to laying the ground work to make this happen. A tourney appearance or even a tourney win this year would also be an incredible way to follow up the football NC... Go Bison!.

[silkamilkamonico]

With back-to-back NCs, you have to wonder what's next for the football program. After the three-peat next year, perhaps a move to the FBS? (A move I would entirely support by the way. ) However, I don't think most people realize Howe much could be done with the b-ball program if it received even a fraction of the insane/awesome fan support the football program enjoys.

Legitimately competing at the very top level of college athletics is most easily accomplished in basketball. There are countless examples of this... Creighton, Butler, Richmond, Xavier, and Gonzaga are all small private schools that have consistently competed at the top with relatively small athletic programs/budgets while playing in non-BCS conferences. UNI, Siu, and VCU are examples of state schools that have done the same. I also don't believe it is an either or proposition between football and basketball... add Villanova and George Mason to the list to further the point.

The BSA renovation along with a move to the MVC would go a long way to laying the ground work to make this happen. A tourney appearance or even a tourney win this year would also be an incredible way to follow up the football NC... Go Bison!.


Creighton, Butler, Richmond, Xavier, and Gonzaga are all basketball dominated schools, with some of them not even offering scholarship football. Butler and Gonzaga for example put an insane amount of money into their basketball programs, much more than we put into our football.

We have to start with winning on a consistent level. Conference runs, and we have to make some noise in the tournament. Their is a lot of money that can be made for small schools who are built up on a national level.

First we need to get the BSA renovation to happen, and unfortunately it doesn't look like its happening any time soon. I quit following along with that because it seems to be at a standstill.

Butler has figured their 2 final four runs have earned them $500 million. "The study, done by Borshoff, monitored and evaluated media coverage of the Butler University men’s basketball team from mid-March to mid-June, 2011. During that period, Butler garnered an estimated publicity value of $512,382,703 through television, print and on-line news coverage. When factoring in social media, the audience reach surpassed 69 billion" http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/30879290

[IndyBison]

Butler has figured their 2 final four runs have earned them $500 million. "The study, done by Borshoff, monitored and evaluated media coverage of the Butler University men’s basketball team from mid-March to mid-June, 2011. During that period, Butler garnered an estimated publicity value of $512,382,703 through television, print and on-line news coverage. When factoring in social media, the audience reach surpassed 69 billion" http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/30879290
My neighbor is the Director of Marketing for the Butler Athletic Department so I know he appreciates those numbers. Despite their popularity and the historical arena they play in, they still have a hard time selling out their 10k seat arena. One problem is the lack of parking around Hinkle. You have to park throughout the neighborhood and walk a long distance to reach Hinkle. They will sell out the Gonzaga game (ESPN GameDay coming) and a couple new conference opponents in the A10. If they join the new Catholic 7 group they will likely sell out more games.

Although the football team does not give scholarships they benefit from the basketball success. They had 100+ players in their Fall camp! If they chose to go scholarship I'm thinking they could raise the money to do it. They've done major upgrades to their football stadium (still small) and Hinkle is having several updates done.

[XUBison]

First, Xavier spends and makes more on their basketball program than either Gonzaga or Butler. Most successful basketball only schools don't play football because they don't have the financial resources, facilities, and fan bases to do so. NDSU is substantially further ahead in all three regards than most of the aforementioned schools. Furthermore, Villanova, Richmond, UNI, SIU, and George Mason all have successful basketball, while maintaining similar football programs to NDSU. I think many people are shortsighted with regards to where NDSU actually stands relative to most other athletic programs.

[silkamilkamonico]

First, Xavier spends and makes more on their basketball program than either Gonzaga or Butler. Most successful basketball only schools don't play football because they don't have the financial resources, facilities, and fan bases to do so. NDSU is substantially further ahead in all three regards than most of the aforementioned schools. Furthermore, Villanova, Richmond, UNI, SIU, and George Mason all have successful basketball, while maintaining similar football programs to NDSU. I think many people are shortsighted with regards to where NDSU actually stands relative to most other athletic programs.

Not shortsighted. We just know that to put that kind of commitment into basketball, the money has to be taken away from football. Lot of teammakers who fundraise would have a serious problem with that. That's just it though, we won't have to take money away from football, we just have to find a way to raise more money for basketball. Million of dollars just don't appear out of the woodworks. They are having a very hard time finding someone to pony up $2 million to complete the BSA renovation.

People want the commitment to basketball, it's just going to have to take time to do it right. The schools you're mentioning have established stability which have taken years to get too. They had a starting point too. Our starting point was only 6 years ago. Going to be a while.

[344Johnson]

Maybe one day NDSU can put a major financial commitment into basketball the way 'SU does into football. That day is not right now.

[Mr. Burgundy]

We are #36 in RPI today. We just had a bizillion fans in Frisco. Here is to hoping that over a great steak some donors figured it out and we are going to finish this BSA! I am hearing it is close and that we are getting all of the money so it is done RIGHT! Hope some announcement is soon. Because it is basketball season now and the team is playing amazing. Road sweep. Didn't trail for a second all weekend.

[SDSUAlum08]

We are #36 in RPI today. We just had a bizillion fans in Frisco. Here is to hoping that over a great steak some donors figured it out and we are going to finish this BSA! I am hearing it is close and that we are getting all of the money so it is done RIGHT! Hope some announcement is soon. Because it is basketball season now and the team is playing amazing. Road sweep. Didn't trail for a second all weekend.

Burgundy what's the planned capacity of the BSA?

[dragonsfan]

the better facility ndsu gets, the better the area basketball will be in my opinion.
scheels will make about $10mil profit just off NDSU championship swag, why cant they step it up and just end all of this worrisome once and for all. Maybe the fargodome could pitch in, or forbid the state of north dakota?

[1998braves64]

Burgundy what's the planned capacity of the BSA?

Believe somewhere in the vicinity of 5,600 a little less than what it is now.

[XUBison]

Bingo... There is no other state that puts so little into their major universities. Who cares though, football is dominant and the basketball team is smoking... The point is that we should ride the wave as long as we can. Naysayers of the potential of the basketball program are the same people who said a dozen years ago that it was too expensive and risky for NDSU to move to D1. All I have to say to those people is, "Screw you, and get out of the way! "

[HerdBot]

I think we need to take the momentum and the energy of the football program and spill it over to the basketball court. While Bison fans will always see football as #1, baskeball will give us greater exposure that will benefit all the programs. I can tell you next to the Football Championship run, the loss to Kansas at the Metrodome and the win over Oakland was the only thing that was even close to the same level of FUN! Who knows how fun this could be if we could win a game. The BSA is a great atmosphere when it's full and half the football fans have never gone to a basketball game.

I think baskeball right now has a team that is going to be really good for 2 more years. The potential is huge, especially with the SHAC. After football season, Bison fans are looking for an opportunity to keep the fun going through March. We're have the potential to see some major teammakers growth with season tickets in the SHAC. Hopefully they can capture some football energy and build a serious baskeball tradition like they did at UNI. If UNI can do it, why can't we?

We will never have hockey so lets make baskeball our hockey.

[1998braves64]

I think we need to take the momentum and the energy of the football program and spill it over to the basketball court. While Bison fans will always see football as #1, baskeball will give us greater exposure that will benefit all the programs.

Quoted for truth, I was in Louisville, KY in August for my aunt in law's wedding there were a ton of Louisville Cardinal fans obviously, I got asked more about our "great" basketball team than football team. After talking to my aunt in law's husband about our football tradition he said he went and read up on us and has been very impressed with what he has seen/read (watched the game on Saturday) and never knew that NDSU had such deep football roots. A march madness appearance in the tournament this year would again bring us back to people's memory, they're going to remember the 2009 team/game, ironically I think playing teams like Kansas may not get us a win but get more exposure due to more people wanting to watch the big names, and that NDSU made it a close game for most of the game people kept watching it.

[Hammerhead]

Basketball capacity: 5,945
Courtside: 73
Bowl chairs: 2,119
Bowl bench seating: 1,779
Club seats: 123
Upper level chairs: 1,851 (existing)

Only $5.8 million to go according to http://www.gobison.com/Edge.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400


Burgundy what's the planned capacity of the BSA?

[bisonfan08]

Only $5.8 million to go according to http://www.gobison.com/Edge.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400

From what I've heard a few places on here is that this number is actually closer to 2-3 million to go and this just hasn't been updated in a while, but that's all rumor from talk as I have not seen that in print anywhere other than BV. I think part of the problem with getting this last push is that the promise of this remodel has lost steam because it is taking so long. The nice part is the T&F complex is nearing completion and hopefully people wandering into the BSA are taking notice and realizing this project has already started. Not sure what kind of money the University gets from the FB team winning an NC but I don't think anybody would be mad about using a couple mil of it to get this thing rolling. I know they wanted it all privately funded but eventually it just needs to get done and with our team hopefully making back to back runs at the summit league championship now is the time.

[SlickVic]

$5.8 mil this ain't ever gonna happen sorry fred newell

[1998braves64]

From what I've heard a few places on here is that this number is actually closer to 2-3 million to go and this just hasn't been updated in a while, but that's all rumor from talk as I have not seen that in print anywhere other than BV. I think part of the problem with getting this last push is that the promise of this remodel has lost steam because it is taking so long. The nice part is the T&F complex is nearing completion and hopefully people wandering into the BSA are taking notice and realizing this project has already started. Not sure what kind of money the University gets from the FB team winning an NC but I don't think anybody would be mad about using a couple mil of it to get this thing rolling. I know they wanted it all privately funded but eventually it just needs to get done and with our team hopefully making back to back runs at the summit league championship now is the time.

It is 2 million pretty sure they said that in their announcement last August/July stating the "deadline" for it to break ground last fall. that $5.8m ($26.2m) figure hasn't been updated since about May/June last year. If we make it to the big dance will be there shot to make a big splash for donations (if they are short for all we know they have the money and are just waiting until March so that they can break ground when they make the announcement).

[OrygunBison]

Considering the escalation in the industry, the longer this fundraising effort takes, the higher the price of construction and the more dough the project budget will need with nothing additional to show for it. It would be best to get this underway as soon as possible. Once the economy is back in full swing, construction pricing will be through the roof.

[Bison"FANatic"]

Considering the escalation in the industry, the longer this fundraising effort takes, the higher the price of construction and the more dough the project budget will need with nothing additional to show for it. It would be best to get this underway as soon as possible. Once the economy is back in full swing, construction pricing will be through the roof.

This

Taylor said at team makers earlier that they were at 2 million but costs have now gone up.

[silkamilkamonico]

This

Taylor said at team makers earlier that they were at 2 million but costs have now gone up.

Well that isn't very comforting.

[Bison bison]

Bingo... There is no other state that puts so little into their major universities.

Completely untrue. North Dakota puts A LOT of funding into higher education relative to many other states. South Dakota, Montana, and Colorado come right to mind.

[Castor Troy]

George Mason only has a club football team, but there is some interest in starting up an FBS team. They are worried about raising $40 million for a team as well as detracting from basketball. That 40 mil does not include a stadium since they already have a 45,000 capacity stadium in town.


First, Xavier spends and makes more on their basketball program than either Gonzaga or Butler. Most successful basketball only schools don't play football because they don't have the financial resources, facilities, and fan bases to do so. NDSU is substantially further ahead in all three regards than most of the aforementioned schools. Furthermore, Villanova, Richmond, UNI, SIU, and George Mason all have successful basketball, while maintaining similar football programs to NDSU. I think many people are shortsighted with regards to where NDSU actually stands relative to most other athletic programs.

[BisonJD]

Completely untrue. North Dakota puts A LOT of funding into higher education relative to many other states. South Dakota, Montana, and Colorado come right to mind.

You mean like this?

http://www.legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bills/SB11P.pdf

http://www.legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bills/SB8P.pdf

New athletic facilities for SDSU and USD

[roadwarrior]

You mean like this?

http://www.legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bills/SB11P.pdf

http://www.legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bills/SB8P.pdf

New athletic facilities for SDSU and USD

I am not reading into those bills that the state is appropriating the funds for construction.

[mnriverbison]

the better facility ndsu gets, the better the area basketball will be in my opinion.
scheels will make about $10mil profit just off NDSU championship swag, why cant they step it up and just end all of this worrisome once and for all. Maybe the fargodome could pitch in, or forbid the state of north dakota?

Holy smokes. 10 mil in profit!!! Is that a real number or were you exaggerating to make a point?

[mnriverbison]

Also-the Hoops program, while not currently as consistent as the football program, is probably this year in a similar position on the pecking order nationally to the football team. There just aren't two leagues to separate us into the 1-AA champs like in football.

[XUBison]

Correct on George Mason... Their football is obviously not on par with NDSU. It was awkward to include them where I did, but I included them because it is the largest school in VA with a strong athletic program and loyal fan base. They could easily have FCS football on a high level, if not even competitive FBS football. They have not built their athletic program around football because it is very expensive, and it is much easier to commit to and compete in basketball. As much as I love NDSU football, most of the country doesn't even know what FCS football is. Building the basketball program would really legitimize NDSU on a national level, helping football along the way.

[HerdBot]

Holy smokes. 10 mil in profit!!! Is that a real number or were you exaggerating to make a point?

NDSU only made a few hundred thousand so I would imagine Scheels didn't make ten million in profit... or even gross sales! Must be Lakes in disguise.