Gateway Conference

[Charger]

I emailed the Commisioner for the Gateway Conference to ask her about expansion to the Dakotas and this is what she wrote back.


The expansion of the Gateway with either of the Dakota schools is most unlikely. I would concur with your assessment of quality of these programs, but with Gateway's membership stretching east to Western Kentucky and Youngstown State, the geography just doesn't work. Also, if we expand it will be with a single team to bring our total membership to nine. Ten is not a good number for a football league.

I guess the orphan conference is SDSU's and NDSU's best bet.

[SDSUFAN]

I personally believe 10 is a good number for a football league. Scheduling is much easier with 9 conference and two non-conference, but maybe at the D1AA level having three games with D1A opponents brings in the $$$.

I think these conference officals are really tongue tied in what they can say to the average inquiring fan. Thanks for trying Charger and thanks for sharing your answers.

[Bisonguy]

I think you can have 12 games in DIAA. Montana has that many slated for 2003. It doesn't make sense, because the Gateway could have 9 conference and 3 non-conf. games, which I think would make for a good schedule. I have heard that it's easier to schedule football with an odd number of teams, though.

[mojobison]

The nice thing about an odd-number of teams it that you get the same number of home and away conference games.

[Bisonguy]

The nice thing about an odd-number of teams it that you get the same number of home and away conference games.

Thanks for the math lesson. I knew there was a good reason for it.

[JBB]

Unless these conferences are keeping thier cards close to the vest it seems unlikely that any conference is going to accept the newcomers. UCD is certainly fortunate. They are actually being "rushed".

Its becoming more clear that NDSU and SDSU need to join with the new football league and start conference "affiliations" with at least 2 existing conferences. We might be able to lessen our scheduling problems in all sports that way for several years to come. In the meantime we can continue to forge relationships that will prove out in the future.