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View Full Version : Should NDSU have left for I-AA sooner?



Bison_Kent
03-26-2003, 11:41 PM
I know hind site is 20-20 but I am just wondering if would have had the troubles we are currently having trying to get into a conference say 8-10 years ago. This is about the time the Big Sky added Sacramento State, Portland State, and Cal. State-Northridge after Boise State and Idaho left the conference. I am not sure we would have been accepted then but with 2 of the 8 teams leaving as they did, it wouldn't have hurt.

Another thing was the scholorship decline in Division II. NDSU, if I am not mistaken, had always been able to give the maximum number of scholorships Division II would allow. As soon as the numbers were restricted, the should have been a tell-tale sign of things to come. As they are in next round of scholorship cuts.

Just a hind-sight thought.

BisonMav
03-27-2003, 12:38 PM
The best time would have been in the 1970's. NDSU would be an established I-AA program today. Montana probably loved to see the Bison, the team that beat them in back to back bowl games, take the DII fork in the road while they were taking the I-AA path. Many of the old College Division teams that NDSU played in the 1960's are now successful I-AA teams. But then the 1980's were a great time in Bison Football history also.
The situtation being as it is today, NDSU is doing what they need to, for the I-AA move. It is too bad other teams in the conference did not follow NDSU, UNC, and SDSU (UND, USD, UNO). The 13 year waiting period basketball is going to be challenged and may be reduced.

WYOBISONMAN
03-27-2003, 05:10 PM
Back in the mid 70's NDSU was looking at joining the BSC. My understanding is that the show stopper was the BSC wanted NDSU but not UND so NDSU elected to stay with UND. BIG mistake. We out grew D2 about 25 years ago.