We finally did it!!!!

[NDSUstudent]

We have cracked the mid-major top 25 for the first time ever! I know this isn't the coaches or the AP poll but its a solid step forward for our basketball program to be mentioned among America's best mid-major programs.

Next Top 25: Dec. 11, 2006

1. Butler (15) 9-0 734 NR
2. Wichita State (11) 5-0 731 5
3. Gonzaga (5) 8-1 686 2
4. Missouri State 6-1 608 11
5. Western Kentucky 7-1 590 10
6. Winthrop 6-2 532 9
7. Creighton 3-1 523 1
8. Akron 4-1 512 8
9. Southern Illinois 6-1 463 4
10. Hofstra 4-3 431 3
11. Marist 6-2 389 17
12. Loyola (Chicago) 6-2 303 13
13. Oral Roberts 3-3 258 14
14. Robert Morris 5-1 241 NR
15. Old Dominion 6-2 234 21
16. Loyola Marymount 6-3 231 16
17. Holy Cross 6-2 187 NR
18. Northern Iowa 6-1 186 NR
19. Bucknell 3-5 149 6
20. Drexel 4-2 141 15
21. North Texas 5-2 132 NR
22. North Dakota State 5-2 117 NR
23. Eastern Kentucky 5-2 112 NR
24. George Mason 3-3 101 7
25. UC Santa Barbara 5-2 96 NR


OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Princeton 91, Northern Illinois 85, Cal State Fullerton 84, Navy 82, Sam Houston State 79, VCU 70, Bradley 68, American 65, Southern Utah 55, Penn 54, Long Beach State 53, Northwestern State 51, Belmont 39, Toledo 38, Appalachian State 32, Illinois State 30, Santa Clara 30, Montana 27, Ohio 27, South Alabama 26, Army 24, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 22, Buffalo 19, Monmouth 18, Fairleigh Dickinson 17, Liberty 16, St. Mary's 16, Vermont 16, Cal State Northridge 14, Lipscomb 14, Cal Poly 13, Davidson 13, Pacific 13, Western Michigan 12, College of Charleston 11, Jackson State 11, Tennessee Tech 11, Eastern Washington 10, Kent State 9, Rider 8, Samford 6, Ohio 7, Cleveland State 6, Evansville 4.

http://www.midmajortop25.com/

[No_Skill]

That's great. I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. I suddenly have an interest in it. :)

[NDSUFREAK10]

I love it. Gonzaga is in there and that rocks to be in the same poll as Gonzaga.

[NDSUstudent]

That's great. *I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". *I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. *I suddenly have an interest in it. *:)

Its hard to explain but it pretty much means any team from a conference outside of the WAC, MWC, A10, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC, Pac 10 and Big East. Here is a link that explains it....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-major#Basketball

[max_cool]

"finally" lol. It's only been a few years. I'd say "Wow, I can't believe we made it already"

I think it's awesome that we are a well respected team but I doubt anyone expected this kind of success... outside of the hardcore Bison loyalists :)

[TAILG8R]

I think it's all great. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone, even Bison loyalists, who thought we would have this kind of success this early.

If you do let me know, so I can tell them they are lieing ;D

PS: In no way was this post meant to be negative.

Only ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[IowaBison]

I think it's all great. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone, even Bison loyalists, who thought we would have this kind of success this early


make that ever.

[IowaBisonToo]

To bad we couldn't have taken care of business in Lubbock and kept it a little closer in Minneapolis. We'd be right up at the top if that were the case.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I would suspect after we throttle Kansas State we will jump up even more....... ;)

[Larz]

I will share that the KState and Iowa State BBall alums in my office in Omaha are nervous. I need more free time to put a bus trip together on New Years Eve with my Iowa State friends and Bison Alumni to go to the game.

[wcbsas]

That's great. *I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". *I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. *I suddenly have an interest in it. *:)

Its hard to explain but it pretty much means any team from a conference outside of the WAC, MWC, A10, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC, Pac 10 and Big East. Here is a link that explains it....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-major#Basketball

I think you're stretching a bit to include WAC, MWC and A10 conference's in the "non mid-major" list.

Functionally it is anyone outside of the traditional BCS conferences - B12, B10, SEC, ACC, Big East and PAC10.

There are teams outside those conferences that may or may not be considered mid-major but for all intents and purposes any conference outside of those 6 are considered mid-majors and therefore any team within those conferences get the designation applied to them!

[WYOBISONMAN]

I will share that the KState and Iowa State BBall alums in my office in Omaha are nervous. *I need more free time to put a bus trip together on New Years Eve with my Iowa State friends and Bison Alumni to go to the game.

Larz.........let's get a pregame party set up......

[TheDoctor]

Any chance Teammakers would put a bus together for Ames?????? :-/ I'd LOVE to go! :D

[Larz]

Wyo, I do some checking and see how it goes. My boss just took us to the big 12 champ game so maybe I can get his notes, etc. and pull it together.

[SDbison]

I will share that the KState and Iowa State BBall alums in my office in Omaha are nervous. *I need more free time to put a bus trip together on New Years Eve with my Iowa State friends and Bison Alumni to go to the game.

Larz.........let's get a pregame party set up......
My wife and I will be driving from Sioux Falls area to see the game. *Might not get to Ames until 9 PM on Saturday, but will also stay through Sunday night.

Where are some of you staying? *Any suggestions for moderately priced hotels near nightlife and where the game will be held?

What is going on Saturday night? *Where is a fun place to hang with the Bison faithful and have a few beers?

How about Sunday morning. *Suggestions for a pre-game party spot? *Do any Ames bars have a Sunday brunch thing going on where we could all meet.

How about celebrating a Bison victory and bringing in the New Year in Ames. *Good restaurant suggestions and and places with bands for that night? *

[drewaely]

That's great. *I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". *I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. *I suddenly have an interest in it. *:)

An article by Jay Bilas (ESPN analyst). *I'll paste it in here (it's long) because it's an ESPN Insider article.

Defining upsets and mid-majorsposted: Monday, December 4, 2006


The changes in the college game over the last 20 years have forced us to redefine our terms, or at least the use of those terms.
We use the term "mid-major" and some perceive a slight, as if the team being described is in some way inferior or deficient to any "major." We use the term "upset" to describe any win by a lower-ranked team or any win by a smaller conference team over any bigger conference team.

In doing so, we are doing the game and its teams a disservice. Not all major teams are good. Not all mid-major teams are second rate compared to major teams. (more at ESPN insider...)

Admin: Oh, man, good article (it mentions NDSU too!) but I have to remove most of it because its copyright material. Not only that, it's copyright material from a pay site. Please don't post stuff like this... feel free to discuss it, but please don't post full articles and especially not from pay sites as conceivably that could open me up to fines plus damages.

[tony]

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/story/poll_positions_top_25_chatter15163

[drewaely]

That's great. *I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". *I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. *I suddenly have an interest in it. *:)

An article by Jay Bilas (ESPN analyst). *I'll paste it in here (it's long) because it's an ESPN Insider article.

Defining upsets and mid-majorsposted: Monday, December 4, 2006


The changes in the college game over the last 20 years have forced us to redefine our terms, or at least the use of those terms.
We use the term "mid-major" and some perceive a slight, as if the team being described is in some way inferior or deficient to any "major." We use the term "upset" to describe any win by a lower-ranked team or any win by a smaller conference team over any bigger conference team.

In doing so, we are doing the game and its teams a disservice. Not all major teams are good. Not all mid-major teams are second rate compared to major teams. (more at ESPN insider...)

Admin: Oh, man, good article (it mentions NDSU too!) but I have to remove most of it because its copyright material. Not only that, it's copyright material from a pay site. Please don't post stuff like this... feel free to discuss it, but please don't post full articles and especially not from pay sites as conceivably that could open me up to fines plus damages.


Sorry... I guess I didn't think about that effect. Can we quote the article? I think that most would like to see it...

[Hammersmith]

That's great. *I hate to sound ignorant, but what defines a "Mid Major". *I've heard the term for years, but never really thought it meant anything. *I suddenly have an interest in it. *:)
In the case of this poll(by collegeinsider.com), Mid-Major means teams from the following conferences:

America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Continent, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Sun Belt, West Coast


Beyond that, there are two ways of looking at DI basketball.

2 tier:
Major: ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big XII, C-USA, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, WAC
Mid-Major: everything else

3 tier:
High-Major: ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big XII, Pac-10, SEC
Mid-Major: A-10, CAA, C-USA, Horizon, MAC, MVC, WCC, WAC
Low-Major: everything else (including Mid-Con)


The terms are not official, so everyone has their own version. Also, a team's status might be different than its conference's. For example: Gonzaga is almost universally agreed to be a high-major progam, but they play in the mid-major WCC. Valpo is considered a mid-major, but they play(for now) in the low-major Mid-Con.

One way to look at it is whether or not a conference can get an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament. The A-10 regularly sends two teams to the tourney, while the Mid-Con and Big Sky only able to send their autobid.

[Jdubs21]

congrats bison...u deff. earned it!!