sounds like a good outline for a committee to hammer out
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Not unless we were in one of the BCS conferences, the mid or lower major conferences struggle to break even and quite a few lose money. Our stadium is a big issue, we would need to have at least a 30k stadium and fill it every week to get an offer to move up, otherwise we are one of if not the lowest attendance schools in the FBS.
This FBS talk is insane. Sorry we aren't traveling to the Beef O Brady bowl like we do to Frisco.
lakes has done studies and ran the numbers...NDSU in a down year would still have 20k+ fans. When NDSU is down, theres still potential of having a BCS school come to fargo for a game for a 2 for 1 contract.
that almost trumps anything FCS.
NDSU at its peak(we know what it is for FCS) but for FBS is unimaginable. NDSU would help any of the lower conferences out almost instantly for BCS relevance.
And we trust these statements why??
Wasn't it just a few short years ago we were having trouble filling the dome, due to mediocre play? Everyone wants a bison tickets now but how many will stick around and donate when things hit a rough patch and miss playoffs for a year or two (unforeseen at the moment but is possible)?
Again I love a move up when it is done sensibly and with financial wherewithal to support it, and that time has not arrived yet.
I trust Lakes research about as far as I can throw a truck. Guessing GT has way more actual experience and data to draw from than our favorite Bison boos... I mean supp... Fan. Love some of lakes enthusiasm but sometimes gets a bit extreme gold/yellow and green goggled.
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I run into this question every time I start talking Bison football with any random football fan; almost immediately the convo turns to "The Jump." My counter is that NDSU has an awesome tradition and has been considered the best at every level they have played. At the same time, they have been considered the worst. I just dont feel NDSU has been considered the best at the D1 level long enough. These programs like App State and GSU have been really frickin good for a really frickin long time, at the D1 level. I understand NDSU is on the verge of something pretty special, but if you look back at the past winner of the National Championship there are MULTIPLE times when GSU shows up back to back...same as YSU. Those teams have been dominant in D1 and have now taken the next step.
If NDSU has a couple down years, with the option of playing in the playoffs eliminated, you wont be able to give away a sold out stadium. In 2009 there were attendance announcements of around 14000 but pry only 10000 in the stands. Although most FCS programs would drool over those numbers, they are absolutely not FBS worthy.
I love NDSU, and I love the fact that after all the knocking on the fact the ships' they have are from D2 there is dominance at the D1 level. However, it seems to me like making the move to conference with a bunch of irrelevant schools just isn't in the best interest of the program. Why not continue to dominate where we are? Why not establish a fan base that will still rock the dome when there is a down year? All of these things have to be taken into consideration if this move is going to be for real. You might say you will be tehre win or lose, but unfortunately that isnt the mindset of all those who say they are Bison fans. We have all seen that.