I don't think he is right. I think you are right about the names, but when anyone outside of NDSU fans does mention an NDSU sport it is overwhelmingly football.
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I've never once met someone while in another part of the country recognize NDSU because they have been in the NCAA Tourney. I have many times met people that know NDSU has a great football team.
NDSU beating Oklahoma in the Big Dance is still the #1 Biggest thing ever to happen to NDSU and got NDSU the most exposure ever, we drove out to spokane the next day and on XM Radio, it was literally brought up on every station on the hour and even talked about on the talk shows all day long. led off Sportscenter
If we get out of the first weekend ever... I'll believe you. Until then, we are just canon fodder. Nobody remembers a high seed unless they make a deep run a la George Mason.
I would say making the NCAA tournament brings a lot more attention than than winning 1 FCS championship. Winning 8 of 9 FCS championships though trumps a couple NCAA tournament appearances. Adding the win against Oklahoma helps but mostly for name recognition and not necessarily as a basketball school. The impact of a directional school (i.e. Western Michigan or Middle Tennessee) or name school (i.e. Davidson, Butler, Liberty, Belmont, Appalachian State) or city/region (Jacksonville State, Norfolk State, Denver) is different than a state university (i.e. Wyoming, New Mexico State, Delaware). Most people have heard of the state school examples, but they may not relate it to something. The awareness the other schools exist is heightened more by tournament appearances. The more you get the more you'll be remembered. There is probably a time impact for the basketball appearances as well. We probably aren't getting much from our 2014/15 appearances at this point, but they are brought up again when they qualify for the 4th.
None of this is absolute so all opinions have some validity. We are a unique case with the longevity of the FCS championships. Look at Mount Union. They are Division III but everyone knows about them because of the number of times they've been in the championship and won. Winona State and UMD I believe have both won D2 championships so people who follow D2 are familiar with them, but the general sports fan probably has no recollection of them winning a championship.
Not even close to being a BB school. Would be nice to get the BB program to be in the tourney every year and make a run every once in awhile. A sweet sixteen appearance would be awesome!
Even if we get to the sweet 16, does that really leave a lasting legacy? Nearly every year there is 1 or 2 cinderella stories that make the sweet 16. What we've accomplished so far in basketball also happens every year, a 12 seed beats a 5 seed. Yah, it gets exposure that opening weekend, but doesn't leave a lasting legacy. Even a sweet 16 appearance, is that really going to leave a lasting legacy or be forgotten by the time the final four roles or around or by the end of the NCAA tournament ends? We are still a school that gets its recognition from the football program. Hell, I'd argue we are: 1. A football school (15 national championships, 2 Gameday appearances, 9-3 v FBS schools), 2. A track school (2 individual national championships), 3. A curling school (1 national championship), 4. A women's softball school (super regional appearance), 5. A basketball school (1 NCAA tournament win).