Summit Expansion?

[HerdBot]

This really annoys me. Heretofore, I've loved the idea of the Missouri Valley, but understood the concern about distance. Nevermind that our state is part of the actual, geographic Missouri Valley. But then to read in an article that the conference (not just the fan board) has expressed interest in UAB is mind-blowing. Birmingham? Really?? To hell with the MVC. We just need to be successful in the Summit until such time that move toward a better (likely FBS) all-sports conference. It reminds me of the arrogance of the NCHC hockey teams leaving the WCHA. I love how the WCHA has been a pretty decent league without the NCHC teams. That's what we need to to do. And if we are ever so attractive that MVC comes calling with an invite, give them the bird.

On a side note, if NDSU started hockey, I'm guessing we'd be invited to the WCHA in about 15 seconds.

Wow. Awesome post. The only part I would do different is NOT give the MVC the finger. Depends on TV money

[Bison bison]

Since we're rehashing this, a reminder:

Realignment is driven by TV sets and footprints.

There are no TV s in the Dakotas, so its all about geography.

The Summit is out of survival mode...

[tjbison]

Wow. Awesome post. The only part I would do different is NOT give the MVC the finger. Depends on TV money

My point on the UAB thing is the fans.....no way we are close enough, but Alabama sure is

I know when I think of geography Kansas iowa and Alabama all pop into mind as close together.

Good thing the fans don't determine affiliation

[NDSUguy]

My point on the UAB thing is the fans.....no way we are close enough, but Alabama sure is

I know when I think of geography Kansas iowa and Alabama all pop into mind as close together.

Good thing the fans don't determine affiliation

Geography is always a big deal for the MVC unless the team in question brings them a BIG television market. Birmingham is #40 in the country and while adding them would require a few long bus rides, it would only be a few teams that would suffer. Adding NDSU brings in a TV market of around #100 and long bus rides for all.

[aces1180]

Geography is always a big deal for the MVC unless the team in question brings them a BIG television market. Birmingham is #40 in the country and while adding them would require a few long bus rides, it would only be a few teams that would suffer. Adding NDSU brings in a TV market of around #100 and long bus rides for all.

Much like Omaha, the school is overshadowed by another larger school(s) down the road...UAB is an afterthought to most people in Alabama. One could also say the same about IUPUI, IPFW and UMKC. They are all larger TV markets, but nobody gives a crap about them because there are way more popular schools located in the state.

[NDSUguy]

Much like Omaha, the school is overshadowed by another larger school(s) down the road...UAB is an afterthought to most people in Alabama. One could also say the same about IUPUI, IPFW and UMKC. They are all larger TV markets, but nobody gives a crap about them because there are way more popular schools located in the state.

UAB might be an afterthought to most people in Alabama but when it comes to Basketball they have a decent tradition. They have been to the tournament many times and have won games. Their average attendance last year was about 4,300 fans/game.

It's hard to compare them against that of IUPUI, IPFW and UMKC. This is really apples to oranges.

[HerdBot]

Geography is always a big deal for the MVC unless the team in question brings them a BIG television market. Birmingham is #40 in the country and while adding them would require a few long bus rides, it would only be a few teams that would suffer. Adding NDSU brings in a TV market of around #100 and long bus rides for all.

I think the TV market is bullshit. The thing that drives me nuts is people don't realize NDSU is more than just Fargo -Moorhead. It's the entire state of North Dakota and western Minnesota. Example. Omaha, IPFW, and IUPUI are in much larger cities yet they draw dick. Nobody cares about them. They play 3rd and 4th fiddle. (Probably 7th or 8th) Heck if you look at espn tv ratings, our games always have solid numbers. Were building a strong brand. We have fans all over the country from Minneapolis to Phoenix. [Insert UND millions of fans joke here]

[HerdBot]

My point on the UAB thing is the fans.....no way we are close enough, but Alabama sure is

I know when I think of geography Kansas iowa and Alabama all pop into mind as close together.

Good thing the fans don't determine affiliation

The fans of MVC schools hate us on the web. They like to belittle our football accomplishments yet they rush the field when they beat us. (D2 doesnt count but FCS doesnt count either since we stomped that notion) Wonder why?

I think UNI would hate to have us in the MVC. We've overtaken them in lots of areas and with the néw facilities and success we've had in the short term (football, wrestling, track, softball, basketball ) some of their fans may see us as a threat. We recruit the same areas and they've seen how our fan base travels. I may sound like a Homer but let's face it, if UNI can have success in basketball, is it really THAT inconceivable that we could at the very least equal what they have done? I mean is Cedar Falls some epic place? For them to say the TV market is a big factor is kind of funny since they are in Cedar Falls and play 3rd and 4th fiddle in basketball. Do they even have an airport? Wyoming does alright.

NDSU fits into the MVC perfectly and they know it.

I say let's keep doing what we've been doing but take the program to the next level and duplicate what we've done with football support. We can build on our brand and make regular runs and start to win a few games in the big dance. They won't be able to ignore us

[NDSUguy]

I think the TV market is bullshit. The thing that drives me nuts is people don't realize NDSU is more than just Fargo -Moorhead. It's the entire state of North Dakota and western Minnesota. Example. Omaha, IPFW, and IUPUI are in much larger cities yet they draw dick. Nobody cares about them. They play 3rd and 4th fiddle. (Probably 7th or 8th) Heck if you look at espn tv ratings, our games always have solid numbers. Were building a strong brand. We have fans all over the country from Minneapolis to Phoenix. [Insert UND millions of fans joke here]

I get what you are saying however the same thing could be said about UAB. Birmingham is a MUCH larger TV market than Fargo/Moorhead. While NDSU does get viewers from all of North Dakota and Western Minnesota, I would venture a guess that UAB also has fans throughout Alabama and other neighboring states. Bottom line is this: Today, more people care about UAB basketball (even as a second or third fiddle) than care about NDSU (even with a good portion of the state cheering them on).

[HerdBot]

I get what you are saying however the same thing could be said about UAB. Birmingham is a MUCH larger TV market than Fargo/Moorhead. While NDSU does get viewers from all of North Dakota and Western Minnesota, I would venture a guess that UAB also has fans throughout Alabama and other neighboring states. Bottom line is this: Today, more people care about UAB basketball (even as a second or third fiddle) than care about NDSU (even with a good portion of the state cheering them on).

I here what your saying about UAB. They are pretty big time in basketball. I just think it's weird that fans give geography as a primary reason in a conference that is primarily midwest and are willing to go to the south east to get a team. If you want to raise you profile, I get it. Makes sense for them. They average about 4,200 per game and have several big wins in their history.

All we can do is keep being successful and try to make our name bigger by continuing to win. I think the first thing we need to do is make it a goal to sell out the SHAC. The MVC really prides itself on attendance and the conference averages around 5600 per game. If we can sell out every single game we would do wonders for our perception. Also we need to keep winning and show we are willing to spend money. We can start by paying our coaches. UNI made a smart decision to pay to keep their coach. Actually the booster club did most of it.