Dakotas move away from Big Sky and towards Mid-Con

[WYOBISONMAN]

The conference search for NDSU and SDSU may well be drawing to a close with what was in this latest article from the Fargo Forum. It seems that NDSU and SDSU are now leaning heavily towards the Mid-Con. This would assure the GWFC a longer term existence, but it is not the way I would like things to go. But, it it is the Mid-Con who would take usrather than the Big Sky, then we have to go that way... :-/ Here is the link....

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...section=Sports

Here is a bit of the article......

Mid-Con looks more reasonable

Jeff Kolpack, The Forum

Published Friday, December 02, 2005
"One by one, the conference direction for NDSU is going away from the Big Sky and toward the Mid-Con. Getting the Big Sky to agree to a12-team, two-division setup – which is the only way NDSU will be admitted – seems too complicated.

Getting the Mid-Con to move north to NDSU and SDSU is more realistic."

[Bison_Kent]

I will have to agree with you Wyo. as far as what conference I would like too (with the Big Sky being more lucrative in my eyes too) but at this point NDSU needs a conference. If it is the Mid-Con, I will welcome an invitation.

After the former SUU AD became the Mid-Con Commish, I thought NDSU and SDSU would get a strong look and consideration from that confrence.

[Gully]

Are there enough teams for the Great West to have a conference with the loss of Northern Colorado?

Are there any NCCA rules about the minimum number of teams needed for a conference?

I was hung up on the Big Sky thing but this could actually be better. We'd be in a better basketball conference and the Great West has thusfar been very competetive with the Big Sky and I only see the SUs getting better.

[BisonBacker]

The Big Sky has made it clear they are not interested. Giving them more attention is just demeaning to us in my opinion. Some of the schools appeared to be in favor of adding NDSU and SDSU however if they want to let the california schools wear the pants and are going to continue to take a back seat to them then nothing is going to change with the BSC. That being said I don't think the Mid-Con is a bad conference at all. Not to mention we can still schedule some of the friends to NDSU in the Big Sky such as Montana State, the Univerity of Montana and UNC so being opposed to the MID-CON or saying its not the conference that the BSC is I don't think is right. Either way it would give us a home to all the rest of our sports so why not? Maybe someday the west coast schools in the Big Sky will get the boot from the big sky schools after the other schools in the conference get sick of their whining and losing ways. For now they are the cellar dwellers in the SKY and a guaranteed win for Montana and Montana State so I don't expect much to change.

[Rodentia]

You need six teams to have an auto-bid, but you can still have a conference with less teams.

[Gully]

BisonBacker, I was trying to say (read my post again) that I'm becoming more excited about the Mid-Con and was not implying that we shouldn't join if invited. As a matter of fact I think it would be great for BB.

I am first and foremost, however, a football fan and the Big Sky is clearly a strong football conference. Mentioning that in no way demeans NDSU or the Great West.

Our football program will be fine either way and if the Mid-Con knocks, then great, it'll make BB that much more exciting and offer some good travel options to watch many of their games.

[NDSUstudent]

I guess the Mid Con is better then no conference at all but I still don't think we have heard the last from the Big Sky. If the Mid Con is really this serious I bet they take one last stab at expanding in the Dakotas because once we are in the Mid Con we will not leave for the Big Sky. Being in the Mid Con does have an advantage and that is we will have a chance to possibly work our way into the Missouri Valley(I think UNI took the same path) and the MVC would be a perfect fit for NDSU athletics.

Also if we really get into the Mid Con I think we should look strongly at trying to get into the Gateway Football conference, no offense to the Great West schools but I would like to see NDSU in a conference were we could establish some regional rivalries.

[IowaBison]

There could be a significant shakeup in the makeup of western conferences if the Mountain West decides to add a team or two or three to bolster it chances of becoming a BCS conference.

If Fresno State and/or Boise State are added the WAC will begin looking for members. If the MWC also adds UTEP, for a manageable twelve team conference, making a spot for Lousiana Tech in the C-USA, the WAC is suddenly in trouble with only six members (Idaho, San Jose State, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah State, and New Mexico State) less than the necessary seven to receive its March Madness Entitlement Check.

At that point I could see them offering an invitiation to anybody (Denver, all Big Sky members, North Texas, Rice, Houston, NDSU, SDSU, your mother).

We'll know a lot more by June 30th, the date by which the MWC needs to make its move.

[NDSU_grad]

Now that 1234 is no longer on board, I guess I'll have to be the Big Sky advocate *. *I prefer the Mid-Con over the Big Sky slightly because it's a better bball conference and sponsors more of our sports. *The BSC is obviously better for football and has schools with more name recognition.

Edit: I obviously meant to say Mid-Con advocate.

[WYOBISONMAN]

The Big Sky has made it clear they are not interested. *Giving them more attention is just demeaning to us in my opinion. *

I don't think it is demeaning at all. NDSU is just trying to get the best option to work out. From a rivalry perspective, etc the Sky would be the best, so the administration would be remiss in not going after that verh hard. If that isn't working then on to plan B, which may not be an optimal solution, but it will work.