lets drop baseball and add hockey

[Facts]

We live in the midwest, right? We recruit athletes and students in the midwest, right? The WCHA and Big Ten (in future) get a lot of press in the midwest. The Sioux are on TV more than anybody. We would improve exposure in the midwest. How would this not increase our profile?

The "who" I was referring to are the niche group of hockey followers. They are only people who would give a rip about hockey in the first place... people like: ME. But... I'm in the minority, and I don't try to blow hockey up to be this amazing world dominating sport because it's not.

HERE'S THE POINT: Nobody outside of hockey followers cares about hockey, so it really doesn't "raise our profile" with anyone of consequence.

[Facts]

i agree with ya gabe, it would raise our profile in the midwest and thats all that matters. People in other parts of the country aren't gonna give a rip about ndsu or follow ndsu no matter what.

The main reason people bitch and complain about hockey is because und has it and they have a successful program. You know damn well that if the situation was reversed and we had a good hockey team that we would have bison fans on ss.com rubbing it in nonstop. We try to rip and make fun of their hockey program, but the only program that is laughable is our men's bball program. How much ndsu men's basketball clothing do you see compared to sioux hockey gear. Its not even close. Hopefully that changes in the next 5 to 10 years.

With that being said, great job michigan!

Proposterous statement tourney 2012 candidate...

[NDSUstudent]

Adding men's hockey is a good idea, it is a sport that people would be interested in watching and it could potentially turn a profit. There is no denying that, the problem is where do we get the money to start it up? What happens in regards to Title IX?

If we added men's hockey, we would have to add a women's sport. That team wouldn't make money, in fact it would likely be a black hole(especially if we add women's hockey). Adding hockey would also require some significant start up costs.

So all you hockey backers, you want the sport well you gotta show me the money. I'm talking $15-20 million to get the ball rolling because I don't want one single current sport to be affected by adding a potential hockey burden. I am not interested in the sacrificing any sport in the name of butthockey.

I don't see that kind of money being put together unless there is some big money donor that wants it to happen like the guy at Penn State that I don't know about. But if it can be done you have my support.

[TheBisonator]

Proposterous statement tourney 2012 candidate...

I agree. The 2011 mens team made improvements over the 2010 team (who was coincidentally the worst Bison basketball team I ever watched in my life, but that's the consequence for the 2004-2009 Fab-5 plan). The basketball team is moving in the right direction. Once the SHAC is built, the program will really be going places we never thought they would go. The only real problem with the basketball team is not recruiting or coaching, it's scheduling. When 1/7th of your home schedule is against the bottom-of-the-barrel teams of the DAC, fans don't want to see that.

Then again, going back to the hockey discussion, who's going to come to Fargo to play a Bison hockey team during the non-con schedule (assuming we can get into the WCHA)?? Schools like Clarkson, Union, Rensellaer, Alaska-Fairbanks, Alabama-Huntsville... Those schools will most likely be the norm.

But even the non-DI "DI" hockey schools support their hockey programs WAY more than Mayville and Valley City support their basketball programs.

[JMB]

Here is my problem with the proposal of dropping baseball and adding hockey. In the greater sense of being an institution of the State of North Dakota, baseball is a much more assessable sport to the youth of ND. With the Legion and Babe Ruth programs, there are a lot of kids playing baseball. Youth involvement in hockey is much, much more limited. Not only due to the lack of quality rink's but it is also a very expensive sport to be involved in.

I have my own personal opinions on hockey as a sport, but I will save them for another day.

[HerdBot]

Adding men's hockey is a good idea, it is a sport that people would be interested in watching and it could potentially turn a profit. There is no denying that, the problem is where do we get the money to start it up? What happens in regards to Title IX?

If we added men's hockey, we would have to add a women's sport. That team wouldn't make money, in fact it would likely be a black hole(especially if we add women's hockey). Adding hockey would also require some significant start up costs.

So all you hockey backers, you want the sport well you gotta show me the money. I'm talking $15-20 million to get the ball rolling because I don't want one single current sport to be affected by adding a potential hockey burden. I am not interested in the sacrificing any sport in the name of butthockey.

I don't see that kind of money being put together unless there is some big money donor that wants it to happen like the guy at Penn State that I don't know about. But if it can be done you have my support.

I think its worth exploring. If the money is there than yes. If its not? No. But let's get the SHAC done first. Like I said... it can't hurt football and basketball.

[HerdBot]

Minnesota Duluth can fund a team good enough to win a D2 National Championships in Football and a D1 Hockey Championship in the same year.. I'm tellin ya we can pull this off while strengthening our basketball team.

Maybe the state can give us more money!

[bisonpride]

Minnesota Duluth can fund a team good enough to win a D2 National Championships in Football and a D1 Hockey Championship in the same year.. I'm tellin ya we can pull this off while strengthening our basketball team.

Maybe the state can give us more money!

D2 football team with 28 scholarships and not 60+ and taking advantage of NDSU and UND not raiding MN kids like they used to for that level of play.

Traditionally strong Hockey program that has been around for over 30+ years and amazingly had never won a national title til this week.

Huge difference in the scenarios of their programs and us adding hockey. Our football team offers close to around $400,000 more in scholarship money and likely has a recruiting budget 3 times the size of UMD. Your trying to compare regional and national and the $$$ don't add up.

How long are fans willing to wait for a winner until everyone is ready to dismantle the hockey program? Unless you fork over $250,000-$300,000 for Dean Blais you will not have an immediate winner.

Besides that WOMENS HOCKEY WILL BE REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!! Their is absolutely NO way around it!

[coldspot]

D2 football team with 28 scholarships and not 60+ and taking advantage of NDSU and UND not raiding MN kids like they used to for that level of play.

Traditionally strong Hockey program that has been around for over 30+ years and amazingly had never won a national title til this week.

Huge difference in the scenarios of their programs and us adding hockey. Our football team offers close to around $400,000 more in scholarship money and likely has a recruiting budget 3 times the size of UMD. Your trying to compare regional and national and the $$$ don't add up.

How long are fans willing to wait for a winner until everyone is ready to dismantle the hockey program? Unless you fork over $250,000-$300,000 for Dean Blais you will not have an immediate winner.

Besides that WOMENS HOCKEY WILL BE REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!! Their is absolutely NO way around it!

but on SS.com they said we could add women's equestrian and that would off set the title IX compliance

let's add a sport that is going to cost us way too much and could be dead in the next 15 years.

things to be completed before even considering adding hockey (no particular order):
1. basketball facility
2. indoor practice facility for baseball/softball/football/soccer
3. increase funding to baseball program
4. HD camera capabilities in the Fargodome
5. better media coverage for entire athletic program

[HerdBot]

D2 football team with 28 scholarships and not 60+ and taking advantage of NDSU and UND not raiding MN kids like they used to for that level of play.

Traditionally strong Hockey program that has been around for over 30+ years and amazingly had never won a national title til this week.

Huge difference in the scenarios of their programs and us adding hockey. Our football team offers close to around $400,000 more in scholarship money and likely has a recruiting budget 3 times the size of UMD. Your trying to compare regional and national and the $$$ don't add up.

How long are fans willing to wait for a winner until everyone is ready to dismantle the hockey program? Unless you fork over $250,000-$300,000 for Dean Blais you will not have an immediate winner.

Besides that WOMENS HOCKEY WILL BE REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!! Their is absolutely NO way around it!

They have absolutely benefitted from NDSU/UND/SDSU/USD leaving D2. Shows how watered down it is. But it's stilll a good accomplishment to win the D2 Championship. Heck, NAIA teams beat UND now!

Listening to Sid and Dave this morning, they said a big part of the Championship was the new hockey arena that got built this year. It's nice but not huge. Capacity just over 6700 fans.

I think it's an added bonus that we already have the Scheels Center which is smaller but a great facility. It is certainly no Ralph but it's still as nice or nicer than many of the arenas and it can be ugraded as well. If you compare it to CHA teams, it's bigger than most. Smaller than WCHA arenas.

We don't need a big name coach. There are so few teams out there there are not many opportunities being given to coaches. However if we end up selling out every game and raising donations, we may have enough money to pay a coach like that.

We have to explore the idea. I think it's idiotic to just flat out say "no we dont' have the money and there is no chance of it working." How about we actually research it first. Who knows? There could be a ton of potential donors out there. Of course they are not going to show up unless we ask. Moorhead State even claimed to have had enough donors to pull it off.

Finish the SHAC. Research it.