That's the reason why talent is coming here vs going MAC or MW. Athletes want to win championships. They want rings and they want banners and they want to hoist trophies. They want to be considered the best. They dont want to go to Akron Ohio or Dekalb Illinois or Las Cruces New Mexico and win 24 games in their whole college carrier when they can come here and win 15-16 games a year and leave with multiple natty rings. And they'll cherish those rings and show them off and hold them near and dear to their heart because the only thing those rings signify is that they were the best.
Im sure CAS wears his rings from his DII titles (as he damn well should). I know Scott Fuchs had his out on display, as well as the ones he won with SIU. Those things mean a shit load to athletes and they dont really GAF is someone they dont even know in another area of the country knows who they are or where they play.
Kids are coming to NDSU because they want to be the best.
This is not 'Nam. This is Bisonville. There are rules here.
My worry is that if everything you're saying is true how long before fans become bored with New Mexico, Akron, Nevada, Bowling Green, etc? Maybe they'd already be bored with those teams? Are fans becoming bored with winning or are they just becoming bored with going to live college football and/or the increasing costs associated with it (ticket prices have gone up considerably in the last 6 years)? I pointed out earlier in this thread that App St and Georgia Southern had higher attendance averages their last year as postseason eligible FCS schools in 2012 than they did last year.
Your point about needing a new wave of fans/donors is a valid one but that needs to comes from young alumni correct? Student interest is waning even more than general fan interest is and that's a problem everywhere even in places like Alabama. I don't think FBS is the cure all for this and if it isn't you've just invested even more into a product whose returns are leveling off or diminishing from a fan interest/investment standpoint.
That's why I'd really like to see a new venue before an FBS move is made. Flood the market with lower price point seats allowing younger fans with more easily attainable and affordable opportunities for tickets. I think a right sized stadium is one that'll accommodate demand for the biggest games not one that'll still sell out even for the least hyped games. In that scenario you've got potential to really grow ticket revenue and donation revenue. Without that you're going to have to make up the gap with student fees and school funds and good luck trying to crack that egg.
But, if an opportunity arises to join a conference like the MWC or AAC, NDSU needs to put themselves in the best position to be able to make that jump. If that opportunity comes next year there's going to need to be some hard conversations about increasing revenue streams from fans, donors, students, and the school. If that opportunity doesn't come for 10 years then we've got plenty of work to do in the meantime in order to position ourselves better to make that jump.
If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles"
When you play football, you gotta like the taste of blood, And 50 percent of the time, it's your blood.
It is characteristic of the unlearned that they are forever proposing something which is old, and because it has recently come to their own attention, supposing it to be new.
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."
If we are seeking a full acceptance into a conference, we also have to meet the academic standards. Which include research dollars, research facilities, and overall academic ranking. While football is on forefront, all of the behind the scenes requirements have to match up as well.
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Sue are people....not mascots!!!!
If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles"
When you play football, you gotta like the taste of blood, And 50 percent of the time, it's your blood.
It is characteristic of the unlearned that they are forever proposing something which is old, and because it has recently come to their own attention, supposing it to be new.
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."
I agree with you. Again, I'm not advocating for a move to FBS at all costs. The new wave of donors comes from young alumni, relatively speaking. Yes we need to get students engaged in NDSU Athletics. But we also need to keep others who have been brought back into the fold over the past decade engaged. I have mentioned previously that the move to FCS and the success over the past decade plus is what re-connected me with the school. I'm not alone in that group. I have probably reconnected more than some and I'm not planning on going anywhere. However, I have friends who 5 years ago would absolutely go to a watch party with me or try to attend a game a year with me. They have begun to lose interest. Is that because of ticket price increases? Yes. Is it because it is hard for some who don't have season tickets to get tickets on August 1st? Yes. Is it difficult for them to change their plans last minute on a Friday if tickets become available? Yes. However, they were just a few short years ago doing all of those things. I think the combination of those items along with the perceived lack of competition in the FCS creates a storm of events that are contributing to the recent decline. Maybe it will end up being temporary. I hope so, but I fear that this is more of a long term trend unless something changes. I would like to believe there are things that can be done that don't involve a move to FBS.