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metrolax

metrolax

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Okay, guys, I'm gonna give us a chance to think about something other than the
Gophers' plight right now. Let's talk Maverick Football.

A few years ago, at the time the Dakota schools were considering going D-I (FCS),
MSU studied the possibility as well, feeling that it was in their best interests to stay
D-II and move to the Northern Sun Conference.

However, after seeing what the Dakotas have been able to do in football since making the
move, are there any alums or fans that might want to reconsider their staying D-II? Just
an easy question for a Sunday.

The Dakotas have gone 2-2 vs the Gophers, losing their 2 games by a total of 4 points.
SDSU lost at Nebraska only 17-3 and went home with a wad of money, and the Dakotas
have played several other games vs FBS teams. MSU is not really a "little" school, either.

I have liked the idea of playing the Dakota schools as our FCS opponent, but I would MUCH
rather replace them with MSU every season. Plus, that game should be the season opener
during the State Fair- that will ensure that the Gophers won't come out flat. Everyone looks
ahead to the opener.

Just a thought- was wondering if anything's been heard around the water cooler.
 


There is room for another division 1 sports program in Minnesota. I think Mankato State going to FCS in football might be a good idea, but they'd have to go division 1 in other sports, but they are big enough to do it. And with the name change to Minn State it might be a good idea, but with the current economic situation it might not fly.

What would make sense would be for some private school to drop football and go division 1 in other sports and devote resources to basketball like Marquette and DePaul, but I doubt St. Thomas could drop football but another division 1 hoops program in the twin cities would make things very interesting.
 

If any other Minnesota school goes D1 in football, I'm hoping that UMD does it. I heard a rumor that they are planning on it, after the expansion to their campus facilities and the stadium. But like I said, it was only a rumor, and I have yet to find anything online about it.
 

I think MSU and St. Cloud State should go DI. SCSU may need to update Halenbeck Hall though...

If UMD wants to go they should. They all could join the Summit League or Horizon League for sports other than football.

Minnesota is overdue for having more than one DI program.
 


Lots of holes in this thread

First of all there is not a Minnesota State University. There is a Minnesota State University system with several campuses.
It is to bad there is not one Minnesota State University campus. It would not however be in Mankato. Geographically it would be in St. Cloud or if the U did not have a branch in Duluth it would be there.
Duluth and St. Cloud are better schools in bigger population centers.

Go Gophers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

maroonfive said:
First of all there is not a Minnesota State University. There is a Minnesota State University system with several campuses.
It is to bad there is not one Minnesota State University campus. It would not however be in Mankato. Geographically it would be in St. Cloud or if the U did not have a branch in Duluth it would be there.
Duluth and St. Cloud are better schools in bigger population centers.

Go Gophers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Mankato State changed their name to Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1999.
 

Allegedly, both Mankato and SCSU at least investigated going D1 when the NCC folded. Part of the reason was that while the NCC and NSIC are both D2 conferences, the NSIC limits scholarships even below what the NCAA allows for D2. (This obviously didn't hurt UMD, who also complained about that, since they won a title.)

They chose not to go to D1 I think primarily for financial reasons. You have to have a very engaged alumni base who is willing to help fund something like that. You also have to have a fan base for your teams that will support such a thing, and with the exception of hockey, which is already D1, that doesn't exist at those schools. As someone who attended a school in the NSIC, there really isn't much interest in the teams there, and a lot of the schools are suitcase campuses where people go home on weekends.

The other school that seriously looked in to going D1 was St. Thomas. They're certainly large enough. They definitely have the wealthy and engaged alumni. They'd be a good fit, but ultimately they decided not to go in that direction. I'm not sure why.
 

I've been arguing for D-I at MSU for years

I teach at Mankato (...my Ph.D. is from the U of M--hence I'm a gopher fan).

Anyway, I have been advocating for years that MSU should go D-I--even if they have to drop football for Title 9 reasons. Both Dakotas now have two D-I schools. Wisconsin has four D-I schools. Iowa has four D-I schools. Good grief, the state of Mississippi has four D-1 schools, and they all offer PhD's. How Minnesota, as a state, has only a single D-I school is beyond me. As far as costs, MSU needs to just spend the money and make the move. If MSU wants to be considered a big-time university (and it does--its improving facilities, getting into doctoral education, etc.), then it just needs to eat the costs and spend that money. We spend tons of money beautifying the campus. Why? Because that's just what has to done to be a decent university. Same with athletics.
 






metrolax said:
Okay, guys, I'm gonna give us a chance to think about something other than the
Gophers' plight right now. Let's talk Maverick Football.
A few years ago, at the time the Dakota schools were considering going D-I (FCS),
MSU studied the possibility as well, feeling that it was in their best interests to stay
D-II and move to the Northern Sun Conference.

However, after seeing what the Dakotas have been able to do in football since making the
move, are there any alums or fans that might want to reconsider their staying D-II? Just
an easy question for a Sunday.

The Dakotas have gone 2-2 vs the Gophers, losing their 2 games by a total of 4 points.
SDSU lost at Nebraska only 17-3 and went home with a wad of money, and the Dakotas
have played several other games vs FBS teams. MSU is not really a "little" school, either.

I have liked the idea of playing the Dakota schools as our FCS opponent, but I would MUCH
rather replace them with MSU every season. Plus, that game should be the season opener
during the State Fair- that will ensure that the Gophers won't come out flat. Everyone looks
ahead to the opener.

Just a thought- was wondering if anything's been heard around the water cooler.
Click to expand...

Hell of a try metrolax, hell of a try.
 



Apparently, Minnesota, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and Wyoming are the only states with just one D-1 college. By concentrating the whole state's attention on just one program, all of these schools have reached the loftiest peaks of football success.
 

I believe Hayden Fox and the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles are one of the best programs that I have ever seen.
 

Thanks for the lively thread and, yes, I am trying! LOL
 

At first thought, as a student that goes to Mankato, I'd be all for making the jump to Division 1. But, after thinking about it for awhile, it just wouldn't work here. First, we have trouble filling up the stadium as it is, and I assume they would have to upgrade the stadium as it's one of the worst in the conference. I'm not sure of the stadium capacity, so I'm just going to guess that it's somewhere around 5,000. How many D1 programs has that small of a stadium? I'm guessing zero, so they'd add more stands which would just be empty anyway. If you look at our past success in football and basketball last year, you'd think there'd be more support, but that's not the case. As a school that has D1 hockey, there's not a whole lot of support for that either. Maybe making the jump would peak some interest, but I don't think it'd be enough.
 

StewieGopherFan said:
At first thought, as a student that goes to Mankato, I'd be all for making the jump to Division 1. But, after thinking about it for awhile, it just wouldn't work here. First, we have trouble filling up the stadium as it is, and I assume they would have to upgrade the stadium as it's one of the worst in the conference. I'm not sure of the stadium capacity, so I'm just going to guess that it's somewhere around 5,000. How many D1 programs has that small of a stadium? I'm guessing zero, so they'd add more stands which would just be empty anyway. If you look at our past success in football and basketball last year, you'd think there'd be more support, but that's not the case. As a school that has D1 hockey, there's not a whole lot of support for that either. Maybe making the jump would peak some interest, but I don't think it'd be enough.
Click to expand...

I can't find the exact info now, but I thought that one of the requirements for moving up to D1 in football, even at the FCS (1AA) level, you have to have a certain level of attendance, or at least stadium capacity, and I'm not sure either MSU or SCSU have that. Clearly, NDSU and UND always have. I think the only way it could work would be if the schools dropped football. SCSU is already discussing that for financial reasons. Plus, if you drop football, but go D1 across the rest of the board, it will save a ton of money because of Title IX, simply because you won't have to have as many women's sports.

There are quite a few D1 teams that don't have football. Marquette comes to mind.
 

13 Lined Ground Squirrel said:
Apparently, Minnesota, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and Wyoming are the only states with just one D-1 college. By concentrating the whole state's attention on just one program, all of these schools have reached the loftiest peaks of football success.
Click to expand...

Population rank:

Wyoming #50
Vermont #49
Hawaii #42
Maine #41

Minnesota #21

One of these things is not like the others...
 

StewieGopherFan said:
At first thought, as a student that goes to Mankato, I'd be all for making the jump to Division 1. But, after thinking about it for awhile, it just wouldn't work here. First, we have trouble filling up the stadium as it is, and I assume they would have to upgrade the stadium as it's one of the worst in the conference. I'm not sure of the stadium capacity, so I'm just going to guess that it's somewhere around 5,000. How many D1 programs has that small of a stadium? I'm guessing zero, so they'd add more stands which would just be empty anyway. If you look at our past success in football and basketball last year, you'd think there'd be more support, but that's not the case. As a school that has D1 hockey, there's not a whole lot of support for that either. Maybe making the jump would peak some interest, but I don't think it'd be enough.
Click to expand...

http://petespoll.com/petesstadiums.shtml

According to this link, 12 FCS stadiums have capacities of 5000 or less.
 

RodentRampage said:
Population rank:

Wyoming #50
Vermont #49
Hawaii #42
Maine #41

Minnesota #21

One of these things is not like the others...
Click to expand...

But we have a professional team which means we have few fans that will support University of Minnesota football! Right?
 



When the NCC broke up MSU looked at the D-I route like the dakota schools. The investment to get the stadium up to par is what was the big hold up, along with having the opportunity to join their current conference and keep/establish rivalries with all the other D-II MN schools. I don't know if they should have done it or not, but they definately have the basketball facilities to compete at the D-I level
 

The MnSCU schools really chap my ace. They think they are so high and mighty, but all they do is steal state funding from the U. They can all stay D-II, D-III or JuCo AFAIC.
 


ruralgopher said:
unreal.
Click to expand...

No. Real. They have been built on the backs of the University system. Everytime I see SCSU, Mankato State and their ilk, I want to be come violently ill. Especially when I think of the extra funding they get, when the U could use it better.
 

Ewert86PC said:
No. Real. They have been built on the backs of the University system. Everytime I see SCSU, Mankato State and their ilk, I want to be come violently ill. Especially when I think of the extra funding they get, when the U could use it better.
Click to expand...

Utterly unreal.
 

Ewert86PC said:
No. Real. They have been built on the backs of the University system. Everytime I see SCSU, Mankato State and their ilk, I want to be come violently ill. Especially when I think of the extra funding they get, when the U could use it better.
Click to expand...

So you think the U should run the states JuCos and all of the state universities? That is another 54 campuses to run.

Or you don't think that there should be an alternative for people who won't/can't attend one of the Unniversity of MN campuses?
 

ruralgopher said:
So you think the U should run the states JuCos and all of the state universities? That is another 54 campuses to run.

Or you don't think that there should be an alternative for people who won't/can't attend one of the Unniversity of MN campuses?
Click to expand...

The MnSCU schools are using their funding to help attract better athletes and develop their athletics department. Something the U is retardedly refusing to do. They refuse to believe that the cart (academics) being in front of the horse (athletics) is not a viable economic model for attracting funding from alumni and other potential donors.
 

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