Chip: St. Thomas vs. Gophers? That's not what this big move is all about

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:


Division I makes sense for St. Thomas for a variety of reasons.

So what impact will that move have on the school a few miles down Interstate 94?

Very little, initially.

Long term? Some areas might cut into the Gophers’ pie, but the two athletic departments still will operate from vastly different perspectives.

The Gophers carry a $122 million athletic budget. At full capacity in scholarships and other D-I upgrades, St. Thomas anticipates an annual budget of around $25 million.


The potential effect on recruiting in other sports seems minimal because of the talent gap between the Big Ten and Summit League. Don’t expect heated turf wars to suddenly flare up. Maybe occasionally coaches will compete for a local player, but not across the board.

It always seemed weird that Minnesota had only one Division I school. There is plenty of room for two. The Tommies have an aggressive strategic vision, but it’s not a copycat of their neighbor.

St. Thomas vs. Gophers? That's not what this big move is all about

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ewert86PC]

So it is what it is all about. We all know disinformation in the sports page when we read it, Chip.

 

[Herd]

So it is what it is all about. We all know disinformation in the sports page when we read it, Chip.

Like anyone moving from DII or DIII, to DI. It’s really about growing the profile of your school. Athletics are the window through which prospective students view the school, so athletics play an important role in that growth.

 

[MplsGopher]

Like anyone moving from DII or DIII, to DI. It’s really about growing the profile of your school. Athletics are the window through which prospective students view the school, so athletics play an important role in that growth.

Some don’t view it that way, but I agree it can be.

 

[Herd]

For UST, I believe that's exactly what it's about. Moving from a Local/Regional profile, to a Regional/National profile . . . allowing the school to increase it's footprint in the areas of academics and athletics.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Gophs have a 5 yr window to get men’s bb figured out cuz if they don’t it is over.