North Dakota planning move to Division I in two years
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2494970
Quote:GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The University of North Dakota plans to begin switching all of its athletics programs to the NCAA's Division I in two years, UND president Charles Kupchella said.
"Sooner or later, we're going to have to make this move," Kupchella said at a news conference Wednesday. "If that's the case, we might as well get started."
The move follows North Dakota State University's decision to move from Division II, where NDSU had been a football power, to Division I. North Dakota State began playing Division I competition regularly last year.
UND has a Division I program in men's and women's hockey, but its remaining sports, including basketball and football, compete at the Division II level.
I'm just curious, but what conference do you think will take them in? I'm gonna guess the WAC.
This Division II to Division I-AA move? or D-I-AA to DI-A. Would guess Big Sky if D-AA football and D-A hoops.
Don't forget North Dakota State and South Dakota State are making the move, too. I wonder if this is evolving into a critical mass for a new league.
The Big Sky makes sense to me for all three, but it looks like the NDSU and SDSU might go to the Mid-Con (right?). So who knows? A two-division Gateway?
I would guess Big Sky. But the others' speculation here makes sense.
epasnoopy Wrote:North Dakota planning move to Division I in two years
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2494970
Quote:GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The University of North Dakota plans to begin switching all of its athletics programs to the NCAA's Division I in two years, UND president Charles Kupchella said.
"Sooner or later, we're going to have to make this move," Kupchella said at a news conference Wednesday. "If that's the case, we might as well get started."
The move follows North Dakota State University's decision to move from Division II, where NDSU had been a football power, to Division I. North Dakota State began playing Division I competition regularly last year.
UND has a Division I program in men's and women's hockey, but its remaining sports, including basketball and football, compete at the Division II level.
I'm just curious, but what conference do you think will take them in? I'm gonna guess the WAC.
North Dakota is moving to D-IAA football and has very few conference options. The Big Sky Conference doesn't want them because Portland St. and Sacramento St. oppose expansion eastward. That leaves the Mid-Continent Conference and the D-IAA Great West Football Conference, which is managed by the Mid-Continent Conference and only has 5 members since Northern Colorado left for the BSC. NDSU and SDSU are members as is Mid-Con member Southern Utah.
The Mid-Con powers meet on Tuesday to decide on expanding the conference. They've recently lost Chicago State and Valparaiso and are down to 7 members. It is expected that NDSU, SDSU, and IPFW will be admitted. SDSU is already an affiliate member of the Mid-Con in swimming. When UND begins its transition period it will probably follow the Dakota States into the Mid-Con/GWFC.
It appears that the University of South Dakota is looking at moving to D-I.
http://www.keloland.com/Sports/NewsDetai...ID=0,48923
If they commit they will join their sister institutions.
OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:This Division II to Division I-AA move? or D-I-AA to DI-A. Would guess Big Sky if D-AA football and D-A hoops.
I see now, i thought they were talking over just going D1-A, not D1-AA. I can't imagine there are any markets in North Dakota for those teams to ever make the jump all the way to D-1.
DexterEagle Wrote:North Dakota is moving to D-IAA football and has very few conference options. The Big Sky Conference doesn't want them because Portland St. and Sacramento St. oppose expansion eastward.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but if I'm a conference called "The Big Sky Conference", do I want teams from N Dakota or Sacramento?
Quote:That leaves the Mid-Continent Conference and the D-IAA Great West Football Conference, which is managed by the Mid-Continent Conference and only has 5 members since Northern Colorado left for the BSC. NDSU and SDSU are members as is Mid-Con member Southern Utah.
The Mid-Con powers meet on Tuesday to decide on expanding the conference. They've recently lost Chicago State and Valparaiso and are down to 7 members. It is expected that NDSU, SDSU, and IPFW will be admitted.
N and S Dakota AND Ft. Wayne? Geesh. That's a bit "spread out".
The Great West that you mentioned looks more sensible, although they've got a bunch of Cal Schools. Why not have the GW and Big Sky put together their Cal Schools in one conference, and the Dakotas+Montana schools in another.
It ain't that hard to be logical.
[quote][quote="DrTorch"][quote="DexterEagle"]North Dakota is moving to D-IAA football and has very few conference options. The Big Sky Conference doesn't want them because Portland St. and Sacramento St. oppose expansion eastward.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but if I'm a conference called "The Big Sky Conference", do I want teams from N Dakota or Sacramento?
[/quote]
That's the story coming out of the Big Sky. The Montana schools want the Dakotas. Portland/Sacramento State do not. The BSC recently added UNC as an all sports member. Word is that they will look for a non-football school to help their basketball/other sports schedule, probably Denver.
[quote]That leaves the Mid-Continent Conference and the D-IAA Great West Football Conference, which is managed by the Mid-Continent Conference and only has 5 members since Northern Colorado left for the BSC. NDSU and SDSU are members as is Mid-Con member Southern Utah.
The Mid-Con powers meet on Tuesday to decide on expanding the conference. They've recently lost Chicago State and Valparaiso and are down to 7 members. It is expected that NDSU, SDSU, and IPFW will be admitted.
N and S Dakota AND Ft. Wayne? Geesh. That's a bit "spread out".[/quote]
You think the Dakotas and IPFW are spread out? The Mid-Con also has Centenary in Louisiana and Southern Utah.
[quote]The Great West that you mentioned looks more sensible, although they've got a bunch of Cal Schools. Why not have the GW and Big Sky put together their Cal Schools in one conference, and the Dakotas+Montana schools in another.
It ain't that hard to be logical.[/quote]
Talk to the conferences.
This late announcement complicates things for the Mid-Con. They have 7 schools after Chicago State and Valparaiso leave. Adding IPFW, NDSU, and SDSU would get them back to an even 10 members.
South Dakota will probably follow North Dakota into Division I though. If this happens, the Mid-Con can vote those two in together a few months down the road, and expand to 12 teams with divisions.
The Mid-Con would be best served by losing Southern Utah to the Big Sky Conference. That is where they really belong, but the Big Sky does not want them and has looked down upon them for years.
By the way, the Great West is a football only conference. Those California schools play their other sports in the Big West. They will not give that up. The Big Sky only has one California school anyway.