UND president candidate considered dropping football at the school

[bonarae]

Original article is behind a paywall though (The Chronicle of Higher Education). But worth quoting:

De-emphasis is a healthy step, Staben said. But when asked whether other presidents should make a move like the one he took at Idaho, he offered an unconventional recommendation. “I think,” he said, “they should seriously consider eliminating football.”

Was he UIdaho's president when the "move down or drop" scene at Idaho was taking shape?

[JBB]

Don’t know if it’s true or not but for saying that he will most certainly be kicked off the Sioux Sports and USD message boards.

All I said was their sports business model was a failure and they should do as almost every school in the country does with their budget size and D1 hockey: go D2 or non scholarship.

[dal4018]

North Dakota is currently ranked 24th in the FCS poll ask him if he wants to eliminate football now????

[Gil Dobie]

UND already eliminated women's hockey.

[JBB]

Also swimming/diving, baseball and golf. Parents at the country club ponied up to save golf. They tried to sell the campus golf course but it got bungled somehow.

Engelstad gets 50% of their ticket revenues all sports to help pay for the building and receives generous management fees to operate the skating rink. That rink has cost them dearly. I don’t think it’s over either, at least 15-20 years left on engelstad contracts.

[JBB]

SiouxVolley
SiouxVolley
Members. 6,496 posts Posted 6 hours ago

Feel as if this team doesn't beat Weber, the playoffs are not possible as the Fargo media will be working overtime to trash the team. The FCS set looks to a big city media like the FM as the premiere FCS city. What Fargo says, they follow.

At least he understands Unds insignificance.

[dbackjon]

Original article is behind a paywall though (The Chronicle of Higher Education). But worth quoting:

De-emphasis is a healthy step, Staben said. But when asked whether other presidents should make a move like the one he took at Idaho, he offered an unconventional recommendation. “I think,” he said, “they should seriously consider eliminating football.”

Was he UIdaho's president when the "move down or drop" scene at Idaho was taking shape?

Yes he was.

[JBB]

De-emphasis. Liberal code word.

Idaho was failing financially in FBS. A change had to be made. The business model was failing. The adults in the room understood this. By adding the code word those that hate football were also mobilized providing the coalition they needed to change from FBS to FCS.

They are discussing their budget on the UND message board. Unfortunately they think the money they are spending is money they have. They were very eager to accept the hockey rink and signed about any contract put in front of them. The result is a lot of money flowing into the building and hockey.

They will either have to change to D2, non-scholarship or plug along on fewer dollars than they have now. De-emphasis might just be the code word they need to get the change underway.

[JBB]

Before the year 2000, the NCC could have moved up entirely to DI with only a two year transition period and get an autobid. Why they didn’t do it is amazing stupidity now. Guess the ND schools always thought the Montanas would get them invited to the Big Sky.

That’s UNDS expert on FBS Sioux volley. Lol. The reason the NCC didn’t move: UND opposed the move from the 1970s and assured the NCC they were there to stay. Moved to FCS a few years after the mighty land grants destroying the NCC they had committed to.

UND knew and knows now their business model is in serious trouble. Schools like theirs are D2 with D1 hockey. They were concerned they would lose out to NDSU so they scrambled with an application to move on the last day the NCAA would allow it before a moratorium was in place. They lost out anyway and some realize the predicament they are in but not Sioux volley.