Minnesota wants to play SDSU

[89rabbit]

Here are highlights from a Minneapolis Star Trib story (subscribe but it is free):

http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5377928.html

U football: Maturi sees good use for extra game

Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune
April 30, 2005

Move over, Wisconsin and Iowa Big Ten fans. The neighborhood rivalries for the Gophers football team could soon include Division I-AA programs from the Dakotas, Iowa and Montana. . . .

The likelihood is that starting next season, the Gophers will be playing a home game each season against a Division I-AA program. Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said his preference is to bring in regional I-AA schools, and he classifies four in that category: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Montana State.

"I think it's good for them and good for us," Maturi said. "I would not be opposed to thinking of a rotation of those four, and not even look at other I-AA's ." . . .

[Ronbo]

Here are highlights from a Minneapolis Star Trib story (subscribe but it is free):

http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5377928.html

U football: Maturi sees good use for extra game

Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune
April 30, 2005

Move over, Wisconsin and Iowa Big Ten fans. The neighborhood rivalries for the Gophers football team could soon include Division I-AA programs from the Dakotas, Iowa and Montana. . . .

The likelihood is that starting next season, the Gophers will be playing a home game each season against a Division I-AA program. Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said his preference is to bring in regional I-AA schools, and he classifies four in that category: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Montana State.

"I think it's good for them and good for us," Maturi said. "I would not be opposed to thinking of a rotation of those four, and not even look at other I-AA's ." . . .

Looks like they are afraid of us. Or they know we demand $400,000 plus, we take a good chunk out of the gate. Oregon had to make several offers before we accepted. :D

[Gil Dobie]

Looks like they are afraid of us. Or they know we demand $400,000 plus, we take a good chunk out of the gate. Oregon had to make several offers before we accepted. :D

The money for sure with some weight on Montana being too good with the chance of losing to a I-AA school.

[igo4uni]

Sounds good to me.

I would love to go up to Minneapolis to play the Gophers.

I would reallylike to see UNI rotating I-A games between Iowa State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Northern Illinois.

I put Iowa State in that list so UNI could get a winnable game. :D

peace

igo4uni

[purduecrum]

Here are highlights from a Minneapolis Star Trib story (subscribe but it is free):

http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5377928.html

U football: Maturi sees good use for extra game

Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune
April 30, 2005

Move over, Wisconsin and Iowa Big Ten fans. The neighborhood rivalries for the Gophers football team could soon include Division I-AA programs from the Dakotas, Iowa and Montana. . . .

The likelihood is that starting next season, the Gophers will be playing a home game each season against a Division I-AA program. Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said his preference is to bring in regional I-AA schools, and he classifies four in that category: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Montana State.

"I think it's good for them and good for us," Maturi said. "I would not be opposed to thinking of a rotation of those four, and not even look at other I-AA's ." . . .

Minnesota is well-known for taking an easy pre-conference schedule. That way they can finish 3-5 (or even 2-6) in the conference and still get a bowl bid.

2004
Toldeo
Illinois State

2003
Tulsa
Troy
Louisiana Lafayette

2002
Texas State
Toldeo
Buffalo

2001
Louisiana Lafayette
Murray State

Now I've criticized my own Boilermakers for scheduling weak opponents, but we've also taken a few challenges (Arizona, Syracuse, Wake Forest) plus we take on Notre Dame every year. Minnesota is strictly scheduling for the W's. I hope a few of these I-AA geographic rivals step up and beat them. How discouraging would that be to a program attempting to build a new stadium with their recently found football momentum?

[bkrownd]

Minnesota is well-known for taking an easy pre-conference schedule.

During the 1990's when wacky Wacker was coach, and 0.500 was still just a dream, they specifically studied what Kansas State did to turn their program around, and followed the recipe. They dropped Big 8 and Pac 10 teams off the schedule and got cozy with the MAC. As long as the bowl money keeps flowing, I don't see this recipe changing much unless the attendance for the easy games is really dismal. They know that dropping out of the rankings and bowls could send the program into another tailspin purty quick. Gotta keep up with the Joneses...

[wsufan]

...unless the attendance for the easy games is really dismal.

It is. A listed 34,006 showed up at the MetroDump for the Illinois State game this past season, but it was below that, IMO.


Minnesota is strictly scheduling for the W's. I hope a few of these I-AA geographic rivals step up and beat them. How discouraging would that be to a program attempting to build a new stadium with their recently found football momentum?

Unless it happens in the next couple months, that won't do much. The Gopher Stadium bill is very close to passing this session. If it doesn't happen this session, I frankly wouldn't be shocked to see the Gophers go play in the Vikings stadium in Blaine (or where ever it ends up). Or if the Vikings move...uh....well, probably fold the team.

As a Big Ten fan, I can't see how you could root a major blow to a fellow team. You've obviously never been to the Dump, as it's frankly not fitting of Big Ten football, and needs to become part of history.


During the 1990's when wacky Wacker was coach, and 0.500 was still just a dream, they specifically studied what Kansas State did to turn their program around, and followed the recipe.

Something that has also helped that along has been that Coach Mason was at Kansas from 1988 to 1996.

But some light is starting to crack in the non-conference schedule. California will be making an appearance on the 2006 slate, and in 2009 they'll visit Minneapolis (hopefully in TCF Bank Stadium). Iowa State talk is starting to kick up, and hopefully both programs will see the benifit of playing a close regional team (especially at the gate!).

But back on topic. I've said this on a few other boards, and I'll say it here. As long as the Gophers need to go to D-IAA for non-conference schedules, games against NDSU, SDSU and UNI would be good. All three are close, and would bring a nice amount of fans.

[bkrownd]

It is. A listed 34,006 showed up at the MetroDump for the Illinois State game this past season, but it was below that, IMO.


Actually that's pretty good compared to attendance when I was an undergrad there. They only really pack them in for a few key Big 10+1 games - the Gophers have had a pretty low profile in Twin Cities sports since the administration attempted to kill the program by neglect in the 1970's. One thing you have to understand about Big 10+1 teams, or at least from the Minnesota perspective, is that non-Big10 football might as well not even exist. Only the Big 10+1 games really matter. They see the non-conference season as a necessary annoyance until they can get to the conference schedule where they play "real" teams. They can get away with low attendance in the cheapo HumptyDome, but if they get their own $$$ stadium I guess attendance and revenue will become more important. Hope it happens - I used to walk past the empty Memorial Stadium every morning on the way to class until they tore it down. The HumptyDome's day has come and gone.



Something that has also helped that along has been that Coach Mason was at Kansas from 1988 to 1996.

Glen Mason is OK, but he's no football genius. At Kansas he was firmly in Snyder's shadow. In the Big10+1 he doesn't stand out.

[wsufan]

Actually that's pretty good compared to attendance when I was an undergrad there. They only really pack them in for a few key Big 10+1 games - the Gophers have had a pretty low profile in Twin Cities sports since the administration attempted to kill the program by neglect in the 1970's.

They don't pack them in for much. The sell outs I've seen since I started follow Gopher football in 2001 have consisted of 2001 Wisconsin, 2002 Iowa, 2003 Michigan, 2003 Wisconsin, and 2004 Iowa. The Iowa and Wisconsin game were certainly because of the visiting fans (Kinnick North, Camp Randall West). The 2003 Michigan game was nothing short of astounding. It really felt like a Big Ten game. The rise in attendance wouldn't shock me. Five bowl games in six seasons, compared to three bowls between 1962 and 1998 is a definate jump (Although the cupcake non-conference and increase in the number of bowls likely has something to do with it).


One thing you have to understand about Big 10+1 teams, or at least from the Minnesota perspective, is that non-Big10 football might as well not even exist. Only the Big 10+1 games really matter. They see the non-conference season as a necessary annoyance until they can get to the conference schedule where they play "real" teams.

That is certainly a condition of poor competition (63-14 over Toledo? People ought to be chanting "tap the keg" by the 2nd quarter with a game like that), and a long dip in the compeditive nature of the Gophers when the non-confernece schedule was better (Pac-10 and Big XII teams). But that is not a situation seen in some other big ten towns. Michigan still pulls down 110K for their non-conference, Ohio State does more than fine, along with Wisconsin.


They can get away with low attendance in the cheapo HumptyDome, but if they get their own $$$ stadium I guess attendance and revenue will become more important. Hope it happens - I used to walk past the empty Memorial Stadium every morning on the way to class until they tore it down. The HumptyDome's day has come and gone.

Get away with low attendance in the MetroDump? Considering they're in a binding lease, they really can't get away with it in the the Michillin Man's dead carcass anymore than they can in TCF Bank Stadium. While there is a cost concern with building the new stadium, the revenue, from advertising in the such with go back directly to the U.

I agree that it would be great to see it happen, and they need to move out of that stink pot of a stadium. The dome was a fad in a state the wanted to spend as little a possible.


Glen Mason is OK, but he's no football genius. At Kansas he was firmly in Snyder's shadow. In the Big10+1 he doesn't stand out.

I agree that Glen Mason doesn't stick out in the BigTeleven. But he has certainly done great things with limited resources. He's up against a lot of tough competition. Jim Tressel took his team to the national championship in only his second season. Lloyd Carr did what Bo Schembechler couldn't do in 24 years: Win a national championship. Joe Paterno is one of the winning coaches in college football history. Barry Alvarez and the Rose Bowls, Kirk Ferentz is a great young coach. It's very difficult to stick out.

But Glen Mason has done a great job. When recruiting players he rarely has the Metrodome set up for football, which certainly has effect on recruiting. Walking into the indoor practice facility, there is a nice reminder that no much has happened in the past forty years of Gopher Football.

[wsufan]

Maybe because this is a I-AA board and everyone here backs any I-AA team in a game against any I-A? :nod:

Well I figure since he was a Purdon't fan...ah forget it. :o

Anyway, sorry on the thread hijack, I just wanted to comment on somethings that I feel I understand in someway

[wsufan]

Naw, it's all good. What's your I-AA fave school? I think I can relate for the college football fans here (since many have posted it) and say that we all have I-A faves like we do other pro football teams ;) . I live in Chicagoland so I feel the pain of Minnesota and Wisconsin residents who do not have I-AA teams nearby.

I've got a couple.

Western Kentucky: I graduated from Dublin Coffman HS, as did WKU Quarterback Jack Rafferty. As an unattached fan, I started to support WKU when they picked up Jack.

North Dakota State and South Dakota State: I'm a student at a D-II school relatively near NDSU and SDSU. Well, when SDSU and NDSU jumped up to D-IAA, I followed along with them. For SDSU, they were the first NCC school to sign a home and home deal with us, which ment a lot to our program. We could have pulled out with the contract, but decided to honor it just because it was cool of them to sign a deal with us. For NDSU, I just plan don't like UND, so an enemy of my enemy is my friend.

So WKU, SDSU and NDSU.

[Kill'em]

Naw, it's all good. What's your I-AA fave school? I think I can relate for the college football fans here (since many have posted it) and say that we all have I-A faves like we do other pro football teams ;) . I live in Chicagoland so I feel the pain of Minnesota and Wisconsin residents who do not have I-AA teams nearby.
Sorry Ralph, I have no I-A favorite. Of course uga is the overwhelming favorite here in Georgia along with Ga Tech but I refuse to give them any support. When uga plays Florida, I'm a one-day Gator die-hard. Georgia Southern is the ONLY school I support.

Back to the topic: I think it's great that Minnesota wants to schedule I-AA schools. The money and the exposure helps. If only more I-A's had the guts. We've tried to get Ga Tech to schedule us but they want no part of us. Apparently Mark Richt doesn't either. I guess they are afraid of an :asswhip:

[wkuhillhound]

The University of Kentucky is like an Empire to most Kentuckians, the University of Louisville in a DISTANT 2nd. When I was younger, I was a UK fan. Since I got accepted to Western Kentucky University, I will bleed Topper Red through and through. WKU is very competitive in basketball and it hard to get the knucklehead arrogant school aforementioned, to play us in any sort of meaningful game. When we get the opportunity, we definitely don't waste it and actually beat these teams. WKU has a long history of winning so this comes as no shock to me. I definitely feel your pain GSU Eagles.