It appears NDSU has had a change of heart on playing 12 games in a regular season. Athletic Director Gene Taylor told me tonight that NDSU “is actively looking for a 12th game for the 2013 season.” Taylor told me it’s for the open September 14th date next season and the Bison would use November 2nd as their bye week in 2013. This information flies in the face of what we’ve been told in the past, but if you take a closer look at the last blog post of what the playoff committee will be looking at next season, playing 12 games makes a lot of sense if you want to secure a playoff spot. Taylor also added that the 12th game will not be against an FBS team or a non-counter (D-2 or D-3). So what does that leave? NDSU already has 6 home games lined up for 2013; a fact I’ll detail in a second; so there’s the real option that NDSU goes on the road for a 6th game next year, as part of a home and home deal, with that particular team coming back to Fargo in 2014(12 games are also allowed in 2014). NDSU already has non-conference games lined up at Iowa State and home with Montana in 2014. We know the difficulties Taylor had in trying to get a 6th home game for this season, paying the highest amount to date to get Prairie View to come here, I detailed last night some of the home and home series that are going in FCS football over the next couple of years, we’ll see if that’s the case for 2013. For those wondering about UND; I wrote a whole post about it back in March; for a refresher here it is. I don’t think it’s likely to happen now; especially with the off-the-field issues mounting for the Griz, shelling out money to get out of a football game in Grand Forks, can’t be that high of a priority. Still looks like 2015 may be the earliest regular season matchup we could get between NDSU and UND.
NDSU isn’t the only Valley team going the 12 game route. Northern Iowa’s Athletic Director Troy Dannen tweeted Thursday night, that they have 11 games set for 2013 and working on a 12th, adding that “getting close on a big 11th game in 2014, with the hashtag, want 12 in 2014 too.” Dannen tweeted that UNI will play at Iowa State, host Drake and play at Northern Colorado in 2013. It seems realistic to think that UNI may go back down the 2 FBS road at least once in the next two seasons. UNI is already contracted to play at Iowa in 2014.
Finally, had plenty of comments on my Twitter page about the Western Carolina-NDSU game on September 21st next season. That happened after Auburn announced they have a contract for WCU on October 12th, making 3 FBS opponents for the Catamounts next season, joining games at Middle Tennessee(Aug.31st) and Virginia Tech (Sept. 7th) While I think playing 3 FBS games is an egregious scheduling mistake, Western clearly needs the money for it’s university, probably looking right around a million for those 3 games. Now while playing a 4th non-conference road game at NDSU doesn’t sound too appealing, clearly the WCU administration doesn’t care too much of its performance on the field or they would have NEVER scheduled 3 FBS games. That being said, Taylor told me as of Thursday night, NDSU and Western Carolina still have a contract for that date. NDSU originally signed the contract with Western in late August of 2011 for 125,000, with a buyout of 150 K. Obviously if WCU decides to take the buyout that may make things infinitely harder to find 2 games for 2013. But it certainly seems NDSU has embraced a different scheduling philosophy for the next couple of years, trying to adapt to a new playoff concept starting next season.
Great read and great info. Only thing i would have loved to have seen is a quote from the Catamounts. or better yet the proverbial “no comment” which would answer the question. 150k will be an easy buyout for them and on the bright side whoever they get to fill in for WCU cannot be worse.
He should schedule a home and home and home and home with UND.
No. Enough said.
Well. It’s become obvious that we won’t meet the Sioux in the playoffs! The arrogance up north caused all of the turmoil.
That is surprising news, and it will be interesting to see what transpires. Reality is that teams are afraid to come to Fargo, and if it’s hard to get teams to come here for an 11 game schedule now we have to try to find another? I just hope it doesn’t turn out where we go on the road and then the other team buys out the return trip to Fargo all the time. Isn’t next years game against Montana St. honoring a home and home from the Bisons trip to Bozeman in 2005? Long time to wait.
We won’t get bought out for a return trip…that was just when we were transitioning and couldn’t write contracts that favored us.
Great info. Thanks!
Buyout for W. Carolina is 150K! That is a significant increase over the 60K GSU paid to get out of playing the Bison. Hopefully these higher buyouts prevent teams in the future from ditching their games in Fargo.
Future contract provisions for home and home games should be more onerous to cause the other team to think long and hard before backing out. Also, the first game should always be played at NDSU thus eliminating the possibility of the other team backing out on the return game.
I don’t envy Gene in his position. Big10/Big12 teams are scared to come to Fargo. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to get an FCS team to come here.
No Big 10 or Big 12 team is EVER coming to Fargo; not because they’re afraid but because it would be flat out stupid for them to go on the road to 1-AA program. Even the weakest links can find home games rather than travel like that.
I hope you’re joking, or at least laying on some heavy sarcasm with this comment. If you really believe that “Big10/Big12 teams are scared to come to Fargo,” I have to question if you’ve ever watched a football game other than the Bison, at any level.
I watch plenty of college football besides the Bison and played for the Herd. Thats why I know teams are scared to come here. There was no sarcasm in that post. We are a top 10 football team in all of college football this year. Even Spurrier took notice.
Wow.
What?
You obviously took a few too many hits to the head in your “playing days.” I’m a Bison fan, but they lost to Indiana State AT HOME, who in turn lost to Indiana. The Hoosiers are 3-5 (1-3) in an ugly Big 10. The Bison went down to the wire with SIU AT HOME. Neither seemed scared to be in the Dome.
Spurrier said Alabama would compete in the NFL. You probably also buy into ludicrous statements like that, right?
With the ability to play 12 games per season I would like to see every MVFC team play each other in league play.
CH I agree with you on that. It just isn’t fair some teams get a break on their schedule by not having to play a tough team. I say fill the 12 game schedule with everyone playing a complete conference schedule! Go Bison!
PS-If we do end up playing UND again there is no way we go there first. I think they should have to come to Fargo at least twice before we make the trip back to Grand Forks. Why? Because we transitioned first and we are national champs!
A home and home series in 2013 and 2014 with UC Davis, SFA, or any other middle of the pack team in a decent conference would be nice. Heck even SUU, EIU, or another OVC team would be nice.
Go Bison
Dewey
Since money is a motivator. To precipitate the UND-NDSU game annually- again .
The legislature needs to pay the road team $125,000. Then they can get this important game going again, and each school can stop whinning about the “need” to schedule money games instead of each other.
PLAY THE GAME !!! The state will pay you for the difference.
Keep the legislature out of college football!! Let the AD’s and coaches do the scheduling, they at least have a clue what they are doing.
wow, quit with your desperation troll fans.
Maybe NDSU and UND can work out a different split of the gate when they play each other? That might make it attractive to get this scheduled. Surely, the FargoDome would sell out for this and bring a boatload of $$$. Vice-versa in GF, too.
On another note, keep watching for the #1 FBS team to meet the #1 FCS next August 31…………. the possibility is growing each week!
Splitting the gate is even less attractive from NDSU’s perspective than a home and home. The Fargodome generates much more money for a football game than the Alerus does just based off the fact that there’s 5,000 extra people there. So splitting the gates would make NDSU share that extra revenue with UND. Won’t happen.
The reason why NDSU is loathe to schedule a home and home with UND is because it takes away the possibility of playing an extra home game and I don’t think they don’t consider UND to be on the same level yet as a Montana or Montana St where scheduling a home and home make sense.
Thanks for the update on Western Carolina Dom! I really hope they are planning on honoring their committment but if the do buy it out the Bison will have a nice chunk of change to entice another out of conference team to come to Fargo.
I believe NDSU and UND should schedule a common opponent and have that opponent play a Friday and Saturday game at the Fargodome and then the Alerus. They could play NDSU on Friday and get crushed and then go up the road to Play UND and get a victory. It is a win win for everyone, oh, except for UND. Go Bison.
Maybe GT is hedging the bet that Western buys out the contract and we still land at 11. If he is, he is smarter than most give him credit for. GO GT, GO BISON
Maybe it would be in our best interest to float a little more cash Western Carolinas way. I wouldn’t mind another road game but 7 home games would be awesome. Und is doing it.
I’m in favor of seven regular-season home games in 2013 and in 2014.
moveon.org seriously people, including YOU dom/kolpack. this is freakin getting ridiculous, NDSU is the defending National Champs and #1 in the nation and you people keep bringing up this subject.
enough already 10 years in 2013 since they played, get over it and please quit with the grand forks stories in the fargo paper and tv, every news at 6pm lately has the grand forks stuff.
its the FARGO FORUM and FARGO TV station. Everyone is sick of it, except for about 50-100 people that keep bringing it up over and over and over and over again.
Izzo is at it again. Funny he isn’t even from the area…. just trying to stir the pot. Both Izzo and Kolpack were chided earlier for going down the und path. Yet they seem to have this fixation on what is not worth NDSU’s pursuing until und becomes more established (competitive). I hope Taylor and Bohl aren’t swayed by these “sportswriter” shenanigans and make scheduling decisions in the best interest of NDSU and Bison football. Now Izzo and Kolpack go find something better to write about.
Please write a follow up article about why NDSU and UNI are having trouble finding games.
Regardless of whether the UND-NDSU game can be rescheduled next year, it needs to happen on annual basis ASAP.
Time to bury the egos on both sides and PLAY THE GAME!
There are far better options. Playing a higher caliber (competitive) game would be more beneficial to NDSU and playing time for the backups, and as others have mentioned this game would do nothing for NDSU recruiting.
By more competitive, you mean playing non-conference games against teams like Robert Morris and Prairie View A&M?
Explain how these teams are better competition and/or help NDSU with recruiting.
Who said NDSU should play programs like Robert Morris and Prairie View? You are jumping to the conclusion that the scheduled team would be a rollover. You need to think in terms of competitive programs though save the head to head with strong programs until the playoffs. However, your favored program (und) would not fit the description of either type of program.
Actually und would better fit the rollover type of program at this time.
Bury the egos? UND lost to Montana State 55-10 how much ego could they possibly have left when it comes to football?
Here’s my suggestion – rent TCF Bank Field or the Metrodome, and play the UND No Names. You can be assured that there would be 40,000 or more people making the trip. Financially a success, and it gets the best rivalry either school will ever have rolling again.
Good reporting on the 12th game, Dom.
NDSU football should play UND hockey. That would be a great game. Play football on the ice and hockey on the football field. Just trying to make light of this constant turn of conversation to NDSU playing UND in football. If it is played and I could care less if it ever does, it should be played only at the Fargodome. That’s it.
They will play when and if they are both part of the same conference. End of story. The first few years I missed the game, now I could care less.
I’ve lived in Fargo for the last 8 years and am a proud Bison season ticket holder. But, I’m originally from Iowa and that state actually has a clue, where as some of you on these message boards just don’t get it. Sorry to burst some of you people’s tiny world view but there are two schools from different conferences that play a rivalry game every year. GASP! Yes Iowa State and Iowa play annual home-and-home series. Guess what? It’s the game most people in the state look forward to all year. Neither team or fan base likes each other and it’s a great source of state pride. That’s right, i said state prisde. Do some of you even know what that looksclike, or are you too caught up in your own fantasy worlds to realize the game is bigger than your petty dislike for this school or that school. The presidents and ADs of both NDSU and UND need to swallow their selfish, arrogant pride and do the game. I don’t know what school started what and I don’t care. Neither does 75% of the reasonable level headed people out there. Robert Morris and Prairie View on the schedule, give me a break! UND even played the School of Mines… wow. I challenge anyone to look me square in the face and tell me either school’s fan base would rather see those games haha! Do a home and home series, charge an extra $20 per ticket and the game still sells out. Everyone makes money, the fans of the state get what they deserve, and may the best team win.
The fargodome has been very good to UND in past match ups, so they probably wouldn’t mind continuing their winning tradition at the dome every year if that idea of only playing in Fargo were to happen.
Hey Tim, you are talking about the good old days for the other school in ND that pretends to play DI football. When was the last game in the FargoDome, ten years ago. NDSU football is on a much higher level in 2012. Live in the past, that is all you and that school have.
While it is true NDSU has a great team, the fact of the matter is you simply don’t know what would happen if UND and NDSU were to play the game.
To get The Bison you have to pay the price. $200,000 or so? If GF puts up the dough NDSU will travel If the don’t they won’t.
A home home is out of the question without a revenue equalizer mechanism.
In the end there is no point to this game. NDSU Is better off doing this with somebody else in a different market.
UND fans can talk all they want about wanting this game to happen but in reality, they are scared to play it. Just like every other team in the midwest is scared to schedule the Bison.
Well Red River, the past is all we have to compare since NDSU is not willing to schedule it. On this blog theres people ripping UND while refusing to play them…that’s tough guy talk right there! Lol. Keep scheduling Nancy State and Patsy U. for your non conference games if it makes you feel better.
Says the guy who claims Big 10/Big 12 teams are “afraid” to come to Fargo…
UND isn’t scared to play the game. They would get up to play the Bison. Right now, the programs are miles apart. NDSU is a national power with many FBS wins, lots if wins over ranked FCS teams, and a national championship. UND is a mediocre team with no FBS wins, a couple wins over ranked FCS teams, and a this year are a team that plays D like a wet paper bag. UND fans can tout their overall record or their fargodome record; but to assume that right now that NDSU would not win by 4 TD’s is just dumb.
To not play the game is just dumb at this point.
You can assume all you want, Jeff. By your reasoning, maybe the rest of the season and playoffs should be cancelled, and just hand out awards based on where teams are ranked right now?
Hey Tim, the fact is NDSU has given Faison two chances to sign a contract to play a game in Fargo, and UND has refused. If the past is all you have, that’s too bad, especially when your past is 10+ years ago. Get with it, 2012 is much different than 2002. How about that landmark win by UND today over who, Southern Utah!
There is nothing wrong with the Bison noconference schedule, look at next year. Kansas State and Montana State. I forgot, you live in the past.