Go to www.inforum.com and click on “Bison Live” on left side.

Now Appalachian State is looking at a move to the FBS level. Not sure if these teams realize just how much money it takes, but they are looking at it nonetheless. Here is the AP story:

BOONE, N.C. (AP) ï¾— Appalachian State has knocked off one of college football’s top teams. Now the Mountaineers are thinking about joining the big boys.

The school, known for its stunning upset of Michigan in 2007 and its three straight national titles last decade, announced Thursday it will evaluate shifting from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision.

The feasibility study could take up to a year.

“With the changing Division I landscape and the unprecedented success that our football program has enjoyed on and off the field in recent years, the time is right to analyze all of our options as a Division I athletics department and football program,” athletic director Charlie Cobb said.

Appalachian State joins fellow Southern Conference member Georgia Southern and Montana in beginning discussions about moving to the FBS.

The Mountaineers won three straight national championships from 2005-07 and have led the FCS in attendance the past three years. Appalachian State, which recently renovated its stadium, is averaging 28,963 fans in two home games this season as it seeks a sixth straight Southern Conference title.

Appalachian State conducted a study about moving up to college football’s top tier in 1998, but decided against it.

“This study is a broad, campus-wide analysis to identify what our options are as a university, athletics department and football program going forward,” Cobb said.

Horizon High head coach Steve Casey said he was shocked today when he learned of rivals.com’s report that quarterback Ryan Stanford and running back Matt Jones had committed to North Dakota State. He had yet to talk to both of them, although that will be coming later this afternoon at the Scottsdale, Ariz., school. (Update, Dom just talked to the quarterback, who said both he and Jones are solid commits).

The 5-10, 200-pound Jones, a 1,000-yard rusher last year, has an offer from Air Force and Colorado invited him to Boulder last year for its Junior Day. NDSU is Stanford’s only offer, although he went to camps at San Diego State and Utah. He’ll leave Horizon holding every school passing record, breaking some marks set by Dax Crum, who while at Wyoming played against the Bison two years ago.

“First of all, North Dakota State is not only getting two good football players, they’re getting great young men,” Casey said.

AzProspects.com has Jones ranked the No. 3 running back in the state and Stanford as the fourth-best quarterback. Through four games, Jones has 55 carries for 497 yards (9.0 yds per carry). Stanford completed 47 of 84 passes for 715 yds. He has 11 touchdown passes with only one interception.

Stanford was 203 of 383 passing last year and has thrown for over 5,000 yards in his career. Meanwhile, if anybody can get Fox TV Arizona somewhere, give us a review of tonight’s game, this from the school’s website:

Watch our
Huskies on TV
Fox Sports Arizona

HHS vs Mesa HS
Thursday,
September 30, 2010
HHS vs Mesa HS
7:00 pm

It’s the live blog from the Fargodome. Participate if you wish:

NDSU vs. South Dakota

NDSU offensive coordinator Brent Vigen joins us again this morning on the Saturday Morning Sports Show, the award-winning program from 9-11 on 970-AM. He’ll be on about 10:05 in another power-packed two hours (love these advertising cliches).

Give us a call if you want to talk Bison football anytime – 701-293-9000. Ask him who the starting quarterback will be because we’ve been muzzled on the issue. Sioux Falls Argus-Leader sportswriter Mick Garry joins us in studio to hear the USD season story. Also: St. Thomas head coach and former Bison assistant Glenn (I recruited Joe Mays, Steve Walker and Mike Dragosavich) Caruso from St. Paul just hours before the Tommies play the Cobbers.

You have to wonder if the NDSU game had something to do with Turner Gill implementing a no-cell policy before games. The following is from a coaching website:

You know those “student fees” that get/got charged onto to your education bill, the following little story illustrates how they add up to support college athletics across the country.

Student Fees for Athletics Add Up, Often Invisibly

Students were charged more than $795 million to support athletics programs at 222 public universities that play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I in 2008-9, up an inflation-adjusted 18 percent since 2005, an analysis by USA Today finds. The newspaper’s review, part of a continuing series of reports on college sports finances, also reveals that some institutions do not disclose their per-student athletics fee charges — which are increasingly subsidizing money-losing athletics programs — on their billing statements, websites or in other official school publications. Student athletics fees are typically charged to offset the costs of subsidized or free tickets to events for students, but students (or their parents) pay them even if the students don’t (or can’t) go to the games.

It took until the fourth quarter before the offense looked like an offense. And as Old Guy said in a previous post, the offensive line is one of the most dreadful to this point in his 41 years of watching football.

Yet, this team is still 2-1, has given up just one touchdown in three games and is ranked in the top 25. So what side of the glass do you fall on: half full or half empty?

Check it out at www.inforum.com and click on “Bison live” tab on left side.

Good to do a radio show and stay in Fargo for a change. Here’s what’s up on the Saturday Morning Sports Show from 9-11 on WDAY-AM 970:

NDSU head volleyball coach Erich Hinterstocker joins us in the first hour. In the second, Bison offensive coordinator Brent Vigen right after the top of the hour and later, WDAY’s Trevor Peterson and The Forum’s Eric Peterson — both on their way to Collegeville, Minn., — discuss the Cobbers at St. John’s annual clash. Also trying to click in with somebody from the RedHawks if the cobwebs are not too terrible.

Your calls are always welcome — 239-9000 or 800-279-9329 or email the studio at talk@wday.com.