Tag Archives: NDSU

Quick Update

Posted on by

NDSU may yet play a 6th home game in 2013.

The hope for an 6th home game and 11th overall game still lives for NDSU as of this Monday. Spoke with NDSU Athletic Director Gene Taylor tonight who told me he’s had some receptive conversations with “an East Coast FCS school” about coming to Fargo for a 6th home game.  He would not be more specific than that but said he’s feeling a bit more optimistic about making this game happen and be in Fargo.

I’m sure it has to be frustrating to see other schools schedule not just one but two “non-counters” on their schedules; like Northern Colorado; playing two D-2 schools to begin the season. I also asked Taylor about how many options are out there that are still looking for games and he told me there are “numerous” teams that we don’t know that still have schedules open; and he has broached the idea of paying a school that is already playing a D-2 to get out of that game and come and play NDSU; but that may be a last option.

Some really good reading for you diehards tonight; first from the Springfield; Missouri newspaper; which reads that Loyola was a unanimous choice to get into the Missouri Valley; that will become official on Friday.  Also; Joe Scalzo; who does a great job of covering Youngstown State has some interesting perspective from what can only be described as a “tough” offseason for FCS; from the Barry Alvarez no-more FCS comments; to GSU and App State leaving and the fight for recognition nationally. It’s worth a read; folks. 

Taylor added to me that no conversations have been held with him about the Horizon League; adding that Oakland has publicly stated they are not leaving the Summit League; but with Loyola’s movement on Friday; and the movement of Davidson to the A-10 later this week; we can expect something by the end of the month on that front in my opinion. New video blog with Jeff and I coming tomorrow.

Who’s It Going To Be?

Posted on by

I have to start this blog post with an apology.  I’m sorry for the endless barrages of tweets and blog posts about football scheduling; I had NO idea that it was going to drag on like it has and to the point where the faithful readers of this blog have ruined their free time by scouring the internet for FCS schools with open dates that match up with NDSU.  Gene Taylor and Brian Gordon have been working the phones feverishly over the past month and I know there’s a game coming with a school that’s not included on the Izzo Notebook.

The Izzo Scheduling Notebook

For the record there were 3 more teams to wipe away from September 14th; Bucknell released its schedule and has 9/14 listed as an open date; while Marist and Georgetown will play one another. According to my unofficial list; that leaves Duquesne and San Diego, and they could very well play another. Now that doesn’t mean there are NO teams left and NDSU will only play 10 games. There are two definites I know: the Mets will always be bad and there’s no way NDSU plays 10 games this season. There’s also no way NDSU plays a D-2, D-3 or NAIA school. There are FCS schools that have those non-counters on their schedules that would drop those games for the right price to either come to Fargo and recoup that money from a home game or host the 2-time defending champions; and with it being a year that you can play 12 games that has to work in NDSU’s favor of finding an FCS opponent. I think beyond a road game as the last option would be to play another FBS opponent; and that has to be beyond the last option, considering then your first two games would both be on the road against a BCS Top 25 team and another very good opponent. I don’t care how good you think your team will be; you can’t have your squad beat all to heck before you even start conference play. Want an example? Look at Northern Iowa last year; 0-2 right from the get-go and out of the playoffs by the end of September; with multiple key guys out of the lineup.

Nothing new to report on the Horizon front since last Thursday, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening; these things take to time to develop and then boom…I’d say go out and enjoy the weather; but that’s a lost cause right now. More updates to come!

Help On The Horizon?

Posted on by

Final Four weekend is notorious for coaches getting together to negotiate for new jobs, but it appears this year it’s about schools negotiating for new leagues. Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette reports that it’s a “done deal” that Oakland will be invited and accept an invitation into the Horizon League. For faithful readers of the blog this should not shock anyone, but its timing couldn’t be any worse, there’s no timetable on when this will happen, but this is just another blow for the Summit League. The story, which you can read here also says that the league may consider adding UMKC and/or Denver, and not likely to add the Indiana schools; IPFW or IUPUI (which I thought would be a slam dunk for the league). Now of note; a majority of the current Horizon which reads like this: UW-Milwaukee; UW-Green Bay, Valparaiso, Wright State, Cleveland State, Loyola(IL), Detroit and Youngstown State have been mentioned for other leagues, namely Detroit (A-10) and Loyola (MVC). If they lose any other schools, I have to figure they’ll look for the Dakotas; remember most of the schools that are in the Horizon, came from the Summit League. According to RPI Report.com, the Horizon had an RPI rating of 12 this past season, ahead of the WAC, Sun Belt, MAC and Ohio Valley, all leagues considered better than the Summit, along with a recognizable name; that’s thanks to Butler; since BU made the Final 4 twice as a member of the Horizon, they’re also enjoying the NCAA Tournament shares from that. Finally, the TV exposure is much greater in this league, there is nearly a game or 2 a week on the ESPN networks from this league, I believe they have a Friday night contract with the Mothership. This to me would be a no-brainer if they called NDSU or SDSU, but the real question, does the Horizon want to come this far west? The furthest they go right now is Green Bay, but NDSU has played a handful of Horizon teams, including, the Wisconsin schools, who have come to Fargo, along with Youngstown State. Something to definitely watch.

It appears as well that the Missouri Valley has found its replacement for Creighton, several sources are reporting that Illinois-Chicago will be invited to become the 10th school, the question there-in do they ask anybody else?

Bison Video Blog: Easter Sunday Ramblings

Posted on by

Hope everyone had a great holiday and spent time with family and friends, some really interesting news to share tonight on the ramblings led off by the fact that the Missouri Valley Conference has a planned visit for UMKC this week as a possible candidate to replace Creighton. No April Fools there either folks, it’s the real deal. It’s just weird to type that! But they are being considered according to the Kansas City Star; along with Valparaiso, Illinois-Chicago and Loyola(IL). More on that in the blog; along with James Madison’s chances of heading to FBS. Last and not least, the 5 players I’m watching to have a big spring as practice begins tomorrow, Jeff and I will be there to start our coverage with a new blog.

Slim Pickings

Posted on by

Hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend, have a deluge of video and info coming over the next couple of days as we get set for the opening of Spring Football for NDSU. Wanted to give an update on the FCS teams left by my count that have open dates for September 7th, September 14th and November 2nd. By this time, most schools have filled up their schedules, leading me to think that besides game 11 for NDSU being a road game, there is a slight(and I say slight) chance that perhaps game 11 is another FBS game. Here’s my unofficial list (you’ve all seen the notebooks!)

September 7th: Texas Southern, San Diego and Wagner

September 14th: Duquesne, Robert Morris, Bucknell, Georgetown, Marist and San Diego

November 2nd: Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Duquesne, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis and Wagner

You’ll recognize most of these schools are familiar; the Northeast Conference hasn’t put out its schedule yet, but you have to believe some of these dates are going to disappear as well. NDSU is in a tough spot here, there’s few teams to talk to unless a team that already has a scheduled game for 9/7 or 9/14 wants to get out of it; say if they’re playing a D-2 to get another counter, but those may be far and few between.  NDSU will not play just 10 games, they will get another and it won’t be D2, it will be a counter, now its left to find out if its FCS or FBS. We’ll keep you posted.

 

Western Kentucky Football

There was some conference movement on this Saturday; Western Kentucky; the school that left the former Gateway now Missouri Valley to allow NDSU and SDSU in, will leave the Sun Belt after 5 short years and head to Conference USA. That opening was created when Tulsa left for what is the old Big East. Don’t think too hard or blood will spurt out of your ears.  Basically the old Big East is what Conference USA used to be and CUSA is what the Sun Belt looked like about 2 years ago. With the additons of Georgia Southern, App State, New Mexico State and Idaho, the Sun Belt stands at 11, you know they want an even number and you know they’ll be looking at the FCS for their next team. ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reports that James Madison and Liberty are strong candidates to fill that last spot. JMU makes all the sense in the world, great stadium, rock solid school and really good football team. The Dukes play in a stadium that seats 25K and have had great success at the FCS level, winning the 2004 title. I thought James Madison was the toughest team NDSU played on its way to the 2011 national championship, they were well coached and outside of their kicker kicking it out of bounds twice, that was a fairly close game. JMU just saw two of its FCS rivals leave in App State and Georgia Southern, not to mention CAA rival and in-state school Old Dominion move up in about 20 seconds. James Madison is another school that should cause NDSU to think harder about FBS, this is another recognizable school on the 1-AA level that would be gone.