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Post by yotefan on Oct 15, 2010 12:36:33 GMT -6
JackJD, Thanks for refreshing my memory. I was at the presentation in Farber Hall in 2001 and found Prof. Satterlee to be right on the mark.
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Post by yotefan on Oct 14, 2010 9:00:16 GMT -6
The BOR needs to make this a 3 month decision at most and I agree with previous posters, this decision does not preclude either university from fundraising in the interim.
The BOR is an interesting group with a lot to consider and I appreciate that, but if they are concerned about their bottom line, why don't they look at trimming down the 6 school system and making it a 4 or 5 school system?
SDSU has a terrific professor (whose name eludes me now) who has done a lot of population models and cost-benefit analysis studies as it relates to the outward migration from rural America, in particular in South Dakota.
One of his talking points was how to re-structure county governments and the services they provide while still maintaining a robust economy in multiple communities within a county. His point ultimately was figuring out how to provide services strategically so as to provide the maximum amount of services for the least amount of cost.
An example he gave was building a new high school that serves multiple communities in town A. Town B and town C would be close enough to bus students or have older students drive. Town A derives the benefit of having the school. Town B has the court house and enjoys the underlying benefits while A and C do not. Town C may get the new elementary and middle school or a new hospital and so on.
Say what you want about Governor Janklow, but the decision to close the USD-Springfield Campus has proven to be quite wise given the economy. It didn't hurt anyone's ability to get an education in SD and it didn't hurt USD one bit. It was a decision that ultimately stream-lined the Regental system and improved higher education in SD.
In light of our current economic situation, I am shocked no one has pushed harder for this discussion in SD given our low population and the number of post-secondary education opportunities we offer publicly (6 state schools, tech-schools, University Center) and are available privately (DWU, USF, Augie, etc...).
SDSU, USD, and SDSM&T service unique and distinct roles in the educational landscape in SD. Dakota State, Northern and BH do as well, but do so on a regional basis and to the detriment of the other 3 schools. If you look at our state as the professor from SDSU did, as a big county, we have too many mouths feeding at the trough. One or possibly two of those three schools could and should become satellite campuses for the remaining schools, while trimming the amount of money these institutions drain from the remaining schools.
Our society is far more mobile than we were 50-60 years ago. Driving across SD no longer requires a huge time committment or getting on a bus or train like it did when some of these institutions came in to being. Smart classrooms with satellite link-ups to classrooms across the state or the world were outside the realm of possibility, but they are the norm today.
Enrollments are up across the board in SD, but people tend to look at obtaining more education whenever the economy is down. Those students enrolled at Dakota State, Northern, and BH could still get their degrees and a quality education, they would just do so under the auspices and within the degree parameters of the bigger schools academic programs.
It's time for the BOR to start running like a business and to start making decisions accordingly. If one part of a company is hurting the others and resources could be better utilized elsewhere or absorbed in to a stronger department it would happen in a second in the private sector. It would result in a stronger regental system and a much stronger USD at the end of the day.
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Post by yotefan on Oct 13, 2010 14:52:37 GMT -6
The college football attendance in neighboring states is not affected by pheasant opener because they have more people and fewer pheasants than we do. South Dakota is the Mecca, the epicenter, the end all, be all for pheasant hunters.
It's becase we are one of the last states that hasn't drain-tiled the hell out of everything (that is, until the Hefty brothers have their way) and we do more than any other state to build our bird numbers.
Opening weekend in South Dakota ranks up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas for most pheasant hunters. For us, it's more about family and friends you haven't and likely won't see all year except THIS one weekend. In our group of 20 we have people coming from 7 states.
I have 15 straight D-Days under my belt, far fewer than a lot of you, but I have double that for my unbroken streak of openers.
If I were tailgating this weekend, I would make it a point to have a beer with Yote53. He gets the job done and has a great crew of Coyote fans. Big weekend for USD. There will be a large contingent in Pierre watching on Midcontinent hoping we avenge the previous two losses to UNI. Go Yotes!
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Post by yotefan on Oct 7, 2010 9:04:36 GMT -6
I agree with Yote53, the Dome is capped. You can't expect to have more than 10,000 people at the Dome when there is no where to put people. You get in to the 9,500 to 9,800 range and it's packed in there. Simply put, if you build it they will come (within reason that is).
Currently there is really only one main entrance and one main exit in terms of getting in to the Dome and in to the bleachers for students. That is unacceptable and having a more fan friendly experience for students and additional fans on the west side would put more fans in the seats.
Last Saturday there were more students than the bleachers could hold so kids had to stand in the endzone and by the concession area near the student section.
Watch any Coyote game footage and you can see 7-8 rows worth of bleachers behind the Coyote bench that could be holding students, but aren't due to space limitations to accomodate the team. Also, those students sitting behind our team got in through only one means, the stairs by the concession area and had to shuffle their way along 6-7 rows of bleachers in and around other fans. There should be multiple ways to access this entire section and they should have some choice seating right on the field.
The problem is how to expand seating without compromising one of the premier indoor tracks in the region. I trust the engineers to figure that one out. Perhaps a combination of permanent seats and bleachers that pull out or having the track run under an over-hanging portion of the new grandstands. Who knows, just make it happen.
Coyotefan is right, 16,000 would be a great crowd in the Dome and that's the capacity any renovation should shoot for. The word I have heard is red seats are one of David's priorities in the near future.
As for basketball, I agree with previous posters, you don't want to build a facility you outgrow in a few years, but like others have said you don't want a cavernous environment devoid of life when you aren't playing a regional rival or big-time program. Intimate setting with good sight lines, steep bleachers, classic feel (i.e. Cameron Crazies) with banners in the rafters etc...., should be and is the goal. David has talked about having a Coyote Sports Hall of Fame between the Dome and the arena.
When attending the UNI games, I liked being able to watch the football game from a top one of their endzones near the breezeway between the McLeod Center and UNI Dome...we could likely do the very same thing.
Exciting times for sure. Join the Howling Pack for $25-$50 a month and help make it happen. You're helping USD and you're helping your own cause when it comes to securing good seats in the future.
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Post by yotefan on Oct 6, 2010 10:33:24 GMT -6
There is no doubt T. Denny was at the USD v. Minn., they honored him at half time and 50,000 people saw his smiling mug on the jumbo-tron.
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Post by yotefan on Oct 1, 2010 12:20:44 GMT -6
I wasn't sure if that was a letter to Montana fans from O'day or the late night ramblings of someone who had too much to drink. For someone whose self-professed motto is to remove emotion from the situation he sure sounds like a homer to me. If I were President Engstrom I would have had someone proof read my AD's letter before he sent that mess out to the general public. Poor grammar and some poor logic in more than a few areas.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 30, 2010 14:28:11 GMT -6
Yotemeal started a thread called Happy D-Days in which I gave a little toast. Enjoy... I lost my voice in Minny, but I got it back in Verm Didn't have much to cheer for when I watched the Rangers squirm I lost it again in Lincoln, where I was a bit confused To cheer for State or the Huskers, it must have been the booze I hope to lose it once again this Saturday after two When we kick the ever-loving snot out of North Dakota's Sioux
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Post by yotefan on Sept 30, 2010 14:26:31 GMT -6
Yotemeal, I was imagining raising a beer with you at Carey's when I made that proclamation. Your plan sounds surprisingly similiar to mine and about 50 other Coyote fans coming from Sioux Falls. Going to be a show. Here's a toast for the weekend... I lost my voice in Minny, but I got it back in Verm Didn't have much to cheer for when I watched the Rangers squirm I lost it again in Lincoln, where I was a bit confused To cheer for State or the Huskers, it must have been the booze I hope to lose it once again this Saturday after two When we kick the ever-loving snot out of North Dakota's Sioux
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Post by yotefan on Sept 30, 2010 13:04:07 GMT -6
So far this week I have talked to a lot of regular USD supporters who are bringing either their kids or their friends or both to the parade, tail-gate and the game on Saturday.
I have also talked to a suprising number of friends and acquaintances who went to USD, but were never that interested in athletics who are now starting to take an interest in the 'Yotes and plan on attending.
Starting to get excited for Saturday and for things to come. Happy D-Days!
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 15:30:46 GMT -6
AD Sayler confirmed his preference for the afforementioned Summit and MV Divisions in his Argus Leader live chat today. Certainly sounds like things are moving ahead.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 13:41:04 GMT -6
In an effort to avoid too much thread drift, the original question I asked was "does anyone think there are too many FCS schools as it is?"
I asked this question in the broader context of USD's conference discussions. The reason I did so wasn't due to a belief that because USD has more students means we are better than the aforementioned schools. The point was that the four Dakota schools don't require hopping on google for 99.99% of America to know who or where they are when their name rolls across the bottom of the ESPN ticker.
Additionally, the question was made because one of the many reasons cited for moving to D-1 by all 4 Dakota schools was the perceived watering down of D-2 sports, in particular football, and the desire to gain more program and university exposure.
With USF and several state supported institutions petitioning to fill that void in SD, I think this question has even more merit. You can bet folks in Mankato and Omaha tend to look at these would-be newcomers as being on a different level than they are.
I feel as if USD and the other Dakota schools are looked at in the same way now that they are in D-1 and in some cases rightfuly so, however in another sense, that shouldn't be the case.
I don't think the casual sports fan is as well versed as our friends Nidaros and Cap'N Cat when it comes to FCS football. And although USD fans are learning to "speak the language of FCS" as Yote53 would put it, most aren't as fervent as those on this board when it comes to supporting their respective schools.
The other point that has been lost in translation is this, simply because we are new to D-1 and lack an FCS tradition does not mean that all the prior years in the NCC as a D-2 school and prior when USD would regularly play Big 10 and Big 12 schools and even Notre Dame is null and void.
Whether you agree USD is late to the D-1 party or you feel they are right on time is a moot point now. We are here, we have not yet fully arrived simply because we beat Minnesota, but we are going to make some noise and hopefully sooner, rather than later, earn a place amongst the FCS elite.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 12:04:23 GMT -6
USD should not be considered a small fish in the "Big FCS pond" just because we are new to FCS. Lehigh has around 7,000 students. Furman and Colgate have around 2,800. USD currently is just below 10,000 students and we are the smallest of the 4 Dakota schools.
Roman, I am not even going to get that debate started again because everyone has an opinion on the topic and we plowed that ground enough on the old board. The fact is, USD is D-1 now and we need to make the most of it. As a supporter of the move to D-1 I hope you're a member of the Howling Pack too. We need everyone we can get.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 9:30:04 GMT -6
Nidaros...or should I say Rain-man, If you truly didn't have to google those answers you need to go on Jeopardy. 99.99% of America has no clue who or where those schools are.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 8:12:38 GMT -6
Does anyone else think there are already too many FCS schools as it is?
We have schools like Prairie View, Stoney Brook, Furman, Colgate, Austin Peay, Bucknell, Lehigh, etc..? Even Lamar, who we'll play to end our season. (yes, I know they have played well so far this year) But, none of these schools can match the history that the 4 Dakota schools have for all sports, let alone for football.
My point, can anyone here list where the 8 non-Dakota FCS schools I listed above are without using Google?
Yes, some of them have good teams this year, but they don't have the tradition or the name recognition that comes with being a UXD or XDSU. Adding more FCS schools just detracts from who's already there.
And yes Bison and Jack fans, we royally screwed up by not going D-1 at the same time you did.
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Post by yotefan on Sept 23, 2010 7:52:44 GMT -6
Touchdown Tommy Flanagan is a cross between Wes Welker and Wee-man.
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