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Post by Yotes on Apr 5, 2024 17:07:03 GMT -6
That track around the football field looks like dirt and has at least one car on it. Did they pick up the track surface in the offseason? Surely they weren't running events on that?
I got to campus about 30 years after the Dome opened. It's nuts to me looking at this picture and thinking about how I should be able to see the library addition, Churchill-Haines, Beacom, and the Law School. About the only part of this picture that hasn't been built over is the playing field itself I think. When I was in school they did have a marker placed at the old 50 to help preserve some memory of Inman.
I feel like I've heard a story about that observatory in the bottom left corner. Something about it still standing somewhere else today. Does anyone know about that?
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Post by Yotes on Apr 3, 2024 11:26:18 GMT -6
What do you mean? Vermillion has everything a student-athlete needs. A couple pizza joints, a Walmart, and a few hotels for the parents. haha I do feel bad for the WR group, but at least these last 2 WR coaches have been very high quality people and coaches. Unfortunately at this level you see a lot of movement because FCS is typically a stepping stone for FBS or guys that want to be head coaches at some point. But from a football facility standpoint, USD has it going on and plays in a dome which is huge for warm weather recruits. Plus $$ talks and kids will come if they are getting significant scholarship offers from a D1 FCS program, so a lot of the town amenities are overlooked when school is being paid for. Coach Nielsen has a ton of respect from his peers and obviously has done a wonderful job of holding it together through all the hills and valleys. I agree. The difference between the two towns is negligible to a student. I spent a semester at Daktronics on internship and it felt no different than being in Vermillion. The only thing they had that I missed after leaving was Taco Express but that has since disappeared. There's also enough incredibly successful schools in remote areas and awful schools in major cities to show that recruiting goes a lot deeper than a city's amenities.
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Post by Yotes on Apr 3, 2024 11:06:37 GMT -6
Definitely true on the media market part. But the Valley doesn’t gain much within the KC or Omaha markets that is doesn’t already have. In Omaha you’re competing with Creighton and UNL for fans. Omaha has the facilities but lacks the fan interest at the moment. In KC you’re competing with Kansas, K-state, Missouri, Missouri state. You secure the market but are you really gaining league recognition. KC lacks the facilities and also the fan interest. It’s the same situation that the Summit is in, we have some big markets but no one really cares about the summit because there’s just no interest in the teams. Now if those two teams were to start continuously building buzz around their programs I think they get in to the valley. But i think the valley looks towards St Paul before it looks towards the others. When the MVC lost Loyola they added a pretty bad UIC program just to keep a Chicago presence. I think it has little to do with market share and more to do with profile and recruiting. It's a lot more attractive to have a team located in Omaha or KC than Vermillion or Brookings.
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Post by Yotes on Apr 1, 2024 16:38:08 GMT -6
The landscape is ever changing, but I suspect that if any of these MN schools wanted to be D1 in all sports it would have happened many years ago. They're probably content having their biggest sport at the D1 level.
I hope the league can add at least one new member in the next couple years. Things may begin looking a bit dire if we have even one defection without a replacement. Also 9 is an inconvenient number of members.
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Post by Yotes on Apr 1, 2024 15:31:55 GMT -6
Anyone with success has usually been one foot out the door. The only one on the men's side who didn't bolt after some success has been NDSU's coach. No one would want him currently though if he was looking to leave. Probably not since he has been in Fargo basically his entire career.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 31, 2024 8:10:11 GMT -6
I've always wondered which Minnesota schools would be viable. Mankato seems like the best choice. Duluth and St Cloud seem worth looking at.
But then there's the football problem. The MVFC won't take them and I doubt they want to drop scholarships.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 28, 2024 18:33:32 GMT -6
From what I can infer it seems like they are done with high school sports and original programming (e.g. Midco Sports Magazine). That's rough because I know they are giving coverage and telling stories that no one else would. No one ever touches our region and MidcoSN was putting a spotlight on it.
Smaller colleges surely will get less coverage. Am I reading correctly that MidcoSN had a broadcaster dedicated to Augustana hockey, a very long time Midco employee, and have let him go during their inaugural season?
Seeing anyone let go stinks tremendously. Every broadcast I've ever tuned into has been absolute top quality. The money can't be great though. Even big regional sports networks with pro deals are going bankrupt.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 27, 2024 12:52:31 GMT -6
I saw a star freshman for Harvard has entered the portal. I can't imagine what my mother would have done to me if I ditched Harvard to prioritize basketball.
Truly no one is safe from this monster.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 25, 2024 14:23:48 GMT -6
How much "NIL" money do you think he is looking at? It's hard for me to feel informed on this topic, I've seen so many nonsensical amounts being thrown at guys in higher conferences, but would he be looking at a 6-figure payday? If I were 21 with very limited pro prospects it would be very challenging to turn down the payday.
It stinks, but how do we fight this as the "small fish".
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Post by Yotes on Mar 24, 2024 10:42:07 GMT -6
I also think that some of those close games weren't all that close. If we regress this year I don't think it will be because of bad fortune in close games.
Lots to replace on defense. Remains to be seen whether our offense can become a real threat. Last year it seemed the offense benefited greatly from a stout defense that was usually able to take care of themselves and get off the field, keeping pressure on the opponent's defense. However when the defense did need a sustained offensive drive it usually wasn't there, making the game unravel in a hurry. It seems unrealistic to expect a 2023 level defense, so the offense is going to have to become more dynamic or we could be looking at a big step back.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 22, 2024 20:40:24 GMT -6
Yotes win 72-57. Hosting Northern Arizona on Tuesday at 7.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 22, 2024 20:35:20 GMT -6
I haven't thought about this guy in a couple years. Forgot he existed honestly. Watching March Madness and I see his name in the starting lineup for James Madison against Wisconsin. Had to think of where I knew that name from.
No commentary. Just sharing for anyone else in my boat.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 22, 2024 18:40:57 GMT -6
Has the WNIT always gone up against March Madness? Friday night home game also seems very unusual. Tough sell to me.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 20, 2024 11:15:32 GMT -6
Stanley had his NBA start last night at Boston! Played 34 min, 10 pts, 3-7 fgs, 6 rbs,1 asst, 3-3 fts, 1 to and 3 fouls. A pretty effective night. I hope he keeps progressing. If he keeps putting up solid nights like this, he's going to stay. I hope you are right. You have to remember just how bad the Pistons are though.
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Post by Yotes on Mar 12, 2024 16:51:48 GMT -6
The ultimate demise of the SLT in Sioux Falls won't be because of how many USD fans show up or don't show up. It will be because of creating an inflexible situation (location, schedule, sponsorship, and ticket practices). Like anything that isn't allowed to be flexible, it will break. The league gives every school outside of the Dakota schools a reason to look for a different conference. There is no reason not to rotate it ever 3rd or 4th year to a Minneapolis, KC, Omaha, etc. (Thought it would be worse for me personally) For years I've been convinced that no one outside of the Dakotas wants to be in this conference. Everyone is always looking elsewhere. If rotating the conference tournament is what it takes to retain Denver/UMKC/UNO/UST then it should be considered. This league always feels a domino away from collapsing.
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