NDSU has turned down the CUSA before

NDSU has been wanting a Mountain West Invite for Years.

MAC has an opening.

NDSU would come to the MAC if the MAC publicly invited NDSU & allow NDSU to keep their current "LOCAL" media deal (which shouldn't affect MAC's media deal)


NDSU would bring National Pub to the MAC, and ALL Sports !!! (Daily Flights Chicago to Fargo or Minneapolis to Fargo makes it easy)

NDSU has a $450-500 Million Endowment, State of the ART Indoor Practice Facility, the Fargodome seats 18,700 and is plenty big for MAC. NDSU has played 1 game in Minneapolis 2 times in last 5 years and could do this again.

NDSU has a FBS Coach now (from Wyoming/Iowa) and the Fanbase is bored with FCS watering down and D2 teams moving up, etc.

NDSU Tailgating is better than anything MAC has ever seen.

Its definitely more possible than what it has ever been.

However is NDSU going to see of the MWC takes a hit over the 2PAC rebuild first? Would they prefer a damaged MWC over the MAC?

(02-27-2024 12:06 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU has turned down the CUSA before

NDSU has been wanting a Mountain West Invite for Years.

MAC has an opening.

NDSU would come to the MAC if the MAC publicly invited NDSU & allow NDSU to keep their current "LOCAL" media deal (which shouldn't affect MAC's media deal)


NDSU would bring National Pub to the MAC, and ALL Sports !!! (Daily Flights Chicago to Fargo or Minneapolis to Fargo makes it easy)

NDSU has a $450-500 Million Endowment, State of the ART Indoor Practice Facility, the Fargodome seats 18,700 and is plenty big for MAC. NDSU has played 1 game in Minneapolis 2 times in last 5 years and could do this again.

NDSU has a FBS Coach now (from Wyoming/Iowa) and the Fanbase is bored with FCS watering down and D2 teams moving up, etc.

NDSU Tailgating is better than anything MAC has ever seen.

Quite a few tweets about it let's hope so

(02-27-2024 12:15 PM)Garden_KC Wrote:  Its definitely more possible than what it has ever been.

However is NDSU going to see of the MWC takes a hit over the 2PAC rebuild first? Would they prefer a damaged MWC over the MAC?

Who knows to be honest!
MAC being on Tues/Wed nights really hurts.
MWC could get alot worse

(02-27-2024 12:35 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 12:15 PM)Garden_KC Wrote:  Its definitely more possible than what it has ever been.

However is NDSU going to see of the MWC takes a hit over the 2PAC rebuild first? Would they prefer a damaged MWC over the MAC?

Who knows to be honest!
MAC being on Tues/Wed nights really hurts.
MWC could get alot worse

I'd say right now NDSU is #2 behind WKU for the open spot because of that strong FB tradition. Makes more sense than pulling in an average BB/FB team from the MVC in Illinios State which only has a 13k seater.

WKU is good in FB and BB relative to the MAC. Kill two birds with one stone.

NDSU BB in the MAC however would be ok. Create easy wins for the other programs.

(02-27-2024 12:06 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU has turned down the CUSA before

NDSU has been wanting a Mountain West Invite for Years.

MAC has an opening.

Are NDSU fans and/or administrators tired of watching lesser schools move up to FBS while they stay put? You all have dominated FCS but are still stuck there. Now it will cost you $5 million to move from FCS to FBS without including FBS conference entrance fees. But the media $$ and CFP are worth more than any deals in FCS system.

(02-27-2024 12:06 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would come to the MAC if the MAC publicly invited NDSU & allow NDSU to keep their current "LOCAL" media deal (which shouldn't affect MAC's media deal)

ESPN would obviously want NDSU home games in November. As for any others not picked up by ESPN or CBS Sports Network: I would think the MAC would work with NDSU to do what's best for the school. Years ago, the MAC used to put some games on over-the-air stations in our footprint. I can't imagine the conference office in Cleveland objecting to that for any school that felt it important to get its games on local TV.

I love seeing an NDSU fan with some interest in the MAC. I'd love to have NDSU. I've long had the feeling they would rather be in the Mountain West.

$5 million is nothing in the grand scheme of athletics right now. the AD we currently have is an idiot for not doing this the past 10 years when the entry fee was $5000 but we digress.

NDSU all sports into the MAC brings that money back with a couple BIG 10, BIG 12 Away games or Big Dance $$$ in a year or 2

I know nothing about the financial ramifications but would like to get NDSU. Of course, NIU is the closest school to them (though still not close) so that's part of it.

Yeah, NIU is the closest, but not as close to NDSU as Buffalo is to UMass. The "Fly to farther, bus to closer, bus home" and "bus to closer, bus to farther, fly home" has a six hour middle leg for Buffalo/UMass and a 9hr middle leg for NIU/NDSU.

I'd reckon that MAC AD's would prefer the "one flight for two adds" pair of WKU/Buffalo, where the only school that might fly to WKU is Buffalo, and they don't have to fly to UMass.

(02-27-2024 01:16 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  $5 million is nothing in the grand scheme of athletics right now. the AD we currently have is an idiot for not doing this the past 10 years when the entry fee was $5000 but we digress.

NDSU all sports into the MAC brings that money back with a couple BIG 10, BIG 12 Away games or Big Dance $$$ in a year or 2

Could probably tack on the cost of women's hockey, as well. If you go FBS, there's no way you add FB scholarships without getting sued, considering your title IX situation and prong 3 and all.

While I'd be delighted to see North Dakota State in the MAC because I know what a wonderful football program they'd developed out there, I also don't have to pay for the travel, and I don't know how much the addition would move the needle for ESPN. (Fargo is not Boston, for example.)

This would likely work better with at least one other Dakota school as a travel partner for NDSU -- and given this is the case, the MAC probably would need to lose a couple of schools before the conference would realistically be looking at the Dakotas to reload. Departures do not seem imminent, so it may be that NDSU needs to just wait for something to open up in the Mountain West.

(02-28-2024 05:24 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  While I'd be delighted to see North Dakota State in the MAC because I know what a wonderful football program they'd developed out there, I also don't have to pay for the travel, and I don't know how much the addition would move the needle for ESPN. (Fargo is not Boston, for example.)

This would likely work better with at least one other Dakota school as a travel partner for NDSU -- and given this is the case, the MAC probably would need to lose a couple of schools before the conference would realistically be looking at the Dakotas to reload. Departures do not seem imminent, so it may be that NDSU needs to just wait for something to open up in the Mountain West.

Ultimately it's up to big daddy espn. What they want they will get

Dakotas to MAC not happening IMO.

--MAC does not want anymore FB onlys

--MAC presidents would "freak out" when they saw the travel bill (they've got UMASS travel cost to worry about)

--MAC is not adding TWO (SDSU/NDSU tied together)

Chance? 2%

IMO that NIU will remain the MAC's western edge. Football travel is only four road games per season, but the cost for Oly sports would be horrendous in tight budgets with more western growth, even Missouri State.

If I was throwing darts and a center hit counted for real per an add for #14, I would pick Stony Brook with FCS>FBS. WKU would be my second.

(02-28-2024 06:27 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Dakotas to MAC not happening IMO.

--MAC does not want anymore FB onlys

--MAC presidents would "freak out" when they saw the travel bill (they've got UMASS travel cost to worry about)

--MAC is not adding TWO (SDSU/NDSU tied together)

Chance? 2%

I agree 100% with this. Why? Miami didn't even want Arizona State, a P2 school, to join them in the NCHC (in hockey), because of travel costs... and this was for a single sport rather than every single sport.

(02-28-2024 06:47 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  IMO that NIU will remain the MAC's western edge. Football travel is only four road games per season, but the cost for Oly sports would be horrendous in tight budgets with more western growth, even Missouri State.

If I was throwing darts and a center hit counted for real per an add for #14, I would pick Stony Brook with FCS>FBS. WKU would be my second.

WKU is already an FBS school, and they are a bus ride away for almost all MAC schools -- I don't see going past WKU if they are available.

But it might be possible to do travel partner scheduling with UMass/StonyBrook --- at least easier than UMass/Delaware -- so it might be made to work if Stony Brook is letting the MAC know they have found $5m in the couch cushions and they want to step up to play FBS football.

I like WKU, but NDSU would be a huge get for the MAC.

MAC needs to position itself to become the premier G5 conference. Geographic breadth, diversification and athletics/academic depth. Need to be offensive against heavily weighted P5 NIL alluring. NDSU adds a brand strength that any G5 FBS conference would love. Same with U of Montana.

MAC needs to direct a lot of focus on who it’s transitioned to the NFL. Too many kids right now joining heavy NIL P5 schools but will never be developed nor get a shot at the NFL. MAC - better odds.