NDSU, in Fargo, ND, is entering its exploratory season in 2003. The big stumbling block is conference affiliation. The Big Sky is a possibility and so is the Gateway, but that would only solve the football affiliation. Its possible South Dakota State will join NDSU. Does anybody out there have any idea what conference ties might be possible or sound interesting?

big sky is most likely, even though it's a bit of a hike from sacramento state to north dakota. the sky wants to get back to 9 teams, not just for the balance of schedule but to hedge against the possibility of montana leaving for division 1-A in the next 5-10 years.

the gateway seems less likely to me.

I was checking out a site devoted to Football Helmets and the guy running the site includes brief info on teams moving conferences and he mentions that North Dakota St. and Northern Colorado would make the move in 2004 to jump to 1-AA.

He's right, and we are waiting for the decision by South Dakota State University too. If they decide to move, and confrence affiliation is their big stumbling block as well, that makes 3 teams leaving the North Central Conference for D1.

There is speculation that a new conference could be formed. Does anybody have any speculative insight into that?

possibly. ndsu, sdsu, northern colorado and southern utah are a regional fit, more or less. and st. mary's and cal poly could join, making six. that is enough in division 1-aa. but unless the ncaa would consent to give an automatic bid to the conference winner, it would be pointless. the pioneer league could definitely take any of the teams new to 1-aa. someone closer to san diego would help cut down on travel costs.

did i hear somewhere that se louisiana is going to pick up football again?

As of right now, here's what I know:

Coastal Carolina and SE Louisiana are both joining 1AA football. CC is going to the Big South immediately while SE Louisiana is going independent till 2005 when it joins the Southland.

South Alabama is adding football in 2004 and is going to play immediately in the Southland conference

The Southland is looking at expanding because Jax St. is leaving for the OVC in 2003 with Samford (indy).

Eventually, the Southland will be at 8, maybe 9 if ULM decides to drop down.

The Big South will be 5 next season after CC is added and the swap of Elon for VMI with the SoCon will be complete.

Here are some of the links:


http://www.nationalchamps.net/HelmetProject/futurepast.htm


http://www.nationalchamps.net/HelmetProject/northcentral.htm

http://www.nationalchamps.net/HelmetProject/ovc.htm

http://www.nationalchamps.net/HelmetProject/big_south.htm

http://www.nationalchamps.net/HelmetProject/southland.htm

1. South Alabama has NOT yet decided to add football. They must sell 6,000 season tickets first, and at last report, the campaign was not going well.

USA would initially be non-scholarship, so the Southland is out of the question. The Jags have no promises of conference membership, although their athletic director has expressed interest in the Pioneer league.
By 2007, they would like to join their fellow Sun Belt members in I-A.

2. At halftime of the Sept 28 SMS-YSU game (Fox Sports Net), Patty Viverito stated that the Gateway is not intereted in any schools from the Dakotas, for geographic reasons.