Look what I just ran across. Let’s ignore how bad of a Minnesota sports “reporter” I am, being this news actually dropped last night. We have bigger fish to fry. Just in case you’re later to the party than me, North Dakota State University will now play one football game this fall.

The game will be held in front of a limited amount of Fargo Dome fans, on October 3. The showcase game will give their team and fans something to look forward to, plus their Redshirt Sophomore QB (with NFL aspirations) will get a 2020 game to show scouts he’s still progressing.

? Bison Football is Coming Back! ?

NDSU will host Central Arkansas on October 3 at the Fargodome. Ticket availability will be limited. Season ticket holders have until 4:00 next Friday, Sept. 4, to request tickets. Details: https://t.co/pOnxdLc7WX pic.twitter.com/TlCiv9nFGX

— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) August 24, 2020

Even Smaller Schools Get to Play

I thought smaller schools, like North Dakota State, didn’t have the money or resources to prevent the spread of coronavirus through a football? At least, that’s what we were told. So, why are many smaller schools still playing? NDSU isn’t the only one. Many are still planning full conference seasons.

“Group of Five” conferences like, American Athletic, Conference USA and the Sun Belt are all still playing football this Fall. THEIR SEASONS ARE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TO START BEFORE THE POWER-5 SCHOOLS.

That’s right, Central Arkansas vs UAB and South Alabama vs Southern Mississippi will kickoff simultaneously on September 3 at 7PM, marking the start of the 2020 college football season. That’s just NINE days from today. There won’t be any Power 5 games played that first week, but who cares… it’s football. The Monday night finale will feature BYU vs Navy.

On September 10, ACC affiliate, Miami (FL) Hurricanes are scheduled to take to their home stadium in front of 13,000 fans, to play against UAB. It will be UAB’s second game of the 2020 season.

With Dolphins announcing they will have capacity of 13,000 fans – 20 percent – for home opener, Miami Hurricanes will also have same number in Sept. 10 opener vs UAB

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 24, 2020

Is This a Sick Joke?

Meanwhile, players and fans of Big Ten and PAC-12 teams will be watching from home, muttering common sense expletives under their breaths. We have been more “responsible” in the midwest and out on the West Coast.

I thought that mattered (lol). We wore more masks and even had it mandated before it was a necessity. We’ve social distanced and canceled schools, while the South has left things much more open and only used mandates and cancellations after outbreaks had already taken place.

Yet, here we are. They get football and we don’t. And now, just to deliver a People’s Elbow while the good state of Minnesota and most of midwest football is down, NDSU Football announces they will get one game to play this fall too. Sure, it’s just one game… but that’s better than zero games.

None of this makes any fucking sense… Power-5 conferences from the South have less restrictions regarding the spread of COVID and their cases and deaths are higher than the midwest.

Warren’s Job or a COVID Outbreak

At this point, it’s clear college football will happen as long as a big breakout doesn’t occur on any of these teams, before or during their seasons. If ACC, SEC and Big-12 seasons are played and finished, while Big Ten and PAC-12 seasons are not, the fallout for new Big Ten Commissioner, Kevin Warren, could be catastrophic.

Universities that aren’t playing football, have forecasted losses in the $100 million range for just 2020 alone. If football is played, especially if fans are allowed in the stands, those millions get recouped in fast order. The Star Tribune has reported a possible loss of $300+ million for the school, in total, $75 million of that due to athletics. Nearly all revenue pulled in through athletics, comes from football.

If Southern Universities allow students and athletes to attend campus and bring some of that revenue back, while Big Ten schools wither away from every corner… what does that do to the future of these programs from a competitive advantage standpoint, both in the classroom and on the field?

Are we to the point where the Big Ten and PAC-12 are hoping for COVID-19 breakouts among the teams that are playing football in the south? Otherwise, they stand to look foolish in positions where that isn’t allowed. I guess it depends on how much Kevin Warren likes his new gig…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

NDSU quarterback, Trey Lance, is a God (capital-G) in the eyes of Bison fans. Their delusion makes the relationship between Skip Bayless and Tim Tebow look normal… Yes, Lance can throw an ok pass and run like there’s no tomorrow, but they are crowning this guy as the #1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft already.

We’re talking about another Division II (maybe DIII – AA, I can’t remember) college football QB, who is beating college football JV teams every weekend. Didn’t we learned our lesson with Carson Wentz?

How do you take anything about the Bison seriously, when claims like this regularly find the internet?

where do bison fans get their drugs..? asking for a friend. https://t.co/jcAEHpYB9h

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 23, 2020

The latest person to fall victim to the Trey Lance hype, is Fansided writer, Nicholas McGee. Nick wrote a piece on the top five teams Trey Lance could “STAR” for in the NFL. He didn’t write about the teams Trey might fit well with or who might draft him… but instead, who he could “STAR” for.

Eric says I use too many gifs so I won’t place one here but if I could (instead of writing this extra sentence about nothing), I’d place a “calm down, calm down” one. Hold your horses (or should I say Bison), pal. Let’s bring the Trey Lance story back down to Earth.

Here are the five teams we believe Lance could actually “star” on, come 2021.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS — CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

If you can’t make it in the NFL, what is the next logical step? The Canadian Football League!

The NFL’s whacky and confounding cousin, the CFL is the perfect spot for Lance to land. The Redblacks would be ecstatic to have Lance too. Having gone 3-15 in 2019, they are the perfect fit for mediocrity.

It’s been a rough year for the @REDBLACKS

I guess we’ve had our share of Grey Cup appearances lately though so we shouldn’t complain.

Here’s a video of the fans going on the field after the game yesterday @TD_Place #Redblacks #CFL #Ottawa #RNation #OttawaRedblacks pic.twitter.com/N8XanVkZXT

— Ottawa REDBLACKS Fan (@REDBLACKS_FAN) September 30, 2019

It wouldn’t be too unfamiliar for Lance either. As he is used to playing against sub-par competition and high-school and college has-beens. Throw in the cold Canadian winters and its nothing Lance hasn’t dealt with in Fargo.

MITSUBISHI LIONS — JAPAN X LEAGUE

Who says Japan isn’t good at American football? They even have a bizarre college league!

Another excellent fit for Lance, the Mitsubishi Lions only won one of their seven games in 2019. With Lance’s “athleticism”, the X League wouldn’t know what hit them… until they Google “DII College Football USA.

【1日1アメ?】
オール三菱ライオンズTE87田島広大
185cm97kgのサイズを生かして力づくでファーストダウン獲得。体を張ったプレーがチームの士気を上げる。@mitsubishilions @wasedafootball #アメフト #xリーグ pic.twitter.com/gE3eyevXIC

— xleague ( Xリーグ ) (@xl1996) September 5, 2019

MINNESOTA VIXEN — WOMEN’S FOOTBALL ALLIANCE

Does Lance want to stay close to his family in Marshall, MN? Who knows? But if he does, the Minnesota Vixen would gladly take him as their next roster addition.

This would also be his best shot at immediate glory. As the Vixen have been pretty good in recent years. Having won the conference title in 2018 and going 7-2 in 2019. What makes this an even better fit is that the WFA is split into divisions just like college football. And with the Vixen playing in Division II, that is on par for what Lance is used to competing against.

Hell, they even have a table in the sports pavilion at the State Fair! Maybe Bison fans can get that long-awaited autograph!

Stuffed by #96 Red Bryant!

Don’t miss big plays by players like Bryant of the Minnesota Vixen!

Get your tickets for the next home game:https://t.co/RqUeeQ6Ho3#womenstacklefootball#WFAFootball #RicciMediaGroup pic.twitter.com/6J1dqA13OM

— Minnesota Vixen ? (@MN_Vixen) May 6, 2019

NFL EUROPE

Although the NFL abandoned NFL Europe 13 years ago (2007), who is to say Lance couldn’t be a catalyst for starting it back up?

It would be a prime opportunity for Lance to take a gap year after college and see the world! Backpacking through Europe and learning how to play soccer. I can only imagine it would help his footwork.

via GIPHY

MINNESOTA FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Whether it is the state-of-the-art facilities this league has, compared to what he has now at NDSU or the multiple competition levels he’d have to choose from; Lance could jump right into the MNFFL and have blast! The league is all about fun, according to their website.

This would also be his best shot at an immediate championship. With 6v6 play, it would highlight all of his running abilities. Although, I hear the secondaries in the MNFFL have better hands than what the Bison have experienced in the MVC.

Any of these teams are perfect for Lance to join. It won’t keep him in the spotlight, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Is it?

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

The University of St. Thomas has been anxiously awaiting an answer from the NCAA, for their request to jump from Division III athletics to Division I. After more than a year of waiting, a decision is finally coming this week.

The Tommie’s current conference, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), voted almost unanimously to remove St. Thomas from all athletic competitions. The MIAC cited the university’s “competitive” advantages as the reason. I’m citing, bullshit.

Sources on the boards of MIAC member schools Gustavus and St. Olaf mentioned the move was a strong-arming, from college presidents, over unsubstantiated fears that they couldn’t compete. The presidents didn’t even gather input from their stakeholders.

Yet St. Thomas has taken it in stride.

The @MIACathletics has released a statement that we will be involuntarily removed from the league. Grateful for our proud past, excited for a bright future #RollToms #ProudPast #BrightFuture

MIAC Statement: https://t.co/AhW1tRi4iS
More Information: https://t.co/hJv4Dv6nUZ pic.twitter.com/vfyy4DMZwX

— St. Thomas Athletics (@TommieAthletics) May 22, 2019

The NCAA planned to discuss St. Thomas’ reclassification back in April. But ever since COVID-19 paused nearly all NCAA operations, St. Thomas has been in limbo.

The NCAA’s Division I council, made up of 40 representatives from Division I schools, will vote on whether Division III schools can immediately reclassify to Division I. The traditional route involves jumping to Division II before Division I.

“There’s not an hour that’s gone by that this hasn’t been on my mind at some point. We’ve spent an incredible amount of time assessing the options available to us. It ultimately came down to membership in the Summit League, which gives us a great chance to accomplish things we’d like to pursue as a university.”

Phil Esten, St. Thomas Athletic Director

HISTORY LEFT BEHIND

St. Thomas has been dominant in the MIAC and willing to spend unlike other DIII schools ($1.1 million on football alone). They’ve also won hundreds of titles. The history they leave behind will be the worst part.

This includes their storied rivalry with historic rival, St. John’s University. The annual Tommie-Johnnie game, as its known, has become one of the most attended events in Division III athletics. It is so popular that the schools moved the game to Target Field and Allianz Field in 2017 and 2019. In 2020, the game is scheduled to be played at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Losing out on 500 MIAC championships and 16 national championships across all sports is a shame, as is losing storied rivalries. It’s the right move for both sides, though.

via GIPHY

WHAT’S NEXT?

St. Thomas should know more about their future this week with the council meeting Tuesday and Wednesday. If approved, St. Thomas is poised to join the Summit League in most sports, excluding football. That league includes the likes of both NDSU and SDSU.

For football, St. Thomas’ most dominant sport, they appear to be looking at the Missouri Valley Conference or the Pioneer League. If they join the former, you know our staff here at Minnesota Sports Fan can’t wait to see sad NDSU fans flood our mentions in the coming years.

via GIPHY

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

On Monday’s episode of #MSFDaily – LIVE, Eric and Seth are talking about a newly (again) tanking Timberwolves team plus a delusional NDSU football fanbase.

Plus a bunch of other stuff happening

Let’s ROLL!

NDSU needs to be banned from Twitter…

…all of them. https://t.co/ueb19H9v1Y

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 19, 2020

????? pic.twitter.com/l3ShPW0IqK

— Garrett (@BOOSKER4) January 19, 2020

When do you want to play again? pic.twitter.com/72k1SZe3u4

— Todd (@ndsiouxviking) January 20, 2020

Schedule it or shut it. We’re BEGGING for this game again. But you won’t. So you talk and talk and talk. Be a good little boy and call your AD.

— ???? ℕ???? (@atlbizon) January 19, 2020

I took the weekend off from blogging because I finished up an ad deal on Friday night, that goes live today… and I’d rather get paid to do this starting Monday than do it for free over the weekend, so I took a break. But Twitter Eric never sleeps, and this weekend was no different. Most people claim they hate Twitter. Well if they do, they’re wrong. Behind MinnesotaSportsFan.com, Twitter is the greatest place on the internet (that I’m willing to admit in something my mom might read).

Ok… I know… this type of delusion looks bad for NDSU fans but let’s try to see things through their eyes…

What North Dakota State University did when they first hit the D-I scene in 2004, was impressive to say the least. Hell, the now legendary Craig Bohl took over the program just one year earlier and it had been 13 years since they last won a D-II National Championship (1990 – won DII titles from ’83-90). You have to respect a football program that’s willing to step up to the next level like that.  By 2006 though, Bohl’s genius was showing early. NDSU finished 10-1 to win the “Great West Conference” Championship and prepared for a move into the “Gateway Conference”, with South Dakota State for 2007 and beyond (The Gateway Conference became the Missouri Valley Conference in June 2008).

The Bison made their FCS Playoff debut in 2010 as a 16-seed, just 6 years after making the jump to D-I FCS… and they’ve never left. The next year (2011), they won their first FCS National Title, then again in 2012, and again in 2013, and 2o14, and 2015… 2016’s team sucked and only made it to the FCS semifinals, before losing to James Madison… but they picked up again in 2017, winning it all that season, then again in 2018, and just recently… in 2019 as well.

In case you lost count, here are their FCS Playoff Results in list form (since 2010):

• 2010: LOSERS – Quarterfinals vs Eastern Washington
• 2011: CHAMPS (1)
• 2012: CHAMPS (2)
• 2013: CHAMPS (3)
• 2014: CHAMPS (4)
• 2015: CHAMPS (5)
• 2016: LOSERS – Semifinals vs James Madison
• 2017: CHAMPS (6)
• 2018: CHAMPS (7 – FCS Record)
• 2019: CHAMPS (8)

Overall, the bison are a ridiculous 36-2 in FCS Playoff games all-time, with EIGHT FCS National Championships.

North Dakota State University Bison football fans are my new favorite group of people… because their delusion goes beyond any I’ve ever witnessed. It’s astonishing and impressive. I’ve had my Twitter fights with Iowa fans, Nebraska fans, and family-friendly Wisconsin fans. That’s before you even leave the CFB world and run into Yankee or Packer fans on the internet… but I’m pretty sure the NDSU faithful take the cake, as the dumbest represented on the World Wide Web.

Lol imagine beating Wyoming State Technical College to win the Fake College Series Championship…

…and then saying this to a team that plays Wisconsin and Iowa every year, beat PSU and Auburn last year, and will be top-20 in real CFB in 2020. https://t.co/Qr04aSLKei

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 20, 2020

I really believe these Bison fans think their 2-star athletes suddenly become 5-stars, when they arrive on campus. You step into the locker room, and coaches get to move all of your attributes to 99 just like you’re editing a player in Madden. What they don’t realize, is that they’re actually just playing Madden on the “Rookie” difficulty level.

For those who live under a rock, EA’s Madden NFL Football has been the only football video game to buy since the mid-2000’s when they received exclusive rights to NFL players and logs. The lowest difficulty level you can play on Madden is “Rookie”, where the CPU you’re playing against can be compared to wet paper bags floating around the field.

That’s what North Dakota State University is doing. They go and get all of the kids around the midwest, who couldn’t quite make the cut for the Gophers, Iowa, or Wisconsin. Some can make the cut with bigger schools, but would rather star for the Bison than have to struggle for playing time in the Big Ten. NDSU gets them all. Then, they take all of those hungry midwest kids, and they go beat the shit out of other small teams around the country.

There’s nothing wrong with that… You’re a small school too. Never apologize for winning…. unless you then win 8 of 9 National Championships and gamedays start to look a lot more like massacres, than competetive football games. In fact, it was time to start inquiring about moving up in competition, after winning 4 or 5 or 6 titles…. At what point do you feel guilty for not playing against better competition?

At what point do you say. ‘You know, we are way better than all of these other teams… I wonder if their is better competition out there…?’ If you then decide to remain on “Rookie” difficulty, wouldn’t you keep you mouth shut when talking to those who play at higher difficulties? If you are the best Junior Varsity team in the country, do you really lack the self-awareness to know you can’t compete with one of the top Varsity teams?

Look North Dakota State Bison fans, congratulations on your JV trophies… but here’s the thing:

You are still a little brother. The next time NDSU plays the Gophers, it will be a bigger game than the FCS National Title they will surely play in later that season. Playing the Gophers would be NDSU’s Super Bowl. You can tell just how much they cherish victories over even the worst Gopher teams of all time, by the tweets I received yesterday from their victories in 2007 and 2011. NDSU Fans and players would get up for another game at TCF Bank Stadium quicker than they have gotten up for any National Title game or ESPN appearance in the last 10 years….. and then, you’d lose…

…and the Gophers would turn around and look forward to an actual threat, like Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, Michigan, or even Nebraska… because any other football school that plays against the best possible competition week-in and week-out, would worry PJ Fleck & Co. more than your team, which beats up on JV teams every year.

Hey NDSU fans: pic.twitter.com/chTc5VXbOh

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 19, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

NDSU delusion was one of many topics tonight on MSF Daily – LIVE (streamed weekdays on YouTube):