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[unipanther99]

Exactly... D2 was never an option. It was D1 or nothing. Nobody in this state is going to kill off UNI athletics completely. That's a non-starter. We aren't the University of Chicago. (No more grad program comparisons please MVJ!)

[Aargh]

Argh- Did you actually click the links? The first talks about cuts to academic programs and the second is another piece by the same blogger making the point that UNI should remain a D-1 athletic program --- the position that was reaffirmed by the board of regents last year.

If there is a quote out there of our AD saying D-2 is a legitimate option for UNI, I'd love to see it.

When I follow the links in that article, I find this:

But according to an article from Friday's Des Moines Register, the Panthers may be forced to drop their status as a member of Division I athletics.

The recession has hit a lot of schools hard. The University of New Orleans, for example, will be dropping all of their athletic programs from the D-I level to D-III. UNI is getting hurt as well, as they have already cut their century old baseball team, and that could just be the beginning.

Right now, the UNI athletics program receives $4.45 million of their $11.6 million -- or 38% -- budget from the University's general fund, a number that the school wants reduced to 30-35% by 2015. If the contributions the athletics department receives from the general fund dips much lower than it is right now, the results could be disappointing for athletes at the school. Colleges and Universities, at their core, are businesses, and business can only operate for so long in the red.

If that's the opening paragraphs from a friend of UNI athletics then UNI athletics doesn't need any enemies.

[unipanther99]

It's not good, but my point all along was it's D-1 or nothing. I'd rather implode the UNI-Dome and McLeod than drop to D-2.

The only realistic consideration for "dropping" was to go non-scholarship D-1 football like Drake. But even that was proven to be a financial loser by the study.

With the extra BCS football game every couple of years, the UNI football program will basically break even. Basketball obviously pays for itself and probably Men's track, cross-country, and golf. The subsidy and student fees cover women's athletics and wrestling (a sacred cow in this state). IMO, that's the way UNI should be spinning it.

[jwa123]

I know I will be jumped on and criticized by most if not all of you on this forum for this post. I visit other conference forums every once in a while. I would like to say I do so to keep myself well informed but in reality I just do it because it is merely a form of entertainment.

What I find in most cases is that the fans of one school treat the fans of the other conference schools with respect. I find that in most cases the fans of one school are fans of the other schools when not in conference play. However, respect for one another and the emotional attachments to the schools others follow seems to be in short supply on this forum.

As many here know, I follow IlSU. Nonetheless, I followed all of the conference schools this past season in post season play and not only this past season but in previous seasons as well. The 2 schools that remained in post season play the longest, WSU & CU, I watched those games on TV and I rooted for both schools! I like it when other schools in our conference do well!

So I come back to our forum from the other conference forums and I see this bashing of one another. MoValley John, I find your posts both interesting and insightful. Many times I have read your posts and thought you made excellent points! On the other hand, on this very thread, you insult someone's grammar and compare the graduate programs at UNI in bad light to the 2 major schools of Iowa. What state are you in? Should we compare the graduate programs at your school to the land grant and research institutions in your state? Sadly you are not alone in the bashing game.

Maybe everyone is right. Maybe should bust this league up and go our separate ways since we have such little respect for each other. As for now, all of you feel free to bash me - we are certainly talented in that around here.

[SubGod22]

Does UNI really only have 12 graduate programs?

[valleychamp]

Does UNI really only have 12 graduate programs?

No.

http://www.grad.uni.edu/degrees-programs/programs

MVJ only listed the Degree's available for UNI, while listed every program from UI and ISU. I guess MVJ does not have a masters degree.

[MVCfans]

Maybe everyone is right. Maybe should bust this league up and go our separate ways since we have such little respect for each other. As for now, all of you feel free to bash me - we are certainly talented in that around here.

I'll interject here and say that there is more respect and brotherhood between MVC schools and fans than just about anywhere else. Who doesn't remember the chants (audible through the television) of "MVC! MVC!" during Wichita State's and Bradley's runs to the Sweet 16 after the conference was criticized by Billy Packer? As I recall, Wichita State and Creighton fans were even cheering for each other during their respective NIT and CIT runs last year.

Is every anonymous post on a conference message board comprised of fans from ten different schools going to please every one of you? No, it's obviously impossible. What I find challenging is that there are certain fans (and every school has them) who can be obnoxious and arrogant at times, but the moment someone points out their indiscretion "we have so little respect for each other". It would be nice to have self-school policing to keep everyone level headed. I'm not chastising jwa here, but it does irritate me when people play the "woe is me/us" card. Nobody is out to "get" anyone or any school. The vast majority of the fans here root for other MVC teams in the non-conference and post season. We would all be well served to remember that we are much more similar than different.

Sorry. Just my 0.02.

[jwa123]

Sounds like you are chastising JWA. & I'm not playing the "woes me card" either. Did I hint that anyone was disrespecting me or my school? I'm just flabbergasted with what some folks say to others.

[MVCfans]

Sounds like you are chastising JWA. & I'm not playing the "woes me card" either. Did I hint that anyone was disrespecting me or my school? I'm just flabbergasted with what some folks say to others.

The statement that we have little respect for each other is inaccurate by my estimation. If you've covered or spent time with other conferences, you'd be amazed at how cordial the Valley is. Again, back to the idea that there are posters here and everywhere who abuse their autonomy - it would be nice to have fans of the individual schools police their own.

[SubGod22]

We're a heck of a lot more civil than the majority of conferencne boards I've visited. And this board is a heck of a lot better than the old board. Which was still better than many others until a few ruined it.