Regional final game ... incredible

[tsull]

I watched the Northwest Missouri-Northern State game last night, what a contest. Incredible finish, feel bad for NSU (my adoptive team this year since WOU cancelled it's season ... again, don't get me started); Fox fouling out, Stark way off his game. But NW Missouri showed a lot of toughness, that deep 3 by Hudgins was nails, guy in his face, too. Can't help but think that was the de facto national title game, though people in other regions will disagree with me.

My 2nd favorite team in the GNAC, Northwest Nazarene, got to their regional finals. I watched that game, too, gotta admit, it wasn't on the same level of last night's game in Aberdeen.

Like the support of the NSU crowd, even with capacity restrictions. I'm somewhat envious of the D2 support in the Midwest. In the West the people and media pretty much dismiss anything not Pac-12.

[Thepeman]

I watched the Northwest Missouri-Northern State game last night, what a contest. Incredible finish, feel bad for NSU (my adoptive team this year since WOU cancelled it's season ... again, don't get me started); Fox fouling out, Stark way off his game. But NW Missouri showed a lot of toughness, that deep 3 by Hudgins was nails, guy in his face, too. Can't help but think that was the de facto national title game, though people in other regions will disagree with me.

My 2nd favorite team in the GNAC, Northwest Nazarene, got to their regional finals. I watched that game, too, gotta admit, it wasn't on the same level of last night's game in Aberdeen.

Like the support of the NSU crowd, even with capacity restrictions. I'm somewhat envious of the D2 support in the Midwest. In the West the people and media pretty much dismiss anything not Pac-12.

You can always become a Bearcat fan! :)

[Randy]

You can always become a Bearcat fan! :)

I agree, Southwest Baptist had a pretty good team this year. ;)

[Thepeman]

I agree, Southwest Baptist had a pretty good team this year. ;)

The key word there is had!

[Randy]

The key word there is had!

Pretty good, as compared to you guys. They were world beaters if you compare them to the Mules.

[Brandon]

I watched the Northwest Missouri-Northern State game last night, what a contest. Incredible finish, feel bad for NSU (my adoptive team this year since WOU cancelled it's season ... again, don't get me started); Fox fouling out, Stark way off his game. But NW Missouri showed a lot of toughness, that deep 3 by Hudgins was nails, guy in his face, too. Can't help but think that was the de facto national title game, though people in other regions will disagree with me.

My 2nd favorite team in the GNAC, Northwest Nazarene, got to their regional finals. I watched that game, too, gotta admit, it wasn't on the same level of last night's game in Aberdeen.

Like the support of the NSU crowd, even with capacity restrictions. I'm somewhat envious of the D2 support in the Midwest. In the West the people and media pretty much dismiss anything not Pac-12.

You should come out for a game some time.

[tsull]

You should come out for a game some time.

I'd love to, thinking about it, football or hoops. Also, want to catch a game at Northern State when restrictions are lifted.

NW Missouri State is one of my models for what I'd like my alma mater to be athletically. Correction: I want my alma mater right now to be HALF of what NWMSU is like right now. We're far away in scholarship numbers and facilities. We win because of location and good coaching hires. I have great respect for NWMSU and the Northern State's and Grand Valley's of the D2 world, who have elected to kick a$$ in D2 instead of being a D1wannabe and get drilled in all sports all in hopes of some day getting a one-game pay day from the big dance.

I'll be pulling for NWMSU in the Elite 8.

[tsull]

You can always become a Bearcat fan! :)

Thinking about it, found some cool t-shirts online. :>)

[MrAugustana]

I'd love to, thinking about it, football or hoops. Also, want to catch a game at Northern State when restrictions are lifted.

NW Missouri State is one of my models for what I'd like my alma mater to be athletically. Correction: I want my alma mater right now to be HALF of what NWMSU is like right now. We're far away in scholarship numbers and facilities. We win because of location and good coaching hires. I have great respect for NWMSU and the Northern State's and Grand Valley's of the D2 world, who have elected to kick a$$ in D2 instead of being a D1wannabe and get drilled in all sports all in hopes of some day getting a one-game pay day from the big dance.

I'll be pulling for NWMSU in the Elite 8.

What about the D1 wannabes that reached the women's basketball Final Four in 2013, won the men's basketball National Championship in 2016, won the baseball National Championship in 2018, and won the softball National Championship in 2019, along with postseason appearances in football, volleyball, women's soccer, track and cross country, and wrestling throughout that time? :)

[tsull]

What about the D1 wannabes that reached the women's basketball Final Four in 2013, won the men's basketball National Championship in 2016, won the baseball National Championship in 2018, and won the softball National Championship in 2019, along with postseason appearances in football, volleyball, women's soccer, track and cross country, and wrestling throughout that time? :)

Villanova is a D1wannabe with their 3 national titles in men's hoops? Oregon State is a D1wannabe? I went to grad school there, they have nearly 30,000 students and won 3 baseball titles in the last 20 years, and have never been any lower than D1. Stanford won the numerous volleyball, soccer, and cross country titles, as well as multiple Sears Cups, they're a d1annabe? UCLA won that softball title you're talking about? Really? A d1wannabe with more national titles in sports than any other university? Wow.

[Thunder]

Villanova is a D1wannabe with their 3 national titles in men's hoops? Oregon State is a D1wannabe? I went to grad school there, they have nearly 30,000 students and won 3 baseball titles in the last 20 years, and have never been any lower than D1. Stanford won the numerous volleyball, soccer, and cross country titles, as well as multiple Sears Cups, they're a d1annabe? UCLA won that softball title you're talking about? Really? A d1wannabe with more national titles in sports than any other university? Wow.

He was referring to Augie having some "mild" athletic success over the past decade. They are practically the Stanford of the Midwest, just ask them. They are the D1 wannabes that desperately seek to get the attention like the "Big Brothers" in the state SDSU and USD. I can feel your disdain for Augustana athletics already, you will be more than welcome if you come to visit Aberdeen.

[MrAugustana]

Villanova is a D1wannabe with their 3 national titles in men's hoops? Oregon State is a D1wannabe? I went to grad school there, they have nearly 30,000 students and won 3 baseball titles in the last 20 years, and have never been any lower than D1. Stanford won the numerous volleyball, soccer, and cross country titles, as well as multiple Sears Cups, they're a d1annabe? UCLA won that softball title you're talking about? Really? A d1wannabe with more national titles in sports than any other university? Wow.

Yeah, you for sure misunderstood me.

[MrAugustana]

He was referring to Augie having some "mild" athletic success over the past decade. They are practically the Stanford of the Midwest, just ask them. They are the D1 wannabes that desperately seek to get the attention like the "Big Brothers" in the state SDSU and USD. I can feel your disdain for Augustana athletics already, you will be more than welcome if you come to visit Aberdeen.

Listen, I understand your jealousy, but you don't need to sound so bitter about it...

In all seriousness, I'll admit that some of your comments aren't far off, but as far as overall athletic departments go, I'll take our "mild" success over the past 7-10 years over many schools in the region, whether it results in biting sarcasm from opposing fans or not.

[Thunder]

Listen, I understand your jealousy, but you don't need to sound so bitter about it...

In all seriousness, I'll admit that some of your comments aren't far off, but as far as overall athletic departments go, I'll take our "mild" success over the past 7-10 years over many schools in the region, whether it results in biting sarcasm from opposing fans or not.

I've been a little down the last couple days, taking a dig at Augie did help a little.

[MrAugustana]

I've been a little down the last couple days, taking a dig at Augie did help a little.

Honestly, I knew it was somewhat douchey when I wrote it out because I knew it was very "rah rah" Augie, but I was sincerely questioning where Augie falls on that spectrum tsull was referring to of electing "to kick a$$ in D2 instead of being a D1wannabe and get drilled in all sports all in hopes of some day getting a one-game pay day from the big dance." On the one hand, I like that Augie has been a successful/respectable program in several sports over the past 10 years. On the other hand, is there a chance we could at some point be competitive in more than one sport at the D1 level? I understand why people would say no, but the point of my post was to show that we've had a pretty diverse range of sports success as an athletic department, so it's not just a guarantee we'd be going "all in" on men's basketball and expecting to suck in every other sport.

I would hope if we went D1 we'd actually be somewhat competitive in baseball and softball still, and possibly even volleyball (it honestly might be easier to be better in D1 volleyball for us than to be trapped in this conference that consistently has 4-6 teams in the Top 10 each year). Now would we beat the University of Texases and the Mississippi States of D1 college baseball? Probably not. But we've also recently won the baseball National Championship for Division II and it didn't really do a ton to move the needle for Augustana in terms of recognition and local fan/media support or anything either. So if our athletic success isn't driving the growth of the school in some tangible way, what is the real value of it? To allow some students to play some sports and for a small (relatively speaking) regional fanbase to be happy they're winning games against teams no one else in the country has ever heard of? To me, I'd rather see us take a shot at the D1 level, possibly be competitive on a national scale (to some degree) and hopefully, eventually raise the profile of the university to the point that a random potential student in North Carolina or Delaware or Oregon has actually heard of Augustana University.

Ultimately, I think that's the big-picture goal of going D1. Not to just win a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament, but to elevate the university's profile beyond the borders of the Dakotas and Minnesota, which is a lot tougher to do as long as we stay Division II.

Sorry for the tangent. With the season over, I need something to ramble about apparently.