UST

[SW_Mustang]

I think it will get the more casual fans interested now that they are D1. If you look at their football attendance numbers they are pretty low outside the St. John's game considering how strong they have been. The few STU alumns I know were always apathetic towards sports but seem very excited over this.

People are only interested in the Division I label. Once they realize that golden box doesn't come packaged with the Gophers and Bison, they'll quickly lose interest. My guess is that it will take about two years.

The fact of the matter is this - St. Thomas was on the tails side of the SJU rivalry coin. Short of the Johnnies making the jump - there won't be another College Gameday, and no more games at Target Field/Allianz Stadium/US Bank Stadium. It will harm SJU too, but Tom needs John far more than John needs Tom. Dayton and Davidson just aren't the same thing, and I don't think they have any long term attendance gains from the jump.

I don't mean to be a Negative Nancy, and I sincerely with them the best (as much as it pains me to say so), but I just don't see it.

I do see big gains in hockey and baseball relative to what they bring in now, and possibly basketball and volleyball as well.

[Twincitiesmav]

Embarassed because we dont have their enrollment, location, or endowment? Busted! Sick burn!

St Thomas has had the resources, location, and enrollment to be D1 for a LONG time. Thanks to the actions of many frightened presidents and ADs they finally realized that potential.

It just makes it look like they may have made their announcement prematurely. Although I guess they did say that the goal was by 2030 and not 2020.

[Augieholic]

Embarassed because we dont have their enrollment, location, or endowment? Busted! Sick burn!

St Thomas has had the resources, location, and enrollment to be D1 for a LONG time. Thanks to the actions of many frightened presidents and ADs they finally realized that potential.

[WSUWarriorFan]

This is so exciting! Forget about St. John's, I can't wait to watch the football team play... umm...

*checks notes...* Marist...? What even is that?

Well, umm, anyway... at least the basketball team will host Duke at some point... right? Oh, I read that wrong... Western Illinois?

Well, I guess that's better than watching them play against MIAC competition with fierce rivalries, or even in-state options with the NSIC... right?

I think it will get the more casual fans interested now that they are D1. If you look at their football attendance numbers they are pretty low outside the St. John's game considering how strong they have been. The few STU alumns I know were always apathetic towards sports but seem very excited over this.

[SW_Mustang]

This is so exciting! Forget about St. John's, I can't wait to watch the football team play... umm...

*checks notes...* Marist...? What even is that?

Well, umm, anyway... at least the basketball team will host Duke at some point... right? Oh, I read that wrong... Western Illinois?

Well, I guess that's better than watching them play against MIAC competition with fierce rivalries, or even in-state options with the NSIC... right?

[Twincitiesmav]

[laker]

Reuesse's article deals with the great increase in travel for UST. Pretty amazing.

https://www.startribune.com/in-far-f...aul/571784372/

[WSUWarriorFan]

How does the scholarship transition work? Do athletes currently on teams start getting scholarships next year? Probably my first of many questions.

[Stanger86]

Officially a Division I institution

[SW_Mustang]

We pray to God we don't need to run into town for any groceries Thursday night, Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning........

Yeah, that's their take too. There is a big racing event in town every summer which swells the city even more - I've been told upwards of 100,000 people from all over the country. It's a beautiful area but it has it's drawbacks. They live a few miles out of town on an old farmsite near the woods, so they don't get a ton of activity since the weekenders typically stay near the lakes.

[Millsy]

I'm sure the locals appreciate that, haha. I have some family that lives in cabin country and it's tough to even get into town during the weekends because of the people.

We pray to God we don't need to run into town for any groceries Thursday night, Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning........

[SW_Mustang]

Wife is from close to Alex. We won't once and it was fine. I absolutely hate going there in the summer. It is an absolute zoo of people. Summer population turns that place into probably near 50,000.

I'm sure the locals appreciate that, haha. I have some family that lives in cabin country and it's tough to even get into town during the weekends because of the people.

[NSU4LIFE]

They were dead last in league attendance for much of their time. I don't think I've ever been to Alexandria, but from what I understand it's a big cabin town - probably not the best place to run a summer league team.

Wife is from close to Alex. We won't once and it was fine. I absolutely hate going there in the summer. It is an absolute zoo of people. Summer population turns that place into probably near 50,000.

[SW_Mustang]

Correct. I hope it works out for UST assuming this allows them to make the move to D1. There cannot be many, if any, other states with the approximate population of Minnesota with only one Division-I institution in all sports.

You are correct. Minnesota is by far the largest state with only one D1 program.

Hawaii (U. Hawaii), Maine (U. Maine), Vermont (U. Vermont), and Wyoming (U. Wyoming) are the only other states with one D1 program - albeit U. Vermont doesn't have football at all. There is also Alaska with no D1 programs.

[SW_Mustang]

Early on as the Beetles, they had decent attendance, but then the "newness" wore off, and yep, the other summer activities in the area took over. I think they were banking on being able to draw in the cabin visitors during the week for evening games, but it just didn't happen.

The Blizzard, the NA3HL hockey team, are able to hold there own. But then again, that is Tier 3 and a pay to play league, so the players are footing some of the bill.

If I'm a weekender, I'll probably get to one or two games a summer. As much as I like baseball, I'm not going to spend every weekend attending games as I'd want to maximize my time doing other stuff. That's kind of how I look at it.

I can see the Blizzard succeeding, although the original franchise was NAHL and moved to Brookings (and then to St. Cloud). Less to do during the winter, and the community is starting to embrace hockey a bit more at the youth level from what I've seen. Hopefully they stick around. Both Willmar and New Ulm have NA3HL franchises now.