Bison Fans, Don’t Pack Your Bags Just Yet

Bison Fans, Don't Pack Your Bags Just Yet!

Having attended the University of North Dakota, I am a Fighting Sioux for life.  That means that somewhere deep down inside, that Sioux-Bison rivalry in all things athletic, academic and North Dakota will always be embedded in my very marrow.

That being said, as a North Dakotan, I do appreciate what the North Dakota State Football team has been able to accomplish.  This run of National Titles and level of excellence on the field has been amazing and fun to watch...as a North Dakotan.  My favorite part about what they've accomplished is when that little ag school in little North Dakota get to play up against the "Big Boys" of Division 1 football.

Realize that with NDSU's success, those opportunities don't get to happen very often.  There's literally NO benefit for those D-1 schools to schedule NDSU, as a loss to a pre-conference schedule underdog could potentially ruin a season.  Knowing the scarcity of those opportunities, it saddens me that NDSU will possibly have to forego their trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on the University of Oregon Ducks.

With the college football season up in the air due to the Covid 19 pandemic, leagues and sports are scrambling to address safety concerns, social distancing and travel schedules, amid ever changing protocols.  Unfortunately with sports, the theme seems to be contraction.  That means that there is a distinct possibility that the PAC 12 may play a conference only football schedule this Fall.

The Associated Press reported that USC coach Clay Helton confirmed the all-conference idea as one of several scenarios being evaluated by the Pac-12's coaches and administrators.

“It's been discussed in our Pac-12 meetings, and it's been discussed by the commissioners,” Helton said.

“That is one of the many structures as we go through this situation and this crisis that is a possibility of an all-conference schedule. That is one of the structures under discussion, depending on where we are at six to eight weeks from now. Those are viable discussions, and it has been brought up in our meetings."

So Bison Fans, Don't Pack Your Bags Just Yet!  As much as I may bleed green (the good color green), I would love to see the Bison beat the Ducks...GO NORTH DAKOTA!