South Dakota State vs North Dakota State

[MadBird]

I hope the people talking about "creating" a rivalry aren't the same ones who were peeing all over the idea of "creating" a tradition by having the team walk out of the north end zone. Just sayin' . . . . pretty similar concepts.

As far as the rivalry with EIU, I have no problem with keeping it going. I like the idea of not doing it every year, so both teams have some options in scheduling - or maybe I should say, if both teams want some options for scheduling, then one way to do it would be to play every other year or something like that.

Some people may not like it, but EIU is one of our longest "rivals", the schools were in the same conference for many many many years. They've played over 100 games. It's the oldest football rivalry in the state of Illinois. ISU has had more than one head coach, including the current one, and many assistants, who played at or coached at EIU.

A week or so ago, tho, I said I think of WIU as a more "bitter" rival than EIU. Not sure why exactly, but I do.

 

[Chi-bird]

Rivalries need to be created naturally, and not forced. I kind of feel like the EIU thing was a little forced, but it has worked a little bit. Lately it's been uninspiring, but if EIU consistently won its conference, it could pick up steam. Either way, I don't love the rivalry with them, but we don't have to end it in order for other rivalries to emerge.

I don't see how we cultivate anything else if we're still playing EIU, when most seasons we play just 11 games and 3 OOC ... FBS, FCS patsy, EIU. Unless we went to every other year with EIU h&h.

:text-+1: agree it is hard to cultivate a rivalry while still playing one. Also agree the best rivalries are typically natural although the Big Ten has made an effort to try and create rivalries for the rivalry week of football...ie Michigan St vs Maryland, Penn State vs Rutgers, Iowa vs Nebraska (btw Barry Alvarez lobbied hard to try and get Wisconsin vs Nebraska for rivalry week but was forced to stick with Wisconsin vs Minnesota which is still a good rival). Maybe once the MVFC goes to an even number of teams the MVFC too (like all of the major conferences) can have an annual rivalry week and maybe ISU vs Uni could be the rivalry match up? Other MVFC rivals.. UND vs NDSU, SDSU vs SD, Western vs Southern, Youngstown vs InSU. Manufacturing a rivalry vs UNI would be more fun and make more financial sense than playing EIU every year.

In the best of worlds the new ISU rival would definitely be in conference vs out of conference team so that ISU can keep out of conference scheduling freedom. I feel as though ISU should go on the road and play, if possible, two P5s every year and an FCS patsy (pioneer league team). Use the two big pay days every year to fund the IPF. Not the best route but ISU needs to suck it up and catch up one way or another. They could still make the playoffs via the one patsy win and playing solid ball in the MVFC. Losing 2x to FBS teams should not hurt the team too much either as ISU would be expected to lose. Additionally i like the publicity ISU would get (along with the money) playing FBS teams . I would think that would help recruiting too? btw the more I think of the economics of playing EIU the more I dislike that game. What a gift for EIU to have a home and home with ISU. What is in it for us? If we hit the road in non-conference games ISU might as well be getting paid big for it (hence go and play a p5).

I guess I tend to think that rivalries should come natural and that you can have multiple ones.

Ask a 100 Notre Dame fan who their biggest rival, and I'm sure you'll hear 5 or 6 different schools (USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Boston College, Navy, Purdue). Sure, they're conference-less, but there are a number of schools with multiple rivals.

Georgia has a good rivalry with Auburn, Florida, and Georgia Tech. Iowa has a nice rivalry with both Iowa State and Nebraska....and even Wisconsin.

I don't see why we can't have rivalry games/tropies/something with other schools like SIU or even WIU. I fully expect NDSU to grow and start a rivalry with North Dakota while still having SDSU as a big one.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

I hope the people talking about "creating" a rivalry aren't the same ones who were peeing all over the idea of "creating" a tradition by having the team walk out of the north end zone. Just sayin' . . . . pretty similar concepts.

As far as the rivalry with EIU, I have no problem with keeping it going. I like the idea of not doing it every year, so both teams have some options in scheduling - or maybe I should say, if both teams want some options for scheduling, then one way to do it would be to play every other year or something like that.

Some people may not like it, but EIU is one of our longest "rivals", the schools were in the same conference for many many many years. They've played over 100 games. It's the oldest football rivalry in the state of Illinois. ISU has had more than one head coach, including the current one, and many assistants, who played at or coached at EIU.

A week or so ago, tho, I said I think of WIU as a more "bitter" rival than EIU. Not sure why exactly, but I do.

I think we have all been told it is not wise to steer the car moving forward while looking through the rear view mirror as you will eventually miss your turn and/or end up crashed. Suggest playing EIU primarily because it has been done 100 times is exactly that analogy, IMO. If Texas vs Texas A&M (100 plus meetings) and Nebraska vs Oklahoma (86) football games can be cancelled for the sake of progress ($$$$) then there is plenty of precedence for ending rivalries. Those two rivalries are certainly two of the top all time rivalries in the history of college football.

I really like and appreciate your perspective Mad but we don’t always agree. I am much more progressive about there existing significant meaningful opportunities to move ISU athletics in another direction and you seem to be for maintaining status quo. It doesn’t make either one of us right or wrong in my mind. For the record I made positive comments about the tradition attempt while also suggesting that ISU and ISU Athletics needs even more of them sprinkled meaningfully around the campus and their athletic teams. As far as starting rivalries it is a little like Timmy’s comments about traditions... meaning.Paul Bunyan’s ax just did not accidentally show up at a Wisconsin vs Minnesota football game (after the slab of bacon disappeared) nor did an old Oaken bucket suddenly appear at a Purdue Vs IU football game. If you read the old oaken bucket wiki that rivalry item was created by a meeting in Chicago of alums of Purdue and IU back in the 1920s. Makes sense due to prohibition! Sounds like where ISU and whomever should start their next rivalry?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Oaken_Bucket