Bison Illustrated November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE HERD

COMPLIMENTARY

HOW NDSU PROPELLED ITs BRAND INTO the NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

feature

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BRANDING THE BISON NDSU’s success over the past four years has made their name recognizable across the nation. But what about making the Bison a national brand? We go inside NDSU’s marketing department to discover the creative ways the Bison are becoming a nationallyknown product both on and off the field.

60 HARVEST BOWL This year marks the 42nd season of the Harvest Bowl. It’s more than a title they give a random football game every year.

We celebrate the Harvest Bowl and NDSU’s agricultural roots.

98 NO-FLY ZONE CJ Smith and Jordan Champion are two of the three seniors leading the Bison defense this year. Having experience at the cornerback position has helped Code Green maintain its tenacious reputation.

AT A GLANCE 16 Bison Shots

96 Fans vs. Media Basketball Preview

48 SHAC Update (Before&After)

104 Atif Austin

54 Inside the Fargodome

110 Where Are They Now

64 Agribusiness Award Winner

124 Tailgating

68 Scholarship Recipients

136 Swany Says

81 Winter Sports Preview

138 Pop Quiz

FOLLOW US

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

116 We go behind the scenes from when ESPN’s “SportsCenter on the Road” stopped in Fargo during NDSU’s homecoming week.

MEETTHETEAM MIKE

BRENT

MICHAEL

BOUGIE

RYAN

JESSE

AMY

SODA

ERICA

ANDREW

JOE

SARAH

TRACY

PAUL

NATE

HEATHER

NATE

LYDIA

LAURA

TANK

PAUL

NOVEMBER 2015 | VOLUME 10 ISSUE 4 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 times a year). Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community.

The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

PUBLISHER Spotlight Media PRESIDENT Mike Dragosavich ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Paul Bougie EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Jason EDITOR Joe Kerlin DESIGN/LAYOUT Ryan Koehler, Sarah Geiger, Soda Tran CONTRIBUTORS Josh Swanson, Joe Kerlin, Paul Bougie, Steve Stark COPY EDITORS Erica Rapp, Nate Mickelberg, GENERAL MANAGER Brent Tehven MARKETING/SALES Tracy Nicholson, Paul Hoefer, Paul Bougie, Tank McNamara, Amy Dagen SOCIAL MEDIA Dani Wente CIRCULATION Nate Olsby MANAGER PHOTOGRAPHY J. Alan Paul Photography, NDSU Athletics, Paul Flessland ADMINISTRATION Heather Hemingway, Laura Ingalls SPECIAL THANKS Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson, Jeff Schwartz, Colle en Heimstead WEB DEVELOPER Lydia Gilbertson, Dani Wente DELIVERY Nate Olsby, Mitch Rapp

FOR ADVERTISING CALL 701-478-SPOT (7768) or email info@spotlightmediafargo.com

Spotlightmedia Bison Illustrated is published monthly by Spotlight Media LLC. Print quantity exceeds 40,000 per issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Bison Illustrated does not necessarily endorse or agree with content of articles or advertising presented. Bison Illustrated assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Bison Illustrated is NOT an official publication of North Dakota State University.

Send change of address information and other correspondence to: Spotlight Media LLC. 502 1st Ave N. First Floor Fargo ND, 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

#TWITTER

“Twitter has taken over my life.

So now, my life has been brought to Twitter.”

CONFESSIONAL FROM THE EDITOR Joe Kerlin

joe@bisonillustrated.com

was sitting in NDSU Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement Justin Swanson’s office Monday after “SportsCenter” came to town. We were drained and beaten from a oncein-a-lifetime sequence of events on the Saturday of Homecoming that included another dramatic comeback by the football team. It had been a long week, especially for Swanson.

We started discussing “Branding the Bison” and I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, we should just do this entire magazine about social media.” Not a bad idea, right?

Like many stories in the magazine, we were too committed to back out of the original plan. But the truth is, the engine of

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NDSU’s marketing tactics have been ignited by online social media websites like Twitter.

Millennials, like myself, can’t stop refreshing the app. We have an addiction to scrolling. We click, scroll, favorite this and that and scroll some more. And I’m not convinced it’s a bad thing either.

I want to be informed at a moment’s notice. Even while constructing the social media chapter of the “Branding the Bison” on Twitter, I couldn’t help but keep tabs on Kansas City’s five-run eighth inning comeback against Houston in Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series.

Oh, hey, Steve Sarkisian just got fired from USC. Click, scroll, click and scroll some more.

I remember watching NDSU upset Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament.

But the first thing that pops into my head about that night is a tweet by Wes

BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

bisonillustrated

@bisonmag

Offerman on the men’s basketball account. “We’ll gladly be your Cinderella, America.” That Tweet almost broke the Internet and cemented itself into my memory.

I remember how I found out Zach Vraa was returning to NDSU for a sixth year. I was in a fullsized car with four other people driving back from Frisco, refreshing, you guessed it, Twitter.

The information age is upon us and I’m addicted to it. I’m not alone, and NDSU Athletics knows this.

NDSU has revolutionized the way I use Twitter.

They’re topical, informative and classy, which cannot be said for other organizations that use this method when interacting with fans.

A lot of the content on my feed right now is garbage. I don’t care that @AshleyKMayo is “totally addicted to podcasts.” Good for her, but the other stuff,

@joebisonmag

like @NDSUathletics telling me Vraa has become the all-time receptions leader in NDSU history, I’ll favorite that all day.

NDSU has been ahead of the times before. It’s well-documented in our September issue when the Bison went Division I before it was the cool thing to do. Now, NDSU is making splashes in the new information age. And I applaud you, NDSU, for doing so.

SINCERELY,

Joe Kerlin

MY TWO

CENTS

FROM paul bougie CONTACT ME 701-478-7768 paulbougie@spotlightmediafargo.com

READING RECOMMENDATION: If you're near an audio-playing device, click play on "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC.

W

hen you take a moment to look at the uniforms on North Dakota State athletes, what do you see?

Most of the time it is a number. It could have some special significance to that athlete, or in football, for example, it denotes the position that player plays.

The one thing you do not see on a Bison uniform is a name. I hear fans say, “Hey, we should put the names on the back so we know who they are!”

For me, the only name that needs to be on those jerseys is BISON. We are a team. One entity engineered by the finest coaches and ignited by this region’s greatest athletes. Yes, a team of individual athletes, but all those individuals must come together to push the Bison train forward.

Wait, I know, “What about individual sports such as track and wrestling?” That’s a good point, but all those athletes are part of a team. And it’s the team that can lift an athlete up when he or she is down or get an athlete ready for a big debut. Still, it is a team, it is our team, and we are Bison Nation.

Because no matter who is hot, hurt or not having a great day on the field, we still have faith in our team.

If you have any thoughts or comments, you know where to find me, in the west lot of the Fargodome with my nose buried in a grill or conversation. We can have a beverage in our plastic, approved tailgating cup, too. (Get yours today at oneherd.com)

Go Bison,

Paul Bougie

BISON SHOTS

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BISON SHOTS

BISON

SHOTS Bison Fans packed the Fargodome for ESPN’s “SportsCenter on the Road” television show. The fans in the first row with the signs were the first ones in line the night before. They told us they got to the Fargodome at midnight for the 6 a.m. broadcast. But who needs sleep when you have an opportunity to show the country how proud Bison Nation is of our school?

DID WE MISS SOMETHING @ TAILGATING Let us know and send us your pictures to joe@bisonillustrated.com 17

T HE B ISO N

By Joe Kerlin

N

orth Dakota State rarely passes as underrated in any sport due to their recent string of success, but there’s still one overlooked value of the Bison – its brand. And, no, we’re not talking about its color combination and logo design.

In fact, that’s only a small component of the branding process. North Dakota State Athletics’ marketing department has created more than an image of what the Bison represents to fans. They’ve created an emotion and psychological bond to the

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green and gold for their fans.

Over the last few years that intangible emotion has boomed throughout the region. People love the Bison so NDSU’s made it their mission to be front and center when the lights are shining its brightest, whether that’s on television, billboards or your Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Supporting NDSU has become a daily ritual so that’s why we’re taking you inside the strategies of “Branding the Bison.”

24 Gameday Marketing 28 Promotions and Events 30 Social Media Broadcasting and Multimedia 34 ESPN and NDSU Relationship 38

BRA ND I NG T HE BISON ESPN’s Sara Walsh and Matt Barrie wait for their cue to begin the “SportsCenter on the Road” live broadcast with a rowdy crew of Bison fans.

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THE MARCH IS ON

TH E B I S O N

BISON GAMEDAY M AR KETING MAR KET ING

T

hree hours is a big commitment to make on a Saturday afternoon.

Luckily for Bison fans, that commitment is always memorable when your team rarely loses at home, inside the real life Thunderdome.

But what about the other commodities? NDSU’s marketing staff has been perfecting the Bison gameday experience since the Fargodome opened its gates and now, football fan or not, Bison games are the place to be on Saturdays.

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NDSU Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations Troy Goergen and his staff have noticed a shift. Their mission has evolved from trying to fill up the Fargodome to making the Fargodome experience during Bison football games a memorable one for fans of all genders, ages, races and creeds.

“People are going there for the entire gameday experience, opposed to just the threehour football game,” Goergen said. “With tickets being sold out, we can put all of our resources – whether it’s time or money – into creating the ultimate gameday experience.”

One of the top priorities for Goergen and the NDSU Athletics’ staff is fan engagement when there’s a lull in the action. One of the steps to ensure there’s never a dull moment is enhancing the video boards that are in the four corners of the dome.

The Fargodome has been an important partner for NDSU since the building opened

its doors in 1993. The video boards were installed in 2002, which, in today’s standards, have become a part of the prehistoric past. Goergen said that in order to move forward with updating the technology, the Fargo Dome Authority will need to push toward a plan.

In September, the Fargo Dome Authority set into motion a plan to begin a 7.5 to 9 million dollar project to add video boards in the north and south end zones. The new video boards will be anywhere from 30 feet by 70 feet to 30 feet by 100 feet.

“Quality is going to be the biggest improvement,” Goergen said. He also mentions the video boards in the corners will be replaced with higher quality video boards.

The video boards are on pace to arrive before the 2016 football season, The Fargo Dome Authority, which meets monthly, is navigating the process of selecting options and financing the project.

GAME DAY

NO TICKETS, NO PROBLEM The greatest secret in all of college football isn’t a secret anymore. Bison tailgating has jumped into the national consciousness as one of the best pre-kick parties in the country.

Tailgater Magazine, Huffington Post and SBNation have made it known here at NDSU: We don’t take tailgating lightly.

SBNation said it best, “These fans are serious about pregaming.”

And the country got proof of that when “SportsCenter on the Road” took multiple live shots of Bison Tailgating, as reporter Marty Smith experienced the nuances of eating the best Bison cuisine and meeting our illegitimate mascot, Corso the Bison.

As tailgating gains popularity by the season, fitting your tailgating rig somewhere in the lot has become a problem. But don’t fret.

One of the newest features for

fans looking to become immersed in Bison Pride is the Bison Corral.

“Even if you don’t have a big tailgate setup or don’t have the time to prepare food and bring it to tailgating, you can still grab a bite to eat and a beverage,” Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement Justin Swanson said. “The opportunities in Thundar Alley with the inflatable games, mechanical bull and free milk for kids has been a hit.”

Don’t forget about the North Dakotan hospitality flooding the west lot of the Fargodome.

Fans from other teams have been known to never leave the tailgating lot hungry or thirsty.

“Whether you’re 8 or 80, there’s something for you to enjoy on Bison gameday,” Swanson said.

NOT JUST ABOUT FOOTBALL The marketing staff at NDSU has expanded to three people.

While Swanson orchestrates much of what’s going on during football games, high above in the press box, Zach Heidmann and Jeff McMillan are doing the legwork for other teams.

You may have seen a basketball commercial at the Fargodome during media timeouts. Goergen said that’s no accident.

“We’ve really concentrated hard on cross-promotion, using football’s success to showcase our other sports,” Goergen said. “We’ve had coach (Dave) Richman and (Maren) Walseth handing out doughnuts to the students at the student line at football games.”

Using football as a catalyst, NDSU has been able to promote other hard-working student athletes who aren’t as lucky to play in front of 19,000 rabid fans.

Soccer and volleyball games have seen an increased buzz around campus with free admission to select home games and meet-and-greets with the student-athletes after a competition.

Assistant Athletic Director of Business and Ticket Operations Josh Hemingway said he’s seen an increase in season ticket sales for men’s basketball this season. He estimates around 2,800 season tickets were sold this fall.

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WEARING THE GREEN AND GOLD Bison Pride Fridays is a weekly holiday in Bison territory. With the enthusiasm this fan base has generated over the last four years, you’re hard-pressed to find any retailer in Fargo not selling Bison gear.

TOP10

LICENSED VENDORS

1. UNDER ARMOUR CUSTOM 2. BRANDED SPORTSWEAR INC. (NIKE)

3. CI SPORT, INC. 4. KNIGHTS APPAREL, INC. 5. SPECTRUM MARKETING SERVICES 6. S&S PROMOTIONAL GROUP, INC. 7. LAKESHIRTS, INC. 8. COLOSSEUM ATHLETICS 9. E5 USA, INC. 10.

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CHAMPION CUSTOM PRODUCTS

BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

“The successes obviously have gotten a lot of people’s attention and with that attention comes more fans,” Goergen said. And to satisfy fans, NDSU apparel has become a must for fans trying to fill their closets with as much green and gold as possible.

USA Today releases a financial report of every public university’s athletic department every year. In 2014, NDSU gained $2.997 million in total revenue

from rights and licensing. That’s a $2 million increase from 2008.

USA Today explains that the rights and the licensing number comes from various outlets, such as radio and television broadcast rights and NCAA and conference revenue sharing. But the final dollar amount is also “revenue from corporate sponsorships, licensing, sales of advertisements, trademarks and royalties.”

“That’s been one of our largest areas of growth in the last 10 years is the licensing,” Goergen said. “We see it more in the royalty reports. We know the number of licensed vendors have gone up.”

RIGHTS/LICENSING Not everybody can slap a Bison logo on a product and try to sell it. The US Patent and Trademark office was created to prevent brands like NDSU’s from becoming misrepresented.

NDSU has more than 300 licensed vendors approved to reproduce NDSU logos. Goergen said four or five companies that wrap trailers and buses at tailgating are now licensed.

“Sometimes people hear the word ‘licensing’ and they assume, ‘Oh my gosh. It’s daunting and it’s going to require a lot of money and paperwork and a background check,’” Goergen said. “It’s a more simple process than people realize. Companies like Nike all the way down to local crafters have done it.”

With the success NDSU has had in football, basketball and softball comes a rise in people wanting to represent NDSU on their products. Goergen said he’s diligently working on making sure vendors are covering the bases and becoming legally licensed. Even Bison Nation has helped Goergen with this process.

Licensing products with the Bison logo can take up to a few weeks, but depending on how diligent the prospective vendor is, the process can be accomplished in a week. There’s a one-time $150 application fee and minimum guarantee royalty for NDSU. The royalties are paid to NDSU quarterly at a rate of 10 percent per product sold.

“I get emails from people saying, ‘Hey, I found this item on Craigslist. It’s really cool, but before I buy it, is it licensed?’”

Goergen said. “I think our fans are proud enough to know they don’t want people making a dollar off the back of the Bison. We appreciate our fans keeping an eye on things like that.”

GA M ED A Y

DON’T YOU MEAN “BISON TRACKER”?

No. The new and improved NDSU app was developed

by ProudCrowd, LLC. “It’s provided another platform to reach Bison Nation and spread the word about the Herd, if you will,” Swanson said.

“When ESPN singles it out during the national championship broadcasts, you know you have a winner on your hands.”

NDSU bought the Bison Tracker app and rebranded it to make it their own.

On the app, you can find information about the football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams, including schedules and rosters.

Introduced in 2012 as the Bison Tracker app, one of

the most coveted features is tracking device. This device tracks the location of app users so you know where everybody in Bison Nation is. It’s also used every gameday with its strobe light setting, brightening the crowd inside the Fargodome during the team’s introduction.

“We’ve been fortunate to have great partners the last four years that have helped us not only launch the app, but keep it updated and fresh with enjoyable content,” Swanson said.

As for the future of the app? Swanson said they’ve experimented with numerous possibilities, but nothing has been introduced yet.

He did reassure that they’re constantly looking for new ways to provide the best information and technology for Bison Nation.

POSTERS

TH E B I S O N

PR OMOTIONS/ OMOT IONS/ EEVENT VENT S

N

DSU Athletics is at the root of Bison Nation, and at the core of Bison Nation is Fargo.

The city NDSU calls home has been the perfect birthplace for a university and its athletic department to thrive. With more than 225,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead area, Bison Nation can be seen represented in nearly every neighborhood.

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In today’s digital age, NDSU has broken through the ceiling over the heads of organizations in the print industry. Posters have been at the heart of calling attention to specific teams at NDSU. And with creative imagery and clever design, NDSU’s posters have become a staple of the marketing staff.

“It’s important for us and the coaches to have the entire team on the posters,” said Justin Swanson, who’s the brains behind the posters at NDSU. “It’s refreshing for us.”

NDSU posters rarely feature a select group of athletes.

Rather, they capture the tradition of pride in the team concept. Take the 2015 football poster as an example. The poster features

12 football players and their numbers represent the years NDSU has been crowned national champions.

Traditionally, NDSU has never donned the names of its players on the back of its jerseys. Instead, this poster has nouns that describe Bison Pride.

With the help of J. Alan Paul Photography and Dust Bowl Artistry, NDSU has been able to capture award-winning images. National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators presented its gold winner in the promotion schedule poster to NDSU in 2015.

Posters can be picked up at every Bison home sporting event.

PROMOT I ONS/E VE NTS The Gold Star Marching Band plays the school song while the cheerleaders get the crowd at the SCHEELS Bison Block Party fired up for another football season.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS NDSU Athletics has a strong relationship with almost 70 local, regional and national companies that partner with the Bison to promote and/or advertise their business through signage, promotions, radio, television and special events.

NDSU and SCHEELS have teamed up to present the Bison Block Party before every football season opener for the past handful of years. It started as a pep rally in 2006, the first year NDSU played Minnesota as a Division I opponent.

This past August, the Block Party gave away football posters that were gobbled up by eager fans in just 12 minutes.

“Bison Pride is immeasurable.

So it’s really an easy brand to promote because there’s so much support,” Olson said via email. “The fans have so much enthusiasm for everything green and gold, and they’re darn proud of all the success the athletic teams have had.”

SCHEELS event leader Caryn Olson said the Block Party has seen up to 1,700 people attend the kickoff party. The pep fest takes place in the parking lot of the SCHEELS 45th street location and has featured appearances

by NDSU president Dean Bresciani, athletic director Matt Larsen and head football coach Chris Klieman.

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LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD

TH E B I S O N

S OCI EDIA OC I AL M MEDIA

N

DSU’s presence on social media has changed the way they look at marketing their program. The best feature social media has to offer is that it’s free to use, and NDSU has taken full advantage of their opportunity to put themselves on top, among teams in their conference.

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NDSU doesn’t have the budget of top programs such as Alabama, Texas and Michigan. To level the playing field, Justin Swanson said they have put an emphasis on social media and interacting with fans on a variety of social platforms.

Bison football tickets are about as rare as a Bison turnover so it’s hard to believe NDSU spent nothing from their budget to promote single-game tickets that went on sale August 1. NDSU chose not to run any radio or television commercials promoting single-game tickets. Instead, they sent out a handful of tweets and Facebook posts, and singlegame tickets sold out within an hour of going on sale.

NDSU’s social media presence has also helped prospective NDSU students gain information about the university without going through multiple clicks on the school’s website.

“If you’re not on glass, you don’t exist,” Swanson said referring to millennials and they way they consume media by simply opening their Twitter or Facebook app on their phones.

Social media has become a free way to promote Bison Nation, and, with more than 87,000 likes on Facebook and 29,000 followers on Twitter, the Bison brand is on computers, phones and tablets across the country.

NDSU'S PHILOSOPHY Social media also provides a fun avenue inside the worlds of our favorite celebrities, athletes and teams. The online message projects globally and reflects the philosophies of organizations.

Various online campaigns have been created through the medium, as well as topical content to express creativity.

Washington State’s tweet after beating Oregon this football season is an example of an athletic department making the most of its opportunity to make a splash on social media to get people talking.

This tweet from the Washington State Cougar’s Twitter account was

S OCI AL ME DIA retweeted more than 6,000 times and rebroadcast numerous times on ESPN. It was even mentioned in the biggest publications in the world. What seems like a fun and slight jab thrown by a lesser-known program toward an elite Oregon program could also come with consequences.

NDSU and Swanson thought it was creative but know there are disadvantages when it comes to trying to make a splash. Swanson said their goal is to never offend any organization or group, intentionally or not.

After NDSU beat its rival South Dakota State on October 3, no jabs were thrown.

They retweeted their football account that said “Never gets old” alongside a photo of the football team with a photoshopped Dakota Marker trophy. It was complemented by the word “Ours” in the image.

It was retweeted 168 times, celebrated the victory over NDSU’s rival and didn’t offend anyone.

This philosophy comes from athletic director Matt Larsen and trickles down. Swanson said it has been the responsibility of everyone handling social media accounts to represent NDSU in a classy manner when creating a post and to never degrade an opponent.

ENGAGING WITH THE FANS The morning of the FCS Kickoff game against Montana, Swanson received a photo from a young Bison fan.

Tyler was in a life-threatening car accident days before NDSU’s first game of the season. He was going into surgery the morning of the Montana game, and Swanson said all he wanted was to be out of surgery in time to watch the Bison play.

Connecting Bison Nation in one place is one of the main goals of the Facebook account, said Swanson.

The “Bison Pride” flag campaign was created in the summer of 2014.

Hundreds of people sent their photos to Swanson from all corners of the world. People were sending photos

from Naval bases in Guam, inside ESPN’s studio, from the army in Afghanistan, on the equator and many more exotic locations.

Its mission was to connect Bison fans from all over the world and see how far spread Bison Pride was through its loyal fans.

Today, it’s routine to see five to 10 posts a day on Bison Pride Fridays, submitted by fans across the world.

You can see babies dressed in Bison gear or Bison flags flying during weddings.

Swanson said he’s honored and humbled to have Bison Nation allow NDSU to be involved in their most intimate chapters of their life.

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TWITTER

Twitter has gained a reputation as becoming the modern day newspaper.

Ask any young Bison fan where they get their news and most will tell you this social media platform. NDSU has taken notice.

The NDSU football Twitter account has the most followers in the FCS. The men’s basketball account is 80th out of 351 Division I schools on Twitter, and track and field is 51st out of 300.

Looking for updates from your favorite Bison team? NDSU has more than 15 accounts distributing news about NDSU teams, recruiting and even broadcast information. The Twitter handles are run by the athletic communication staff composed of Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson and Jeff Schwartz.

Specialized Twitter handles – such as “NDSU Football Recruits” are run by coaches.

Specific sports handles such as the NDSU football account, are updated in real-time throughout games. It also features cool halftime and postgame infographics that provide stats and other visual features to keep followers in the game.

With the growing age range among Facebook users, the college-friendly social media site is now being used by people of all ages. NDSU’s posts are framed for both. If it’s Monday morning, NDSU will send a reminder to students that tickets can be reserved online starting at 8 a.m. Need Bison memorabilia for your home office or

living room? NDSU will post their auction items on Facebook for adults looking to fill their Bison shrines.

Facebook has also become a new aggregate for NDSU to share flattering news about their program from local and national media outlets.

FACEBOOK LIKES 87,541 likes

12,741 likes

11,856 likes

23,852 likes 17,479 likes 13,728 likes

15,064 likes March 20, 2014, is when NDSU realized the full potential of Twitter.

The Bison men’s basketball team had just won their first NCAA Tournament game by knocking off Oklahoma.

Offerman tweeted from the men’s basketball account “We’ll gladly be your Cinderella, America,” and pandemonium on the Twittersphere ensued. Offerman’s tweet from the account was retweeted 6,914 times and received 6,675 favorites. “SportsCenter” picked up the Tweet and featured it during their live broadcast that night.

“SportsCenter” has more than 20 million followers. It was the biggest piece of exposure NDSU has received.

FACEBOOK Facebook is approaching its 12th birthday next February, and what used to be a way to connect college kids with one another has evolved into a driving force of getting information, photos and videos of Bison Pride to NDSU fans across the world.

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8,114 likes

34,088 likes 26,601 likes

4,439 likes

3,652 likes

9,425 likes

4,310 likes

9,611 likes

= Official Facebook Verified Account

S OCI A L MED I A

TWITTER FOLLOWERS 28.8k followers

6.3k followers

13.3k followers

17.3k followers

6.9k followers 13.7k followers

6.7k followers

6.4k followers

17.6k followers 6.7k followers

3.3k followers

6.6k followers

6.2k followers

3.1k followers

7k followers

= Official Twitter Verified Account

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

TH E B I S O N

B ROADCAST R OADCAST ING/ MU M U L TIM T IM EDIA

Consuming Bison football through a radio is how the older generation of Bison diehards remember Bison greats Jeff Bentrim and Chad Stark.

Today, not much has changed for graduated Bison fans who have planted their stakes in the Midwest.

The Bison football broadcast has 22 radio affiliates across North Dakota and Minnesota.

Director of Sales and Broadcasting Jeremy Jorgenson has seen NDSU break through broadcast barriers that had been up for years before he joined NDSU’s staff nine yeas ago.

With recent radio affiliates planted in Roseau, Minn., and the Twin Cities, the barriers have crumbled.

“It’s a little tougher there because that’s Gopher country, but we have, over the course of time here, built up relationships and broke down some walls there,” said Jorgenson. “We’re definitely covered in a big way in Minnesota on the radio.”

NDSU is now spreading the word about their football team across 13 stations in North Dakota and nine in Minnesota.

I

t was only a handful of years ago when NDSU football wasn’t broadcast across the entire region. The only way to consume a game was to actually be in attendance or listen to the sweet sounds of Scott Miller over the airwaves.

Today, Miller reaches all the way from Roseau, Minn., to Iowa.

Television broadcasts are shown throughout the state and can be watched in Alaska or Florida.

The Bison are everywhere and accessible at the touch of a finger.

From live games and postgame press conferences to updates on the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, NDSU has solved the mystery of reaching the masses.

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ESPN AND BEYOND The Bison have played more games on ESPN than fans can keep track of over the past five years. Jorgenson said that’s not by coincidence for an FCS program that, less than 10 years ago, couldn’t even get all their games on television in Fargo.

Thanks to a 10-year contract extension, the Missouri Valley will make ESPN their home until 2025. Although the contract is centered around basketball, the Missouri Valley Football Conference will have games online at ESPN 3 all season.

“Winning the last four years in football has built the (NDSU) brand up to an elite level, and ESPN wants to carry winners,” Jorgenson said. “There’s no question that’s a big reason why. They want successful programs.

They want passionate fan bases. It’s good television, and there’s high interest in it.”

Compared to 2011, when the MVFC had up to five telecasts on ESPN 3, this contract is a step in the right direction for more exposure.

“We were pretty much going to be on ESPN 3 whether or not the league got a deal or not,” Jorgenson said. “Where it helps us is getting more road games on and better coverage on the road.”

BROA D CA S T I NG / MULTIME DIA ESPN introduced College Football Extra on DirecTV and select cable providers this season. This feature shows 10 college football games to DirecTV and select cable customers who otherwise would miss the action.

The football team has been on College Football Extra every week this season as the schedule is updated on a weekly basis.

This program allows bars, restaurants and even people at home to watch what everybody in North Dakota is watching on their television sets.

Jorgenson credits the continuing success of the football program and its wildly successful ESPN pregame shows hosted in Fargo. “I think that goes back to building a relationships with them (ESPN) and being at the top of the list for this, and we get picked every week.”

NDSU ALL-ACCESS NDSU Bison home broadcasts can always be streamed online at NDSU All-Access and can be found at GoBison.com/watch. Home football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball, soccer, softball and baseball games can be streamed into your home at a reasonable price.

Want to watch a soccer match you can’t get to in Fargo? For $6.95, you can get the 24-hour pass to stream so you don’t miss Lauren Miller’s next goal. You can also select a monthly subscription for $10.95. An annual subscription is $89.95 and will cover every streamed sports broadcast for all home games that season.

“We’ve really, I would say, invested a lot more into it, resources-wise,

staff-wise within the last three years,” multimedia coordinator Ryan Nelson said.

NDSU Athletics has also invested in an $80,000 mobile production unit that can be transported from Scheels Arena to Newman Outdoor Field and everywhere in between.

This unit allows NDSU to stream live home games in high-definition and implement replays into live streams.

NDSU All-Access streams the audio from the local radio to coincide with the video feed. It’s enhanced the reach of NDSU Athletics past its city limitations and right into the laptop of fans and family looking to watch their favorite athletes compete.

The NDSU multimedia teams prepare the camera in the pressbox to provide a full view of the field for customers watching the game on NDSU All-Access.

35

BROA D CA S T I NG / MULTIME DIA Jeremy Jorgenson is the director of sales and broadcasting during weekdays, but on Saturdays, he’s the sideline reporter for the Bison football radio broadcast.

YOUTUBE STARS Believe it or not, there are only three guys behind the creation of all those epic hype videos and game recaps that are tweeted and posted endlessly across the Internet.

Nelson and his two interns, Brett Rorie and Rich Grossman, have recently hit a milestone that signifies their consistency and high-end video production. The South Dakota State Gameday preview was the 1,000th video posted online by the NDSU multimedia team.

The numbers behind NDSU Athletics’ YouTube channel rivals that of the most famous viral stars of the Internet age. With more than 3,000 subscribers and more than 1.6 million views, NDSU’s multimedia team never misses an event and has your back when you can’t be in the stands.

Multimedia coordinator Ryan Nelson films the NDSU student section getting rowdy before a game. These types of shots help capture the emotion of the game.

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“The fans try to get to as many events as they can, but if they can’t make it to an event and you know your university has a strong multimedia department, you know the next day there will be highlights posted,” Nelson said.

For Nelson, it goes beyond just recapping the action. The Bison multimedia team makes a conscious effort to put you in the environment they’ve captured with their multiple HD video cameras.

“I think other videos, hype videos and things like that, it just adds to the fan experience,” Nelson said. “It makes you feel like you’re a part of the event. You can buy into what’s happening on the field by watching a video and if we can draw you in and really enhance your fan experience by creating a video, then we’re doing our job well.”

THE BEGINNING

TH E B I S O N

It began with an upset.

Former “College Football GameDay” co-host Chris Fowler and producer Lee Fitting were paying attention.

After NDSU upset Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., they knew Fargo had to be on the list of potential “GameDay” sites.

Then the announcement came.

EESSPN PN /NDSU RRELAT E L AT IONSHIP

N

DSU’s battle for ESPN’s affection began like any other fight a ram would have to win to gain the attention of a prospective mate. NDSU had to earn it. After two national championships, ESPN, the biggest sports broadcasting company in America, started to take notice. Three years later and three wildly successful onsite telecasts later, ESPN and NDSU have sparked a beneficial relationship that’s put the Bison logo on television screens across the world.

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“We’re going to the home of the two-time defending national champs,” Fowler said into television screens across America while filming in College Station, Texas.

“The number one team in the country in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Next week, we’re going off the grid to Fargo, N.D. The North Dakota State Bison.”

Pandemonium ensued as Fargo buzzed with news of the announcement. ESPN and the most popular college football pregame show would be filming live from the streets of Downtown Fargo Sept. 21, 2013.

Thousands packed Broadway to watch the three-hour show and 1.83 million watched from home. Fargo’s GameDay was the sixth most-watched episode of the season. The ratings were gaudy enough for ESPN to start thinking about a return trip to the home of the FCS champs.

GAMEDAY “What makes Fargo great for ‘GameDay’ is very similar to what makes Auburn or Alabama or Georgia great for ‘Gameday,’” said producer Lee Fitting. “It is the unbelievable passion the fans have for their team and the sport. And it was real. It wasn’t a fake passion. You could sense right away it was real, and that was awesome.”

“GameDay” made its return to Fargo on Sept. 13, 2014.

More than 9,000 Bison fans filtered through the streets of downtown during the three hours, making it bigger and louder than the first broadcast.

“It’s not like it was a cute little story,” Fitting said before “GameDay’s” return trip.

“Some people approach it as a novelty or a cute story. We don’t approach it that way.

We approach it as North Dakota State today is a big part of the college football landscape, and we’re going back to pay homage to that.”

The second “College GameDay” from Fargo recorded the same amount of viewership as the first, more 1.83 million.

ES PN/ ND S U RELA TIONSHIP

ESPN ON TWITTER The outstanding crowds during “GameDay” have extended the impact of having a popular TV show in your town.

Not only did those six hours of airtime expose television viewers to the special college football atmosphere in Fargo, the Twitter community is constantly reminded of GameDay’s success in Fargo.

The “GameDay” cast and most notably, Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder, combine for more than 1.5 million followers on Twitter.

And while many people are following all three,

there’s no questioning their followers consist of college football fans from around the country.

So, when Ponder tweets, “Clemson is still the craziest non-Fargo @ CollegeGameDay crowd I’ve ever been a part of… ,” 276,000 people on Twitter are exposed to the Fargo, and ultimately, the NDSU brand.

It’s these kinds of endorsements that let the nation know NDSU is a hotbed for college football.

Lee Corso hustles his way down Broadway to join the Bison that he shares a name with during “GameDay’s” second trip to Fargo.

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ES PN/ ND S U RELA TIONSHIP Desmond Howard, Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit take a look at the NDSU crowd downtown.

THREE YEARS RUNNING “SportsCenter on the Road” rolled their bus into Fargo on a Wednesday afternoon last month to mark the third year in a row that ESPN would make Fargo its temporary set for a college football kickoff television show. This time, it wouldn’t be Fowler and the gang. This year it was a new cast of characters that were about to experience the hospitality of one of the best fan bases in the country.

It was an early Saturday morning for Bison fans during homecoming this year.

“SportsCenter” started filming at 6 a.m., and the Fargodome opened its doors to fans at 4:45 a.m. The first fan in the non-student line was there at midnight. Matt Barrie and Sara Walsh performed “SportsCenter” in front of hundreds of Bison fans standing in the south end zone.

“It was great. You know you hear about this place and you hear about how passionate it is, and the ‘College GameDay’ guys told us how great of a place it is. We said, ‘You know what, we want to see it for ourselves,’” show co-host Barrie said after the performance. “It lived up to the height of the expectations. (They were a) great crowd, they were fun, any time you can start chants and things like that, it’s great.”

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“It was one of our best endings,” the show’s other host Sara Walsh said.

“SportsCenter on the Road” ended its two-hour show with an interview with NDSU football coach Chris Klieman, and then the three were joined on-set by reporter Marty Smith and former Bison defensive back and current New York Jet, Marcus Williams. The five ate the “Cure Burger” from Herd and Horns.

“I need to go on a diet after this trip,” joked Walsh. “But the food has been phenomenal. Matt’s probably gained 20 pounds, and he’s going to go eat four more Bison burgers before we get on a plane.”

It was more than the food that the crew of “SportsCenter” was impressed with. Producer Jonathan Whyley claimed the Fargo stop was the best in the show’s history.

“The whole community comes out, embraces us, and, you know, we feed off that,” the producer said. “The

energy and atmosphere is what we’re trying to encapsulate, and that’s why we go to some of the smaller places because that’s what we want to do.

Sports isn’t just your Alabama and your Floridas, it’s your St. John’s, your St. Thomas’s, it’s your Bison. We love doing these shows, and today is why.

This was very successful.”

Walsh said it was the appreciation the crowd showed is why ESPN falls in love with a town like Fargo and a university like NDSU. “It’s just a different environment in terms of people being really appreciative that you’re there,” Walsh said. “The kids here at the end chanting, ‘Thank you, SportsCenter.’

We don’t get that everywhere we go.”

2015

SPORTING CALENDAR

sporting calendar NOVEMBER

8 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL vs. IUPUI (Fargo) 1 p.m.

13 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL at South Dakota State (Brookings, S.D.) 2 p.m.

13 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. New Mexico State (Fargo) 7 p.m.

13 MEN’S BASKETBALL

at UC Davis (Davis, Calif.)

7:30 p.m.

13 MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NCAA Midwest Regional (Rim Rock Farm, Lawrence, Kan.) 12 p.m.

13 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NCAA Midwest Regional (Rim Rock Farm, Lawrence, Kan.) 12 p.m.

14 WRESTLING

vs. 45th Annual Bison Open (Fargo) 9 a.m.

14 FOOTBALL

19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Valley City State (Fargo) 7 p.m.

20-22 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

vs. Summit League Tournament (Denver, Colo.)

TBA

21 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NCAA Championships (E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, Louisville, Ky.) 11 a.m.

21 MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY NCAA Championships (E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park Louisville, Ky.) 12 p.m.

21 FOOTBALL

vs. Missouri State (Fargo) 2:30 p.m.

22 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Maine (Fargo) 12 p.m.

22 WRESTLING

28 MEN’S BASKETBALL

vs. College of Saint Mary (Neb.) (Fargo) 2 p.m.

29 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

at Illinois (Springfield, Ill.) 2 p.m.

at Iowa State (Ames, Iowa) 7 p.m.

4-5 WRESTLING

vs. Cliff Keen Invitational (Las Vegas, Nev.) 9 a.m.

4 WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Dakota Clasic (Fargo) TBA

5 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

at Kent State (Kent, Ohio) 6 p.m.

6 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Southern Miss (Hattiesburg, Miss.)

TBA

Dakota Clasic (Fargo) TBA

4 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Arkansas State (Jonesboro, Ark.) 7 p.m.

Sophomore guard Brooke Yaggie played in 11 games during her first year on the women’s basketball team.

She will be relied on heavily coming off the bench again this season for the Bison.

vs. Montana (Fargo) 7 p.m.

at Oral Roberts (Tulsa, Okla.)

2 p.m.

15 MEN’S BASKETBALL

1 MEN’S BASKETBALL

4-5 MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

25 MEN’S BASKETBALL

27 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

15 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DECEMBER

vs. Virginia Tech (Fargo) 4 p.m.

at Youngstown State (Youngstown, Ohio) 1 p.m.

15 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

NOV/DEC

at San Diego State (San Diego, Calif.)

8:30 p.m. vs. North Carolina A&T (Fargo) TBA

vs. Delaware (San Diego, Calif.)

2 p.m.

18 MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Valley City State (Fargo) 7 p.m.

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OLD

OLD

SHAC UPDATE

LOCKER ROOMS The locker room area will be ready for the turnover in November. Gast Construction will flee the locker room area and hand it over to NDSU so the men’s and women’s basketball teams can begin practicing. The rendering has come to life with 17 locker stalls already installed in the women’s locker room, and the video room is taking shape and will be finished before it’s handed over to NDSU.

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Paul Flessland

BEFORE AND AFTER The year-long countdown is on for Darren Kruse and his Gast Construction crew to complete the Sanford Health Athletic Complex (SHAC). With the basketball practice facility finished, there’s still much more work ahead for construction crews.

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PERFORMANCE CENTER The only thing left to do inside the NoDak Mutual Basketball Performance Center is wait.

“They basically built this from scratch,” Kruse said, explaining the year-long process of building the basketball practice gym.

The pungent smell of the finished layer on top of the court is all that remains as far as construction evidence. Flooring contractors Anderson Ladd nailed in the new basketball court, stripped the lines and laid the protective top layer on the court. There will be six hoops that have yet to be installed but will be ready to go by the end of October before the basketball teams begin practice in their new facility.

SHAC UPDATE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

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SHAC UPDATE

POOLS

AFTER

The pool was one the first areas Kruse and his crew needed to excavate and then fill in with dirt. Now, where the old deep end was, there are three holes ready for the whirlpools that will be installed. The equipment will be delivered by the end of October. On the other side of the pool is where the student-athlete lounge and study rooms will be located.

The framing is finished, and now, Kruse and his crew are waiting for the drywall.

NDSU had plans to put in two skylights, but that idea will have to wait for a later time.

Even though, the structure around where the skylights will go is ready for installation at any time.

ENTRANCE After Kruse turns over the locker rooms and practice facility to NDSU, they will turn their focus to the south addition. You can already see the temporary shelters being built because the crews won’t be able to install the aluminum glass that will cover most of the atriumstyled entrance into the building before winter hits.

Framing on the outside of the building and through the ticket office has been Kruse’s number one priority. The roof has been enclosed and all the work will be on the interior this winter.

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BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

SHAC UPDATE

AFTER

SCHEELS CENTER

BEFORE

AFTER

The SCHEELS Center has taken shape with the concourse almost completely enclosed around the arena.

The concrete pourers will arrive in a few weeks to start filling in the top of the concourse. The crew will work south to north, and Kruse hopes they can have it finished by the beginning or middle of December. The pile of sand will be removed so the concrete can be poured.

The subcutting has begun, and the base of the arena will be approximately 30 inches lower than before. The retractable seating structure will arrive in mid-December after the concrete is poured and will be installed without the seats.

EXTERIOR

BEFORE

The smoke grey metal panels you see in the ‘after’ photo is what the final exterior of the SHAC will be covered with. The metal panels will be on all four sides of the SHAC, and three of the sides are complete. Kruse hopes the east side will be paneled before winter strikes. He said it will only be two panels high because of the glass wall that will cover most of the east extension.

53

INSIDE THE FARGODOME

INSIDE THE

FARGODOME 2

1

4

3

11

10

12

13

14

9 1 - 2011 Missouri Valley Football Championship Trophy 2 - 2012 Missouri Valley Football Championship Trophy 3 - 2013 Missouri Valley Football Championship Trophy 4 - 2014 Missouri Valley Football Championship Trophy 5 - 2014 FCS National Championship Trophy 6 - 2013 FCS National Championship Trophy 7 - 2012 FCS National Championship Trophy

N

54

8 - 2011 FCS National Championship Trophy 9 - 2011 FCS National Champion Coaches’ Trophy 10 - 2012 FCS National Champion Coaches’ Trophy 11 - 1988 NCAA Division II Football Championship Trophy 12 - 1985 NCAA Division II Football Championship Trophy 13 - 1969 National College Division Championship Trophy 14 - 1965 National College Division Championship Trophy

DSU’s brand is growing. As the fan base and the program’s following continues to grow nationally, NDSU Athletics is making upgrades from within. Director of Football Operations and Equipment Services Brian Gordon has been instrumental in making this happen. NDSU has outgrown its old Division II roots. Three synchronous facelifts have jolted the Bison to be among the elite in the FCS when it comes to facilities for the football program.

We go inside the Fargodome with Gordon and see how NDSU upgraded into the future.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

INSIDE THE FARGODOME

5

15

16

17

18

15 - 1968 National College Division Championship Trophy 16 - 1983 NCAA Division II Football Championship Trophy 17 - 1986 NCAA Division II Football Championship Trophy 18 - 1990 NCAA Division II Football Championship Trophy 19 - 2014 FCS National Champion Coaches’ Trophy 20 - 2013 FCS National Champion Coaches’ Trophy

TROPHY CASE NDSU ran out of room to house their football trophies.

Literally. “We outgrew our old one, and now this one is more expandable,” explained Brian Gordon.

Behind the 20 trophies is a mural of photos taken of the trophy celebrations after each national championship.

Gordon looked to Wild CRG to construct the new trophy case that is now in the lobby of the football offices on the second floor of the Fargodome.

6

19

7

8

20

TROPHY HUNT Check out this list of the championship trophies that are included in the football trophy case inside the fargodome.

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INSIDE THE FARGODOME

PLAYERS' LOUNGE HIGH TECH HIDEOUT

T

he players’ lounge inside the locker room has become the place to be for Bison football players in need of a break between class and practice.

With the comfortable black leather furniture from Dreamseat, the players’ lounge has become the go-to for many football players to chill out in between their endless list of responsibilities.

Student-athletes can watch whatever they’d like on the four flat screen TVs hanging on the north wall, with one measuring 80 inches. An Xbox 1 provides the student-athletes with endless entertainment and competition, with games such as Madden downloaded on the console and NBA 2K an arms length away.

Behind the loungers sits a bartop where they can sit and work on their laptops or watch game film from one of the six iPads provided by NDSU. The football team’s game film archive is on the cloud, so clips of any opponent are just a few taps of the finger away on any device.

The photos on the west wall are exclusively from playoff games and wins over FBS opponents.

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LOUNGE QUICK FACTS Four televisions One 80” HDTV Three 55” HDTVs

Two Couches Three Armchairs Xbox one (4 Controllers)

INSIDE THE FARGODOME

TUNNEL WALK HERE COMES THE BOOM

I

f you’ve ever experienced a Bison game live, you know that one of the most spine tingling moments of the entire afternoon happens before the game starts: the walk-out.

“Thunderstruck” roars and BOOM, director of athletic performance Jim Kramer blows the doors open and out steps head coach Chris Klieman and the Bison football team. The Fargodome is lit in darkness. Everyone in the stands goes bananas, as if Darrius Shepherd caught a go-ahead touchdown pass.

The Bison storm down the hallways tucked in the depths of the stadium. But the walls are white. Blank, bland and boring.

58

“We needed something,” Brian Gordon said. “Coaches and administrators thought we needed something to fill in the wall before the walkout.”

Before the season, the NDSU athletic department worked with the Fargodome to paint the walls green. They didn’t stop there. In the works was two 54-foot banners to cover the green wall. On the left, the banner represents the championship seasons and reminds current players of their program’s rich tradition.

On the right is a banner of the Division I era to remind athletes that the Bison don’t rebuild, they reload.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

HARVEST BOWL

Welcome to the

Harvest Bowl

By Steve Stark Photos by Paul Flessland

T

60

hree major muscle groups in the body of North Dakota are certainly agriculture, education and Bison football. In the last four decades, those muscles have been flexed each fall at NDSU, in a unique blend of agricultural pride and collegiate pigskin called the Harvest Bowl.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

HARVEST BOWL

Fall Football: Bounty of

HISTORICAL Connections For NDSU and North Dakota, Bison football’s Harvest Bowl continues to celebrate vital links in our history’s chain. The annual tribute to athletic pride and enduring agricultural heritage celebrates its 42nd year the weekend of November 6 and 7 with banquets, scholarship awards and feats that culminate on the gridiron when the fourtime national champion Bison play host to Western Illinois.

Championship football aside (a phrase that’s not used often around here), the Harvest Bowl also exists to trumpet a public tribute to often unheralded men and women working in the demanding enterprise of regional agriculture on farm and ranch, business, communication, research and education. Every year, select ag families from all 53 North Dakota counties – as well as some in neighboring Minnesota – are publicly extolled for their success.

outs, the Harvest Bowl puts its money where its mouth is. Celebrating the people behind North Dakota’s number one product, the Harvest Bowl offers educational scholarships to NDSU student athletes with agricultural backgrounds.

More than $140,000 has been awarded to student athletes studying agriculture, business or premed at NDSU. Last year, North Dakotans celebrated their 125th birthday since becoming the 39th state in the Union.

Only a year after statehood, North Dakota Agricultural College began building its campus on a Fargo wheat field just north of town. Our new NDAC was a result of President Lincoln’s famed Morrill Land Grant College Act, serving present and future common men and women with opportunities of accessible higher education in agriculture, applied sciences, mechanical and liberal art studies and military training.

In addition to those shout-

61

HARVEST BOWL

Ronald Lund, Myron Johnsrud, Bob Johansen, Jack Carter and a host of others.

One of Harvest Bowl’s best known and admired Harvest Bowl scholarship recipients was Bison football great Phil Hansen, an Oakes, N.D., farm boy setting records for the Herd while maintaining a 3.2 GPA in agricultural economics.

How about these historical connect-the-dots? Hansen played for the Bison in Fargo, the city named for the former mayor of Buffalo, N.Y. After the NFL team in New York recruited him, Bison Phil became a Buffalo Bill. He’ll be broadcasting with Scott Miller from the radio booth November 7 for Harvest Bowl 2015.

It took just a handful of those fledgling years to establish sports on the NDAC campus.

The first teams representing the “ag college” were aptly named The Farmers, soon to be changed to The Aggies. By 1919, the idea was proposed for a team name that reflected North Dakota heritage, but with a more muscular affiliation. Recalling the American behemoths that once thundered throughout the territory, the Bison was chosen and the enduring name and mascot remained past the 1960 name change to North Dakota State University.

In 1984, NDSU’s world renown horticulturalist, potato breeder and former NDAC football player Dr. Robert Johansen, proposed an idea to legendary Bison Athletic director Ade Sponberg.

How about an event honoring all aspects of agriculture, combined with a special NDSU football game?

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agribusiness

award winners Sponberg not only supported the idea, he fully understood the natural connection of the work, responsibility and dedication learned on the farm to the challenge of athletics.

The proposal was a touchdown, and the Harvest Bowl was destined to become what NDSU President Dean Bresciani has called “one of the proudest traditions of North Dakota State University – where we celebrate the economic strength, vitality, culture and history of our state and combine it with the proud tradition of athletics.”

Governor Art Link was the first recipient of the agribusiness award in 1992 and has been followed by others of sterling achievement, including Sen. Mark Andrews, Gov. George Sinner, Businessmen Ron Offutt and Gene Dahl, educators

1992 - Art Link 1993 - Robert Johansen 1994 - Jewel Roningen 1995 - Mark Andrews 1996 - George Sinner 1997 - Keith Bjerke 1998 - Ronald Lund 1999 - Walt Ness 2000 - Delbert Moore 2001 - Mike Warner 2002 - Myron Johnsrud 2003 - Jack Dahl 2004 - Howard Olson 2005 - Jack Carter 2006 - John Bollingberg 2007 - Al Gustin 2008 - Eugene R. Dahl 2009 - Ronald Offutt 2010 - Gregg Halverson 2011 - Allan R. Johnson 2012 - Neal Fisher 2013 - Richard Frohberg 2014 - Jerry Doan 2015 - Lynden Johnson (See what Johnson had to saw about the Bison football team on the next page)

Gate City Bank and NDSU Bis

on - The Tradition Continues!

HARVEST BOWL Q&A WITH LYNDEN JOHNSON

A young Lynden Johnson is shown waving to his father while they pick pumpkins on their pumpkin patch near Watford City, North Dakota.

PROPELLING

AGRICULTURE INTO THE

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Cooperatives Harvest States (CHS) Executive Vice President Lynden Johnson will be honored at the 2015 Harvest Bowl as the winner of the Agribusiness Award. Johnson is an NDSU alum who still bleeds green and gold. We caught up with him over the phone while he was somewhere in the middle of North Dakota.

HARVEST BOWL Q&A WITH LYNDEN JOHNSON

Q &A WITH

LYND EN JOHNSON

WHAT DOES WINNING THE AGRIBUSINESS AWARD MEAN TO YOU? “It’s certainly very humbling.

When I look at the list of the previous award winners, to even think of being categorized in that category, for me, it’s an outcome of the opportunities that I’ve had, the people, the company I’ve got to work for.”

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH NDSU OVER THE YEARS? “Through different gatherings. I’ve been a member of Team Makers for many years. I still have professors that I had that are now business allies and keep in touch with me, and work with me to help. From opportunities of sponsorships, endorsements. Anything that we can do from a company standpoint at CHS.”

HAVE YOU USED NDSU AS A RESOURCE FOR EMPLOYEES? “Absolutely. We provide a great deal of scholarships and funding, not only for students but for classrooms and the commodity training rooms and so on. NDSU is greenhouse, it’s research. Its whole foundation is very key to CHS and our world of agriculture.”

YOU SAID YOU’RE A TEAM MAKER SO YOU MUST BE A PRETTY BIG SPORTS FAN. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FOND MEMORIES OF YOUR TIME AT NDSU? “I was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. I was the social chairman of our fraternity so obviously I was very social. I loved to create atmospheres of parties and what not. I met so many great people at NDSU, and I stay in contact with them today. I’m just really proud when I see the accomplishments from them in their careers. Farming operations, there’s some really talented people, and I was proud to be associated with them.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT NDSU THAT MAKES IT ONE OF THE MORE ATTRACTIVE INSTITUTIONS IN THE REGION FOR AGRICULTURAL STUDIES? “I just think their vision, as a land grant university, to reinvest in the whole industry of agriculture. That’s so dominant, and I get to work with a lot of other land grant universities across the country and I probably took it for granted how great of an institution I went to. But, when you get to see the others – not that they’re bad – NDSU really stands out as far as a top, top agricultural institution and the commitment they have for research development, faculty. It’s quite outstanding.”

YOU WENT TO HARVARD. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? “I was just there for the agriculture business seminars so it’s not an accreditation, but it’s a way to learn from the standpoint of Harvard case studies. So you’re meeting with other CEOs and executives across the states to do research on case studies and to learn and network through that.”

OKAY, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU IF YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON FROM NORTH DAKOTA THERE. “Actually, this is unique. There’s a professor there that is from Fargo.

His name is Ray Goldberg, and he’s a professor at Harvard. He’s about 85 years old and he’s still teaching there and he’s from Fargo. He’s one of the leaders of the agribusiness group at Harvard. Yeah, you can write a book on him.”

Lynden Johnson poses for a picture with his parents after his graduation ceremony at NDSU in 1982.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET BACK? “Generally a couple times a year.

I was there for the UND (football) game, and we’ll be back for the Harvest Bowl.”

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HARVEST BOWL Q&A WITH LYNDEN JOHNSON Lynden Johnson attends a Bison home football game earlier this year against the University of North Dakota.

AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT CHS, HOW ARE YOU INFLUENCING THE AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY?

to analyze, understand, create the agricultural economics in the fertilization capacities to maximize the usage of the land.”

“As a leader, we are making ongoing investments in the space, to not only fund capital expenditures for size and speed, but we’re making investments for talent and recruiting, developing and spurring the next generation of leaders in the industry of agriculture.

And with that, the third component is technology. It’s amazing what has happened in our industry from a technology aspect in the last 20 years and in the future. Who knows, but it’s just going to get more and more driven through great technology.”

WHY WERE YOU SELECTED TO WIN THE AGRIBUSINESS AWARD?

WHAT ARE THE MORE RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT? “It’s certainly around the component of precision agriculture. From everything to spraying the fields to the smallest amount of land, 68

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“Great question. You’d have to ask the committee. I think there are a lot of people more qualified than me. I’ll put it that way (laughs).”

YOU’RE BEING HONORED AT THE WESTERN ILLINOIS GAME. WE THINK IT MIGHT BE CLOSER THAN PEOPLE THINK. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE GAME? “That’s why they play the game, right?

You never know what any given Saturday will bring, but I think the program is extremely proud of what it’s built and it will be successful for a long time. They’ll play it as a regular game, and I enjoy it every week and hopefully the Bison do well.”

PHOTO OF LYNDEN JOHNSON AND HIS WIFE KATHY AFTER THE BISON CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TEXAS.

Harvest Bowl Scholarship

2O15

HARVEST BOWL

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS The Harvest Bowl endowments are presented to two athletes each year. Football player Colin Conner is this year's recipient of the Harvest Bowl Scholarship and women's cross country runner Kayla Huhnerkoch will receive the other Harvest Bowl scholarship in honor of Robert Johansen.

The remaining 13 scholarships that are awarded at the Harvest Bowl are from endowments not related to the Harvest Bowl. The scholarships have an affiliation with agriculture and will be presented at the Havest Bowl by request of the donor.

COLOR OUTLINE - Harvest Bowl scholarship recipient BLACK OUTLINE - Scholarships that have been requested by the donor to be presented at the Harvest Bowl ceremony.

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Colin Conner is a redshirt freshman offensive tackle on the NDSU football team from Mineral Point, Wis., majoring in physical education. He is the son of James and April Conner.

Harvest Bowl Scholarship in honor of Robert Johansen Kayla Huhnerkoch is a freshman distance runner for the NDSU cross country and track and field teams from Redwood Falls, Minn., majoring in exercise science.

She is the daughter of Brent and Lynne Huhnerkoch.

Gene Dahl Scholarship Zach Mayo is a senior left-handed pitcher for the NDSU baseball team from Mather, Manitoba, majoring in crop and weed sciences. He is the son of Bart and Cynthia Mayo.

HARVEST BOWL SCHOLARSHIPS Scott and Ann Dau Family Scholarship Emily Spier is a junior forward on the NDSU women’s basketball team from Buffalo, Minn., majoring in university studies.

Myron and Muriel Johnsrud Harvest Bowl Endowment Dan Stibral is a freshman heavyweight for the NDSU wrestling team from Tabor, S.D., majoring in agricultural engineering.

Bob Lauf Memorial Scholarship Brian Schaetz is a senior defensive tackle for the NDSU football team from Denmark, Wis., majoring in agricultural economics with a minor in crop and weed sciences.

Titan Machinery Scholarship Jack Plankers is a junior offensive tackle for the NDSU football team from Leonard, N.D., majoring in industrial engineering with minors in psychology and business.

John and Kay Dean Harvest Bowl Scholarship Landon Lechler is a junior right tackle on the NDSU football team from Beach, N.D., majoring in general agriculture.

LeVon Kirkeide, Patricia Kirkeide – Hagemeister & Friends Harvest Bowl Scholarship Kelsey Laufenberg is a sophomore thrower for the NDSU women’s track and field team from Alice, N.D., majoring in zoology.

Gooseneck Implement/ Green Iron Equipment Harvest Bowl Scholarship Derrek Tuszka is a freshman defensive end on the NDSU football team from Warner, S.D., majoring in crop and weed sciences.

Darrell Larson Family Scholarship Brad Ambrosius is a junior defensive end for the NDSU football team from De Pere, Wis., majoring in social science education with a minor in history.

Ron and Karen Offutt Scholarship

Red River Commodities Scholarship

Andrew Smith is a junior safety for the NDSU football team from Sioux Falls, S.D., majoring in health and physical education.

Jarrod Tuszka is a sophomore defensive end for the NDSU football team from Warner, S.D., majoring in university studies.

#64 Bob Yaggie and #58 Bruce Yaggie Father – Son Football Scholarship

Bob and Darlene Yaggie Football Scholarship

Andrew Bonnet is a senior fullback and tight end for the NDSU football team from Council Bluffs, Iowa, majoring in finance.

Austin Kuhnert is a sophomore center for the NDSU football team from Sioux Falls, S.D., majoring in general agriculture.

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HARVEST BOWL FEATURED ATHLETES

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Richard Svaleson

FARMING FOR STRENGTH Kelsey Laufenberg grew up throwing things. Working on the family farm in Alice, N.D., has given her the potential to re-write the NDSU track and field record books and the strength to be a leader.

BIO POSITION: THROWER CLASS: SOPHOMORE HOMETOWN: ALICE, N.D. HIGH SCHO OL: MAPLE VALLEYENDERLIN HS

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7th Place in shot p ut at Summit League Indoor Championships 11th Place in weight throw at Summit League Indoor Championships 5th Place in the shot p ut at Summit League Outdoor Championships 6th Place in the discus at the Summit League Outdoor Championships No. 5 all-time at NDSU in the outdoor shot put at 14.94m

THE INTERVIEW Bison Illustrated: Do you know everybody in the town of Alice, N.D.?

Kelsey Laufenberg: “Yeah, pretty much. The population, if you look on a map, says it’s about 52, but I would probably say it’s 25.”

BI: So a lot of farmland?

KL: “We have a seed company in Alice, but that’s about it and then it’s mostly just rural farms out in the country, not too far from Alice.”

BI: What kind of farm did you grow up on?

KL: “Just small grain. We raise wheat and soybeans.”

BI: How did the farm lifestyle help you become the thrower you are today?

KL: “As far as athletics, my dad always jokes about and says he drove the rock picker wagon just far enough ahead that he knew it would pay off one day (laughs). Working on the farm is where I got most of my strength and is where it all started.

In high school, I threw a little bit, but I didn’t know much about technique and stuff. Then, when I came to NDSU with the best coaches in the country, it’s not just saying the best coach, you literally have the best coach, so that’s kind of neat, too.”

BI: Explain this rock picker to me.

KL: “When I was younger, we had this rock picker where you can just drive the tractor and there’s this spinning wheel and it picks up the rocks. Five or more years ago, my sister and I would have to go in the field and pick the rocks and put them in a wagon by hand. Dad would drive the wagon and we’d get to a bad spot in the field and he’d get off. But, sometimes there’d be a rock here and there and he always joked that he drove far enough ahead so I knew one day it would pay off.”

BI: How big are these rocks?

KL: “Bigger than a shot put (laughs).”

KELSEY LAUFENBERG

Kelsey Laufenberg chucks the shot put 13.63 meters during the 2015 Thundering Herd Classic. She placed seventh in the shot put at the Summit League Indoor Championships later that winter.

BI: Three throwers made the NCAA West Preliminary Round this past year. What’s it like to have all this older talent around you?

KL: “This opportunity is pretty incredible. It doesn’t matter if we’re competing in the conference or even at the regionals, we are the top spots so being able to practice with them every day gives us younger athletes an edge being able to compete with the top throwers in the conference and ultimately in the region really.”

BI: Is it something where you don’t even worry about the other schools during meets? You just keep up with your teammates?

KL: “Exactly. If somebody beats you, you know it’s going to be one of your

teammates so that’s one of the cool things about it.”

BI: You’re already in the Top 5 for shot put distances in school history.

Is that something you look at to motivate you?

KL: “My goal this year is to beat Emily Lesser’s record and to have that record. It’s a pretty big thing, and I know I’m capable of doing it.

And I hope it’s this year, and if it’s not, it will be something to work toward.”

BI: What makes this throwing group so good at NDSU? KL: “Definitely the coach. Justin St. Clair is the coach to have. A lot of

it is due to coaching, but a lot of it is dedication from our teammates.

It doesn’t matter, you could be having a bad day and they’ll still be cheering you on. Like I said before, we have the top throwers in the conference. So being able to practice and essentially competing with them every day prepares us for the next level, and I think that’s what makes us pretty great.”

BI: What do you want to do with your health sciences zoology degree?

KL: “I would like to get into med school or grad school and some days I’m thinking physician’s assistant, some days I’m thinking chiropractor, so it depends on the day. I guess I have a little while to think about it.”

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APPEARANCES - 16 RECORD - 1-1 STARTS - 3 INNINGS PITCHED - 27.2 STRIKEOUTS - 27 OPPONENT BATTING AVG. - .275

FEATURED ATHLETES

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Jim Trewin and Richard Svaleson

BACK ON THE BUMP Last fall, left-handed pitcher Zach Mayo underwent Tommy John surgery on a torn elbow ligament. He made his triumphant return this fall and is champing at the bit to return atop the mound at Newman Outdoor Field in 2016.

BIO POSITION: PITCHER HEIGHT: 6’3” WEIGHT: 200 BAT/THROW: L/L CLASS: JUNIOR HOMETOWN: MATHER, MANITOBA HIGH SCHO OL: VAUXHALL HS 74

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THE INTERVIEW Bison Illustrated: Who is the new Canadian Prime Minister?

Zach Mayo: “Justin Trudeau.”

BI: I wasn’t sure if you’re up-to-date with Canadian politics anymore.

ZM: “Yeah, I still am. I wasn’t very happy with the results of this one, though.”

BI: How big is your hometown of Mather, Manitoba?

ZM: “There are 32 people who live in the town.

I live in a farm outside the town. It’s a pretty big farming community, and there’s a town close by that’s an intersection between the two major highways in the area.”

BI: How far are you from the North Dakota border?

ZM: “I live about four miles from the border.”

BI: So, hypothetically, you could go out to a field and be standing in both countries?

ZM: “Well, you’re not allowed to do that, but yes, I could do it.”

BI: What kind of farm did you grow up on?

ZM: “We had cattle for all of my life until two years ago we sold all them. Now we just have grain land.

We grow wheat, barley, canola and soybeans.”

BI: What’s your plan with your weed and crop major?

ZM: “I haven’t decided. I might go back and farm or might try and get a job as an agronomist.”

BI: You played in the 2011 Canada Cup for Manitoba.

What’s the Canada Cup all about?

ZM: “Basically, every province sends a team there, and they have tryouts and everything.

There are teams from all 10 provinces that play a big tournament to see who wins the Canada Cup. The location changes every year. Every province gets it every 10 years.”

BI: What type of pitcher are you?

ZM: “I would say I’m more crafty. I think the biggest thing for me to be successful is to throw three pitches for strikes because I don’t have one overpowering pitch. I have three average pitches, I guess, so it’s really about

ZACH MAYO Zach Mayo missed the 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery last fall. He’ll return to the bullpen this spring and is hoping to build himself back to where he was during the 2014 season.

mixing speeds and changing eye levels for me. Mainly, one fastball.

I throw a two-seam fastball, then a curveball and change-up.”

BI: Are you back to throwing off the mound after your Tommy John surgery last September?

ZM: “I’ve been throwing off the mound since we got back to school and I think I missed two intersquad scrimmages. Then I’ve been pitching in every intersquad game since then.”

BI: How far out are you until you’ll get back to where you were before the injury?

ZM: “Some days I think I’m back to where I was at, and then other days it’s not quite there. There are days that I feel better than I used to as well. It’s just kind of an up and down thing right now just getting back into the swing of things.”

BI: How long did it take for you to start throwing a baseball again?

ZM: “I didn’t even pick up a baseball for six months because I had a little nerve issue with my hand after the surgery so that was a little complication after the surgery. So I got pushed back even further from throwing than normal, so it’s been fun just to go out there and do it again.”

BI: Have you been able to ask teammates questions about the recovery process since they’ve gone through it, too?

ZM: “We have a couple guys on the team, Parker Trewin and Adam Lambrecht that both had Tommy John, so I ask them a lot from advice and stuff. Our coach, Coach Brown, actually had Tommy John back when he was playing as well.”

BI: What’s something you’ve seen from this team to get the fans excited come this spring?

ZM: “I think that this fall and throughout the intersquad games we’ve played, we have a lot of depth at every position. I feel like we have a lot of different ways to score runs this year and a lot of different ways to get people out on the mound. I think we’re a really well-rounded team right now that can win games in a slugfest or a 2-1 game with great pitching, it depends on the day. But, I think we have a really well-rounded team right now.”

BI: It’s October 20. How do you think the MLB Playoffs have been?

ZM: “I’m a big Blue Jays fan just being from Canada and them being the only Canadian team. So I’m really pulling for them. We’ll have to see if their pitching can hold up. It will be interesting. I kind of like the Mets just because their pitching is so good and their offense seems to be rolling right now, too.”

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G ames Played - 58 Minutes/G ame - 13

HARVEST BOWL

Field G o al % - 42.5 Rebounds - 146 Blocks - 25 Points - 198

FEATURED ATHLETES

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Richard Svaleson

Spier-ing the New Basketball Era Women’s basketball player Emily Spier is as humble as they come.

That may be the reason why she chose to come to a program that’s just as committed to scoring hoops as they are giving back to the FargoMoorhead community.

BIO POSITION: FORWARD HEIGHT: 6’1” CLASS: JUNIOR HOMETOWN: BUFFALO, MINN. HIGH SCHO OL: BUFFALO HS 76

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THE INTERVIEW Bison Illustrated: You played for the Buffalo High School Bison. Was keeping the Bison as your mascot important in the college decision-making process?

Emily Spier: “It wasn’t important necessarily, but I thought it was really cool to be a Bison forever I guess (laughs).”

BI: Why did you choose basketball over track and field?

ES: “I actually only was in track for two years. I gave up softball to play AAU basketball because I realized that basketball was my true love, and I tried out for track and I was really good. I started getting calls and I said, ‘Well, I’m already committed to NDSU for basketball.’ It was on my mind a little, but I was already committed so I went with basketball.”

BI: From freshman year to now, what’s been the biggest adjustment you’ve made?

ES: “I would say I have a lot more responsibilities with the team. I’m a captain this year so I have a lot more responsibility, and academically, it’s a

lot harder than freshman year, which was a breeze.

In basketball, just the pace of play, responsibilities and actually getting playing time.”

BI: What other responsibilities do you have now being a captain?

ES: “I’m a leader and role model for the rest of the team. Being a vocal leader and being emotional and leading by example.

Marena, Holly and I are the captains, and we meet with the coach and report to her about specific things that need to be done. And she trusts us to do the things we need to tell the team and that kind of thing.”

BI: Why does the women’s basketball team feel the need to get involved so much in the community?

ES: “Arianne (Johnson) challenges us to get out in the community. We try to do one community event per month as a whole team. She’ll challenge us to do our own kind of thing. This weekend we’ll be doing Bison Buddies.

So that’s helping out the community and the kids.

We’ve done where we go out to school to read to the kids. We help with the

EMILY SPIER Head coach Maren Walseth said before the season junior Emily Spier has been a “beast” in the weight room this summer. Spier returns to the Bison frontcourt after making a huge improvement to her post game in 2015.

food packaging, that kind of things.

I really like it because we get to go out there and support the fans that support us.”

BI: What’s your favorite community activity?

ES: “I really like being with the kids.

We did StreetsAlive! earlier this fall, and that was really fun just to be involved with everybody out there. And we get to roam around downtown, too.”

BI: What’s been the biggest difference with Maren Walseth compared to the coach who recruited you?

ES: “We played quite a bit faster so just being able to get up and down the court a lot more. I didn’t play a ton my freshman year so just being in that shape where you can move up and down the court. Just building confidence was another key thing Maren had instilled in me. I am a good player and that kind of thing.”

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BI: Your playing time jumped by 10 minutes a game. Why is that?

BI: What have you been working on within your own game?

ES: “I think the fact that she was more comfortable with me being in there and I was more comfortable playing with the girls that I have been. I had another year under my belt, I wasn’t a freshman anymore, and I had the ropes down a little more.”

ES: “Patrick (Harrison) and I have really been working on confidence and being in more of a scoring mentality. So being more of an offensive threat is definitely a big emphasis for this year.”

BI: What are the advantages and disadvantages to having 10 players on the roster right now?

ES: “I actually really like playing at the BBF (Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse) just because it’s smaller and its closer and the environment is better. The fans get really loud, and we can actually fill the place up. I’m really excited to be in the SHAC and to have that kind of thing because I know the fans will be excited to be in the new facility.

Just like the other things we get, the locker room, the training room, the practice facility and weight room will all be top-notch.”

ES: “I guess the advantages would be we don’t necessarily need to know how a ton of people play. We can all get used to playing with each other in practice because everybody has to play at some point. The disadvantages would be if someone were to get into foul trouble. That would be a big issue because we don’t have a ton of subs. Right now, we have three bigs so none of us can really get into foul trouble, but if we do, we know that the other two bigs can step up and make plays.”

BI: Has the transition with facilities made this team tighter?

WINTER

WINTER IS COMING

IS COMING

By Joe Kerlin

The men’s basketball and wrestling programs are entering unprecedented territory this winter.

The microscope is focusing closer in on the Bison basketball program after their second straight Summit League championship last season.

Their third title since 2009 has created a swirl of expectations, stemming from a new reputation as one of the most feared teams in the men’s game.

The wrestling team will be testing the waters of the Big 12 for the first time this winter.

With the Western Wrestling Conference dissolved, the Bison will join a new league, which means they’re back at the bottom of the totem pole. This year is their first opportunity to earn their wrestling stripes among the country’s elite.

The women’s basketball program is in year two under head coach Maren Walseth.

The once-proud Division II program is still finding its footing in the Summit League, and with the talented seniors on this team, it could be the breakthrough season they’ve been waiting for.

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WRESTLING RECAP Last season was the most successful year for Bison wrestling coach Roger Kish and the wrestling program since they moved to Division I. The Bison broke a school record by sending six individuals to the NCAA Championships, and for the first time in school history, two wrestlers earned AllAmerican honors. The team also won their second straight Western Wrestling Conference championship, their third in four years.

WHAT WE KNOW We know the 2015-16 Bison wrestling team is one of the most experienced teams Kish has had during his five-year tenure. The Bison will return four NCAA Championship qualifiers in Josh Rodriguez, Mitch Bengtson, Clay Ream and Division I All-American Hayden Zillmer. The Bison will have returning starters in every weight class, with the exception of the 174-pound 84

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and 285-pound (heavyweight) divisions. “We have great leaders and we’re excited to get competing here,” said Kish.

“Especially with the other Big 12 members and see where we rank (against them).”

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW One of the few questions surrounding the wrestling team is who will take over Evan Knutson’s role at the 285-pound weight division.

Sophomores Adam Freidman and Jerrad Nieland are back this year and will be joined by junior college transfer Ben Tynan and incoming freshmen Vincent Feola, Dan Stibral and Jon Zeidler.

“We’ve really made it a competitive room there at the upper weight division, and it’s great when these guys get in the room and it’s all business,” Kish said. “Everybody is here for one reason, and that’s to be the guy.”

WINTER IS COMING

Hayden Zillmer is returning to wrestle in the 184-pound weight division. The senior is coming off an AllAmerican season in 2015.

STAR WATCH

Hayden Zillmer is back for an encore performance after his memorable junior season. He was named Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Year and an All-American after finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships in the 184-pound weight class.

He finished the season with a 36-7 record, going a perfect 13-0 in duals. Kish said he’s only

getting better and has a realistic chance at winning the national championship. “Leading into this season, he had a great summer,” Kish said. “He had a couple competitions this summer and did really well. He won a couple big tournaments this summer and knocked off a couple guys that are probably ranked in front of him in the preseason poll this year.”

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH

The combined returning record of wrestlers who competed in the Western Regional for the Bison is 134-98. The Bison won the final two Western Wrestling Conference championships (Rest in peace, WWC) and, talent-wise, are on par with their new conference foes in

the Big 12. They won’t have any duals this year against original members of the new conference, but they will square off in the Big 12 Championships in the first week of March. This has the makings of a special year for the NDSU wrestling program.

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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP Under first year head coach Maren Walseth, the Bison finished the 2014-15 basketball season 11-18 and 7-9 in Summit League play.

It was the most wins they’ve had in conference play since the 2011-12 season. Led by senior point guard Brooke LeMar, the Bison began the Summit League season with a three-game winning streak but cooled down, losing seven of their last nine games.

WHAT WE KNOW Sophomore Taylor Thunstedt will take over as the point guard after being named NDSU Female Rookie of the Year at the Green & Gold Gala. The Spicer, Minn., native played in 28 games, averaged more than 24 minutes and scored 8.6 points per game.

Her 39.6 percent clip from the three-point line led the team, as she earned her way onto the Summit League AllNewcomer Team.

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WHAT WE DON'T KNOW Brianna Jones is expected to make the biggest impact as a newcomer this year for the Bison. She’s a junior college transfer from Danville Area Community College in Illinois, where she was selected allconference last season. Jones’s

combination of size and athleticism is what Walseth is excited with most.

“Her ability to drive to the high post, her athleticism in the paint,” Walseth said.

“She’s already blocked a few shots from our practice guys, and that’s not something that would happen regularly last year.”

Holly Johnson puts up a shot against Denver during one of the final home games last seasons.

STAR WATCH Senior forwards Holly Johnson and Marena Whittle return as the second- and fourth-leading scorers from last season.

Johnson will miss the beginning of the season as she nurses a leg injury, but with newfound help with Jones in the middle, Whittle and Johnson should have more room to create in the open floor.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH With only eight healthy players practicing to begin preseason camp, the Bison will need to find their chemistry quickly. “It’s been a little different than it has been, and we have to manage minutes and make sure we save our legs and things like that,” Walseth said. “But, they’re excited, (and) I’m excited. They’re

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picking things up. I’d say offensively, we’re further along than we were last year.”

The Bison will have a bigger presence inside this season

with the 6-foot-1-inch Jones in the post. This should free up more space for Bison sharpshooters Brooke Yaggie and Taylor Thunstedt.

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MEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP The Bison men’s basketball team is in the midst of the most successful three-year stretch in program history, with 73 victories during that time. They are the two-time defending Summit League champions and played toe-totoe against Gonzaga last year in the NCAA Tournament, before falling 86-76.

WHAT WE KNOW The good news for the Bison this year is that they’re returning 71 percent of their scoring. Compare that to last season when they were returning 32 percent of point production, the Bison are in a good place when it comes to returning experience. AJ Jacobson returns from his redshirt freshman campaign where he was second on the team in scoring. The Bison are also returning Summit League Sixth Man of the Year Dexter Werner, who shined during the NCAA Tournament, scoring 22 points against Gonzaga.

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WHAT WE DON'T KNOW The Bison are returning four of the five starters from last season, but the man who won’t be there is reigning Summit League Player of the Year, Lawrence Alexander.

He was a four-year starting point guard for the Bison and played more minutes than anyone in school history. “It’s not going to be just flip and

put somebody in to replace a Lawrence Alexander,” head coach Dave Richman said.

“I think we will have the luxury of having multiple guys.” Sophomore Paul Miller and junior Carlin Dupree have relieved Alexander of point guard duties before and are expected to carry the weight at the position this season. Richman also hinted that incoming freshman Khy Kabellis could see some minutes as well.

AJ Jacobson driving to the hoop against Oral Roberts during last year’s Summit League tournament.

STAR WATCH Honorable mention AllSummit League and the lone freshman on the Summit League All-Newcomer Team, AJ Jacobson, is NDSU’s best scorer returning this season. The Fargo Shanley High School product will garner more attention this season from opponents and will look to increase his scoring output this season. “AJ is hungry and is as competitive of a guy that I’ve been around,” Richman said It’s going to be really exciting to see if he can continue. He’s worked so hard, his body. He’s moving really well and I think he’s in a great place.”

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH The past three seasons, the Bison have a 36-10 record in the Summit League. They’ve played in the last three conference championship

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games and have won the last two. The Bison defended their league title last year by beating South Dakota State 57-56. With only a seven-man

rotation last year and only one senior leaving, coach Richman hopes the Bison are a deeper team during the 2015-16 season.

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FAN VS. MEDIA

JOSHUA SWANSON

BRIAN SHAWN

“Swany” has been a Bison fan since he took his first breath. No one at his age has consumed more of Bison athletics from the stands than him. He’s also a lawyer and has been writing about the Bison since his college days on NDSU’s campus.

Brian Shawn is the play-by-play man for the men’s basketball and football team on the television side.

He spent more than 10 years in the media and now works for the American Red Cross.

THE SUPERFAN

How is NDSU going to replace the void left by Lawrence Alexander this season?

“Every good team needs its alpha dog. In NDSU’s previous three NCAA Tournament runs, you had guys like Ben Woodside, Taylor Braun and Lawrence Alexander that asserted themselves in pivotal moments, taking over games when necessary. While you can never replace someone like LA, you need that alpha dog to lead the pack. All indicators point to the next guy in that line being AJ Jacobson, who is one of the best offensive players in the Summit League. Dexter “Big Dex” Werner also emerged as someone that can take over.”

What will be this team’s biggest improvement from last year?

“Experience. The Bison lost so many pieces from the 2013 team that beat Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament. Yet, to the surprise of many, the Bison made it back to March Madness. While a huge year from LA was the catalyst, the emergence of the likes of Jacobson, Werner, and Paul Miller to complement LA resulted in another Summit League title. Those three guys having a year of experience and big games under their belts bodes well for NDSU.

Add in veterans like Kory Brown and Chris Kading, the Bison return one of the most experienced squads in the league.”

Which young player should fans keep their eye on?

“Paul Miller is poised for a breakout campaign. The sophomore from Waukesha, Wisc., averaged 6.7 points per game last year, playing 28.5 minutes per contest and making nearly 40 percent of his three-point attempts.

Throw in another offseason in NDSU’s strength and conditioning program, Miller will be stronger and quicker and able to take advantage of opposing defenses focusing on Jacobson. If Werner can solidify his presence in the paint, a strong inside-out combo with Miller raining down threes could be in store.”

What kind of an impact can we expect from Dexter Werner this season?

“Large. Werner’s performance against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament was not a fluke.

His high-energy brand of play is why he’s a fan favorite, but his impact goes beyond diving for loose balls and crashing the boards. Big Dex is deceptively quick, athletic and has very nimble feet for a guy his size. He can also handle the basketball. This makes him a mismatch for other posts.”

THE MEDIA MAN

How is NDSU going to replace the void left by Lawrence Alexander this season?

“It will have to be by committee. Lawrence Alexander (LA) hit so many big shots at critical times last season that you can’t expect one guy to do what he did. The Bison will have more flexibility with lineups, so Dave Richman has some options.

AJ Jacobson improved so much from the beginning of last season to the end of last season that you’d have to think he can take more of the load. Carlin Dupree and Paul Miller have both showed abilities to score in big moments, so consistency from those two is important.”

What will be this team’s biggest improvement from last year?

“Depth and balance, plain and simple. The Bison went two-deep off the bench last year (when completely healthy), and that was it. I think an eight-to-nine-man rotation is a possibility this season with some of the additions. The toughest part for the coaching staff will be finding the most effective lineups, but the foreign trip to the Bahamas

this past summer likely helped figure some of that out.”

Which young player should fans keep their eye on?

“Khy Kabellis. A pass-first point guard that played at a high-level in a competitive league in San Diego, California. He is long and athletic, but will need to add as much bulk as he can for the rigors of a college season. That being said, I expect him to play some meaningful minutes as a true freshman, much like Miller had to last season.”

What kind of an impact can we expect from Dexter Werner this season?

“We saw glimpses of his ability last year, and, quite honestly, it surprised people. Dexter’s effort and unique skill set is what set him apart from some of the guys he went up against last season. He just flat outworked other big men and was able to use his footwork and ball handling ability to create mismatches. His impact is felt when he brings energy to the floor.”

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By Joe Kerlin | Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

The Bison defense has introduced many new faces to Bison Nation this season. CJ Smith and Jordan Champion are two of the returning stars and have inherited the leadership role, while developing into the two most-feared defensive backs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

NO-FLY ZONE

C

J Smith is the best cornerback in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

And the second best, well, he’s probably on the opposite end of the field.

Jordan Champion and Smith have been the one-two punch for the Bison at the cornerback for what seems like forever. In reality, they’ve been together for two seasons and have had the pleasure of matching up with some of the country’s best athletes.

Smith has been a well-known commodity entering his third year as a starter. He emerged during the 2013 season, starting all 15 games on the side opposite of Marcus Williams. All Smith did in 2013 was finish with 42 tackles, three interceptions and tally 18 passes defended, the second-most in the conference.

His coming-out party came in November, in a game at No. 15 Youngstown State. Williams was out with a knee injury, causing Smith to draw the Penguins’ number one receiver, Andre Stubbs. Smith was all over him, harassing Stubbs like an unwanted fly in the living room.

He was in his back pocket the entire night, much to the chagrin of Penguin fans as they booed the NDSU corner senselessly. Smith loved every second of it, as he encouraged the boos in between NDSU’s defensive stops.

#5 JO RD

AN C HAM

“That’s him,” said defensive backs coach Joe Klanderman, who was still a year away from joining the football staff during the 2013 Youngstown State game. Last year, Smith played sparingly against the Penguins at the Fargodome due to a sore knee. But one Youngstown State coach remembered 2013 and found Klanderman on the field after the game.

“Man, that’s too bad I didn’t get to see six play,” the Penguin defensive back coach told Klanderman. “I love watching that kid play. He’s the best in the League in my opinion.”

Smith capped his 2013 season with an interception against Towson in the FCS national championship game.

#6

CJ

SM

ITH

PION He received honorable mention AllMissouri Valley and gained the respect from offenses across the league.

Smith’s notoriety came in somewhat of an instant. The opposite can be said of Champion, who, ironically, had his first start of his career against Youngstown State in 2013.

For Bison fans, Champion’s road to success has unfolded in front of our eyes. We’ve seen his worst – getting out-jumped for touchdowns – and his best – sacking the University of North Dakota’s Keaton Studsrud. He’s made the transformation from specialteamer to one of the captains of the defense.

“He’s a super intelligent player and just gets the game,” Klanderman said.

“He’s the one that doesn’t get much of the limelight, but he’s the one that’s probably doing the most in terms of variety of things.”

Champion has transformed from kick coverage specialist to a flexible cornerback, lining up against wide receivers in NDSU’s base defense and shifting down to cover the slot in nickel packages. He’s second on the Bison in tackles through the first four games and his 26 stops lead all cornerbacks in the Missouri Valley.

“Special teams made me into a nasty and tenacious player,” Champion said.

“You gotta be tenacious to play on special teams here so I think playing on that special team helped me become that.”

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NO-FLY ZONE “Nasty” and “tenacious” are a couple of adjectives used to explain the way Champion’s companion covers wide receivers. Smith’s physical presence has helped lock down elite FCS receivers, such as SDSU’s Jake Wieneke this season. Wieneke was held to a season-low three receptions for 39 yards against Smith. He shut down the same Wieneke who shredded an FBS Kansas secondary for 180 yards and two touchdowns during the first game of the season But with the physicality comes penalties, and Smith was called for three against SDSU. Klanderman and head coach Chris Klieman said they aren’t worried about the flags.

“You’re going to get some pass interferences,” Klieman said. “The last thing I want to do is take a young man’s aggressiveness away from him so he won’t change one thing he did.”

Klanderman concurred, “(Smith’s) a good enough athlete to continue keeping his body under control and hopefully catch some of those balls instead of getting in those situations.

Those balls get caught, those are a non-call.”

Smith missed the first game this season against Montana. Klanderman said when he returned to practice the following week, Smith set the tone for the defensive backs. Against Montana, the Bison allowed 434 passing yards.

DYNA

MIC D UO

The next three games with Smith back in the lineup against Weber State, the University of North Dakota and SDSU, the Bison allowed 452 passing yards combined.

Smith and Champion have replaced longtime starting safeties Colten Heagle and Christian Dudzik as the leaders of the Bison secondary.

Klanderman said they haven’t wasted any time leaving their mark on sophomore safety Tre Dempsey and freshman safety Robbie Grimsley.

“Colten Heagle was the kind of guy that would grab a guy by the throat and say, ‘Listen, this is it.’ Jordan’s not that way. Jordan is more of a

positive reinforcement kind of guy,” Klanderman said. “When CJ came back, he kind of got into it and said, ‘Listen, guys, this is not the way we play.’ He’s really taken that quote, unquote Heagle role of leading.”

The Smith-Champion duo has started 21 games together at NDSU. With the high amount of turnover on the Bison defense coming into the season, two things have remained solid.

The Bison will always have the two top cornerbacks on the edge, giving Missouri Valley receivers’ fits for 60 minutes.

PLAYER STATS JORDAN CHAMPION 2015 7 games, 33 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 passes defended career 52 games, 137 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 16 passes defended

CJ SMITH 2015 6 games, 17 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 interception

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career 51 games, 118 tackles, 41 passes defended, 5 interceptions

COACH ATIF AUSTIN

T EAMS THAT

PRAY

TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER Interview by Joe Kerlin

Q& A

A

t the end of last year, we spoke with Wide Receivers Coach Atif Austin about his first season at NDSU. With coaching experience at Iowa State, Southwest Minnesota State, Northern Iowa, Stetson, as well as at the high school level, we asked what’s different about NDSU. He mentioned the fact that the Bison pray together so we followed up with him before the Northern Iowa game this year to see how this team’s faith keeps them together through thick and thin.

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Wide receivers coach Atif Austin won his first FCS national championship in his first year at NDSU.

BISON ILLUSTRATED: At the end of every game, the football team huddles together at the 50-yard line and prays. What kind of effect does that have on the group?

ATIF AUSTIN: “These guys were heavily doing that before I got here. Obviously, you see that, you go in, and join in and you be around these guys. I would say it like this: Iron sharpens iron, and certainly those guys sharpen one another, whether it’s on the football field or off the football field. They not only want to be great football players. They want to be great people. When you can see a bunch of men getting together and going on the field to help

each other at the college level, you know there’s something special.”

BI: When have you seen them pray off the field?

AA: “I remember one time going over and eating at the dining center and the quarterbacks had gotten there. Carson (Wentz), Easton (Stick) and Cole (Davis), all three of those guys were sitting at the table and I just happened to walk up and came over and said hello and sat down with them. Cole Davis was sitting there, and they were going through all their playbook stuff, but then they had their Bibles sitting right there. They just got done

COACH ATIF AUSTIN

going over some football stuff, then they opened up their Bible and I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ And they’re sitting there reading the Bible. They were going through every chapter together and reading it and then talking about it. They do that every night.

They would come over and they would read through the Bible.

I can’t remember exactly what chapter they were on at that time, but to me, I was like, ‘Wow.’ They were doing this on their own.

Nobody told them to do it, nobody would’ve even known they done it if I hadn’t walked up there and saw them sitting at the table just eating, talking about this and that.”

BI: Is that something you’ve seen other places?

AA: “It is very unique. I think it’s something that spreads among the football team. Guys that are curious, they can go ask another football player going through some of the same things and they’re a mentor to one another, and I think that’s very unique.”

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The football team takes a knee at the 50-yard line after their win against the University of North Dakota. Some UND players joined in after NDSU’s 34-9 victory.

BI: Are they still doing Bible groups

BI: What percentage of this team is

every week?

Christian?

AA: “Yes, they’re still doing the

AA: “That’s a tough question. I’ll tell

(Bible) study group, and Grant Olson was another one that really was a leader and was the head of it. He was more than willing to talk about it. He was more than willing to sit down with anybody on the football team and pray with them and talk about it with them, especially with his experience with getting injured and coming back. He was such a great leader in this program. It’s one of those things that passes down from year to year, guys come in and help mentor one another and they teach each other and they have certain standards that they live by, and if you don’t live by them, you’re probably not going to be a Bison very long (laughs). It’s one of those things that we have expectations in the classroom, we have expectations on the football field and we have expectations as people and we live by those.”

you this. You don’t know because, at the end of a football game, our head coach would say ‘take a knee, take in your own thoughts, your own way and then everybody can do whatever.’ You don’t pray, you still take a knee, but you might not be saying anything in your head.

So you don’t know what it is, but I would say it’s gotta be a high percentage that actually believes.

No one makes anybody stay on the football field at the end of the game. It’s your choice, and also, no one makes anybody do anything.

But when the guys are sitting out there and taking a knee and inviting the other football team to be a part of it, some of them stay and others run off the field. But if you look, it’s a high percentage of them staying. I couldn’t tell you a percentage, but I just know it’s quite a few.”

DAVE MARION

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WHERE DAVE MARION

ARE THEY

NOW?

DAVE MARION: NORTH DAKOTA MAN

By Joe Kerlin | Photo by Paul Flessland

COMMITMENT TO SERVE It took longer than expected for Dave Marion to find himself in Fargo. He always wanted to play for the most passionate man he’s ever shared a room with in Rocky Hager. Once within the confines of campus, Hager and Dacotah Field, life fell into place. This includes life after football, when he decided to play for the only man he’d dare compare to Coach Hager.

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ave Marion is visibly disturbed when you ask him if he got a buck license for the upcoming deer season.

“I just got off the horn with Gus,” said the six-foot, four-inch, 330-pound Marion, as he squeezed into a small office chair inside the conference room.

“He was asking me that same thing.”

Marion doesn’t. He said he’ll be shooting a doe this year. He also hopes to make it to Florida this year to link up with Gus from the phone call who happens to coach one of the 32 teams in the National Football League.

He and Gus Bradley have ripped lips of redfish before when the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars was in Seattle.

Bradley’s wife, Michaela, has been surrounded by football her whole life thanks to her two brothers, Dave and Steve Marion.

Football was a natural bond between Bradley and Dave Marion, and, well, NDSU.

Marion’s father is from Bottineau, N.D., and played baseball for the Bison in the 1960s. He raised his kids in Bismarck, where he was the chief parole officer at the state penitentiary.

That’s where Marion discovered his desire to help.

But before he started serving the community, Marion fell in love with football. College athletics was in his future. Now the only question was where he was going to play.

Growing up engulfed in the NDSU tradition by his father, Marion was on the road to be a Bison. Head football coach Rocky Hager had visited and wanted him on his offensive line to clear the way for Chris Simdorn and Tony Satter. But in 1986, the NCAA implemented Proposition 48, and because of his grades, Marion would spend his first year of college in Wahpeton, playing for the North Dakota State School of Science.

“I kick myself for the opportunity I missed,” Marion said about not being eligible to play on the 1988 NDSU

national championship team.

Marion eventually got his grades up and joined the Bison in 1989. He started on the offensive line that won the 1990 national championship and was a third team All-American his senior year in 1991. It was off the field, though, where Marion would have his life changed while at NDSU. Former Bison center Mike Favor was a graduate assistant on the Bison football staff while Marion was playing. He had arranged a job opportunity for Marion, who was a child development and family sciences major, in the Twin Cities. Marion was ready to chase his passion, and it was going to begin at St. Joseph’s Home for Children.

Then, Marion met a Bison Athletics Hall of Famer who changed his trajectory after one meeting.

Dr. Denis “Izzy” Isrow had been at NDSU since the 1960s. He came to Fargo with legendary coaches Darrell Mudra and Ron Erhardt in 1963 as an instructor and coach. He was hailed as the “Father of Athletic Training” and

DAVE MARION formed a great friendship with a player from the first national championship team in 1965. Izzy saw Marion’s passion for helping the less fortunate and knew somebody he thought Marion should meet.

It was a face Marion had seen before on the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame wall, next to NDSU’s first football championship season. Walt Odegaard, or simply “Walt,” as Marion called him, stepped into a meeting room at the old Bison Sports Arena.

“Dr. Isrow introduced me to him and right away it was this big, massive, 5-foot-11, just as wide, big chops, Paul Bunyan-bearded faced guy came in,” Marion said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is one of the guys that paved the way.’”

As Hager had swooned Marion into coming to NDSU over places such as Nebraska and Southern California with his passionate promises of success and opportunity during the recruiting process - Walt showed that same fire.

Marion hung onto every last word like it would be the last he’d hear. Walt wanted him on his team.

“It was almost like Rocky Hager sitting across from you in recruiting,” Marion said. “He kind of had that laser (focus), determined, had that passion.

He was just giving it to you and the hair on the back of your neck is standing up and I bought it. I said, ‘I want to play for this guy next.’”

So in January 1994, Marion packed his bags and headed back west to a town with a population of 227, not 400,000. He was going to begin his life in Flasher, working for Walt at the Prairie Learning Center.

The Prairie Learning Center is a nonprofit organization that, according to its website, “provides a high quality, therapeutic group experience designed to help at-risk youth examine and modify their behavior.”

Marion began on the graveyard shift and said he

DAVE MARION barely had any interaction with the kids at the facility. But his rise up the ladder was already in place.

Six months into his first real job, Marion started working days and eventually became a shift supervisor. He stayed close to Walt, acting as a sponge to the man he made his commitment to. Marion found his way onto the administrative staff as a group-leading supervisor in 1996, overseeing a staff of 20 only two years after taking his first overnight shift.

In 1998, he was encouraged by Walt to apply for the administrative director position and oversee the entire staff at the Prairie Learning Center.

“All these people came in from other places and out of state (to interview), but what I didn’t know is that Walt had a vision a long time ago,” Marion said. “They wanted someone who was going to be committed and loyal. You want that for any business, somebody that makes the business run great and delivers a great service, and so he had that vision. So when they offered me the position, it just all made sense.”

“All the little trips I was on, I was being groomed,” Marion said. “All the legislative sessions I was attending, all these people he was introducing me to, it may not have pertained to what I was doing now, but it did pertain to the big picture.”

Izzy saw the similarities between Walt and Marion early on, and that’s what sparked Walt’s big picture, for not only Marion but for also the Prairie Learning Center. He shared Marion’s passion for helping and nurturing underprivileged kids who found themselves out of resources in their local community.

“We take kiddos who come from some pretty tainted and tough environments throughout the state of North Dakota and offer all these different services within a sixmonth period,” Marion said.

The Prairie Learning Center is licensed to care for up to 40 kids at a time. “I can’t tap a magic wand on their shoulder and say, ‘Hey, everything is all better.’ There’s a lot of work that has to be done and there’s a process that’s involved. In that process, we set them up with a treatment plan, we outline all these factors with each individual kid and their family and what needs to be done while they’re there so they can go home and be successful and do great things.”

In 2006, Marion was honored with The Leadership Award, an honor that recognizes an individual who has made a difference in the nonprofit sector through leadership, volunteerism and philanthropy. A year later, the award would be named after the Marion’s mentor, Walt.

Leadership is an interesting concept and it’s one that Marion credits his mentor for being great at. He said it was Walt’s ability to read people, find what they were passionate about and then position them to be successful at establishing a culture.

Marion references the fishing trips he’d go on with the founder of the Prairie Learning Center. They would go to Ontario, Canada, for a week and “pound walleyes” until their elbows got sore.

But it was more than reeling in the

Marion’s File Dave Marion has lived in Flasher, N.D. since 1994. He’s been married to his wife, Shawna, for 20 years. They have two boys, Tanner, who is a freshman at Dickinson State and Connor who is a junior in high school. He has two daughters, Emma, a sophomore, and Faith, a freshman at Flasher Public School.

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next trophy fish. Walt would always bring an eclectic group of individuals on these trips, people from different backgrounds and experiences. This, Marion said, is when people got to show who they really were, and a creative atmosphere flourished.

Often, people would leave these fishing trips with a new perspective on their respective business practice, Marion said.

Walt died in 2006, a year after Marion’s father. With two father figures gone, it’s now Marion who carries on the legacy. His work at the Prairie Learning Center has continued, and he is now the president of The Residential Care Association and soon-to-be president of the North Dakota Social Welfare, which is a collection of nonprofits that work toward healing kids who have faced challenges early in life.

Marion still enjoys going on fishing trips but knows the next time he’ll experience one with Walt will be in the scenic lake country somewhere in heaven. But that’s fine with Marion.

In the meantime, he always has his brother-in-law in Jacksonville, Florida.

ESPN SPORTSCENTER INTERVIEWS

THIS IS SPORTSCENTER: INTERVIEWS WITH MATT BARRIE & SARA WALSH

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ESPN SPORTSCENTER INTERVIEWS

T

he recipe for a memorable weekend was already in the works with the homecoming football game scheduled against the only team that defeated the Bison in 2014 and ended their 33-game winning streak. Then ESPN gave Fargo a call for the third consecutive year. “SportsCenter on the Road” added a tablespoon of national exposure in the NDSU homecoming concoction and promised to add a dash of memories for many Bison faithful. NDSU and Northern Iowa may have been the game of the year this season for the Bison, but for many fans, another few hours on “SportsCenter” was the best ingredient for the school’s popularity. Take a look behind the scenes of another legendary morning inside the Fargodome with exclusive photos and interviews.

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THIS IS SPORTSCENTER: SPORTSCENTER ON THE ROAD VISITS NDSU

Hundreds of Bison fans packed the bottom sections of the south end zone during “SportsCenter on the Road.”

The Herd and Horns “Cure” burger was one of the stars ESPN brought onto the show during the final segment.

A couple of Bison fans show off their dance moves during a commercial break.

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ESPN SPORTSCENTER INTERVIEWS

BEHIND THE SCENES INTERVIEW WITH MATT BARRIE What did you think of the end?

“It was great. You know, you hear about this place and you hear about how passionate it is and the ‘College GameDay’ guys told us how great of a place it is. We said, ‘You know what, we want to see it for ourselves.’ And when we walked in bright and early this morning, they were loud and they were loud from the start of the show at 6 a.m. And you were here at the end, and they were loud until the very end. It lived up to the height of the expectations.

(They were a) great crowd. They were fun. Any time you can start chants, and things like that, it’s great. This was a great experience.”

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How was the Herd & Horns burger?

“The burger was great. The bacon, it was like this sweet and salty mix of goodness and I’ll probably finish when we’re done here.”

How does the FCS environment compare to other divisions?

“You know, it’s not different. It’s not any different. You’re talking about in terms of the differences between the FBS and the FCS, FBS yeah you can fill in an 80,000seat stadium, but it doesn’t make a 19,000-seat stadium any less passionate. It’s still football. It still means a lot to the community.

They still tailgate. They still have fun. The only differences is in the

title, and I think North Dakota State has proven it. They’ve won five games in a row against FBS opponents. It’s a good level of football. But more important than anything, that passion is still there.”

How much do people know about the Bison out in Bristol?

“Well, we carry the FCS playoffs so people are very familiar with it. We brought College GameDay out here the past couple of years, so they’re very familiar with the level of football and what it means to the area and how competitive it is. I’ll tell you this. We talk about the college football playoffs. The FCS is the college football playoff.

They were the first to do it. So anybody whoever wanted to talk about getting a playoff at FBS, look at the FCS level. They’ve done it forever and it’s worked.”

and our goal is to try to immerse ourselves in the culture for 24 hours before the show so we know what it’s like and we did.”

What’s Fargo similar to?

Have you gotten the chance to go out and experience Fargo?

“I did. First night. Thursday nights, we always get into town.

It’s our night to get acclimated.

All of us go out to dinner together, we have some beers and have some fun, just to get used to what it’s like to be around here. The Downtown area is great, the restaurants were great

“I told someone it reminded me a little bit of Ann Arbor. You’ve got the Downtown feel, small college, quaint town – really good restaurants, really good people and a lot of fun. A lot of these places mirror each other in terms of restaurants and bars, proximity to the campus. It was great.”

ESPN SPORTSCENTER INTERVIEWS

BEHIND THE SCENES INTERVIEW WITH SARA WALSH How about that ending? “(Laughs) It was one of our best endings. Matt likes to end the show with food. I think that was the best we had. That was pretty phenomenal. Whatever they brought out to us was something with bacon and it was the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.

There’s a high degree of messiness involved, but the coach, I thought that was pretty cool that he’s never been to a tailgate before so we brought the tailgate to him.

We couldn’t hear anything, but I think that makes for even a better show and it’s a testament to how loud this place gets and how crazy everyone is.”

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Were you surprised with the crowd for how early in the morning it is?

“I’m always surprised at college students will get up that early to come see us or come see the show because I used to hate 8 a.m. classes and that seemed like the worst thing in the world to me.

And these people were up and ready to go well before we come on at 6 a.m. So I can’t honestly believe how many kids set their alarms or stayed up throughout the night and just continued to party and come out and see us. It was awesome.”

What did you hear prior to the show?

“We just heard that fans here are incredibly passionate and incredibly supportive of their program and that there would be a good crowd, but until you see it, you kind of never know.

It was basically everything that everyone told us and it lived up to the expectations.”

Have you ever been through Fargo?

“Never been to North Dakota.

Two weeks ago, I’d never been to Minnesota. So I’m hitting all these northern states I’ve never been to and I’m hitting them when apparently the weather is great.”

Any differences between these college football environments?

“The St. John’s situation two weeks ago was an absolute mad house.

It’s just a different environment, in terms of people being really appreciative that you’re there. The kids here at the end chanting, ‘Thank you, SportsCenter.’ We don’t get that everywhere we go (laughs), and we definitely have gone to places where it’s sort of second nature to them although North Dakota State has gotten so much national exposure over the last couple of years.

You guys are turning into Tuscaloosa, in terms of having national shows

on your campus, but there’s definitely a sense of appreciation when you come to some of these shows.”

Matt told us you guys got to experience the city.

What did you think of Fargo?

“Here’s what I thought: They eat well in Fargo. I need to go on a diet after this trip. But the food has been phenomenal.

Every time we go out to eat, it’s been really good.

Matt’s probably gained 20 pounds and he’s going to go eat four more Bison burgers before we get on a plane. I wouldn’t be surprised. The food here, you guys do it right.”

TAILGATING USD

WELCOMING

FRENEMIES

EVEN IN DEF EA T

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Paul Flessland

B

rian Opp and Kyle Jensen are both USD grads and both, I’m sure, are still in shock of what happened when USD defeated NDSU 24-21.

Jensen explained the state of the USD football program by saying, “They are getting some good talent, but at the same time, you also want to see wins and that’s the tough part when you’re not seeing any.”

They saw it on Saturday, October 17, in Bison country no less.

That fateful Saturday for the Bison was the first time Opp and Jensen had been to a tailgate in Fargo. The Bison faithful were committed to showing them a good time.

“I go down to Nebraska for three games a year, and honestly, Nebraska is a bigger school so the tailgating is bigger,” Opp said. “But relatively speaking, this tailgating is better for the size of the school. This is phenomenal. This reminds me of Nebraska, honestly.”

Opp and Jensen were here with their friend Kyle and were welcomed onto his friend’s Nathan’s (cowboy hat) bus.

“Fans are great, very hospitable,” Jensen said about the Bison fans that welcomed him to their sacred tailgating spot. “The only fans we usually don’t like is SDSU fans so we have a common enemy. Therefore we get along.”

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GAMEDAY SIGHTS

BISON GAMEDAY

SIGHTS Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography

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HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW?

Brian

Schaetz? ld What wou Brian say?

A

ccording to senior defensive tackle Brian Schaetz, all the defensive linemen on the Bison roster know each other pretty well. We put Austin Farnlof and Nate Tanguay to the test to prove Schaetz’s theory. So how much do they really know about their senior leader? Predictably, they had some fun with their answers.

THE QUESTIONS 1. Who is your favorite NFL player?

Name any Packers player.

AUSTIN FARNLOF

NATE TANGUAY

Clay Matthews +1

Vince Wilfork

I’m a dog lover, but cats are my addiction.

Kitty Cat

3. What’s your favorite postgame meal?

A nice steak with a side of corn or a potato.

Cheesy Brats

4. If you could only eat one kind of meat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Angus beef, Hereford beef, heck I’d eat some skinny dairy cow.

Beef, specifically steak +1

Couldn’t tell ya.

We all like to take turns

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Fifty Shades of Gray

Eric Church

Katy Perry

2. What’s your favorite animal?

5. Out of all the defensive tackles, who finishes first in conditioning?

6. What’s the last movie you saw at the movie theater?

7. What musician are you dying to see in concert?

8. Who squats the most on the defensive line?

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BRIAN’S ANSWERS

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Brian Schaetz

+1

Brian Schaetz +1

4-8

His little pig he has had the last couple of years Cheese Curds

Steak +1

Bryce Messner

The Age of Ultron +1 Cher Aaron Steidl

2-8

In 2011, Team Makers contributed just over $2 million to NDSU Athletics to support athletic scholarships for student-athletes. Ultimately, this will assist student-athletes in earning a degree so when they’re finished playing for the Bison, they can transition into a successful career off the field.

CONTRIBUTING

TO THE CAUSE

since 1950

T

eam Makers was born in 1950.

Think about it. Sixty-five years ago was the height of the baby boom and forget tablets, iPhones and laptops, the US was just getting television into every home. As for NDSU Athletics, well, it consisted of an old fieldhouse and our coaches wore suits on the sidelines of football games.

You think we could run Chis Klieman over to Halberstadts and get him some new sideline threads?

Now, to provide context, I wasn’t alive in 1950. I was a figment of my parents’ imagination. Heck, they didn’t even know each other. (At least I’m pretty sure they didn’t.) And NDSU Athletics could only dream of the success that we are standing on top of now.

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In 2014, that number jumped to $3.66 million. Now, I can’t take all the credit because I was Team Maker president during this time. The support for you and Bison Nation has lifted NDSU to new heights, in regards to contributions.

BY PAUL BOUGIE

The millions of dollars Team Makers generates on a yearly basis has provided a platform for NDSU Athletics to stand on. With membership soaring, now more than ever, it’s vital for Bison fans to join the only organization that allows you the bragging rights of being a true Bison supporter.

The numbers don’t lie. I’m not much of a reader, but I ran into this USA Today article the other day. It was breaking down all the numbers corresponding to the revenue generated by college athletic departments. After a slight panic attack from the extremely large spreadsheet, I jumped to North Dakota State.

It was hard not to be proud of where we stood compared to some of our peers.

Can I let you in on a little secret? Please, promise you’ll only tell everybody. 2015 Team Maker president Terry Ludlum is projecting our contribution numbers to soar into more than $4 million this year. Yes, the number “four” followed by six zeros. In the great words of the one and only Bison radio broadcaster Scott Miller: “My oh my!”

Congratulations to Team Makers, from Fargo to the East Coast and from Bismarck to the West Coast. You’ve helped make a difference in so many Bison student-athletes’ lives.

And it’s not too late if you’re not already a part of this nonprofit organization.

Team Makers accepts applications for 2015 right up until New Year’s Eve. Here’s your first step: call Pat Simmers at (701) 231-9555.

SWANY SAYS

swany says KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT OUT: NORTH DAKOTA STATE SHOWS RESILIENCY DOWN THE HOME STRETCH

BY JOSHUA A. SWANSON *Swanson is a native of Maddock, N.D., a proud NDSU alum and a life-long Bison fan.

E

veryone knows the story of Rocky Balboa, the southpaw from Philadelphia, Penn.

America’s favorite underdog-turnedchampion.

The Italian Stallion’s bouts with Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and the Russian, Ivan Drago, were the stuff of legend, even if they occurred on the silver screen. You remember the scene from “Rocky II” where Rocky and Creed both tumble to the canvas after landing competing blows. At the last second, with the fight, the title, and his career hanging in the balance, Rocky digs deep, climbs the ropes, gets to his feet, Creed falls, and Rocky emerges the champion.

Rocky’s face shows the signs of the fight – he’s badly beaten up. It doesn’t matter. He lifts the championship belt high above his head, pure joy, and then delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history: “Yo, Adrian! I did it!”

The reason the Rocky movies are so popular is because they resonate with us. He’s the ultimate people’s champion, the quintessential American success story. The long shot battling insurmountable odds, believing in himself when the experts tell him he’s a nobody, a loser. Balboa goes to work, hard hat and lunch pail, every single day, competing, punching cuts of meat in the freezer, chasing chickens so he

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can, in the words of his trainer Mickey, “eat lightnin’ and crap thunder.” And, my personal favorite, sprinting up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and jumping up and down while he’s surrounded by the masses. Whatever it takes. Rocky understood that. The means may have been unconventional, but the results were indisputable.

In “Rocky IV”, Cold War tensions are flaring up when Balboa faces the Russian champion, the seemingly indestructible Drago. Rocky had retired from fighting after beating Lang in “Rocky III”, but comes back to face the Soviet – not just the fighter, but their entire system – after Drago kills his best friend-turned-mentor, Creed, in the ring during an exhibition bout.

Things look bleak. Adrian can’t stand the thought of Rocky going to Moscow for what she fears will be his boxing Armageddon. She tells him, “You can’t win!” in one of the most emotionallycharged moments in the series. A few scenes later, after reconciling, Adrian looks on in full support as Rocky does what he does best – training in a remote barn, lifting hundreds of pounds of rocks over his head with a pulley, evading the communist doormen assigned to guard him by running through a stream, and screaming the name of his opponent from the top of a mountain. Whatever it takes.

SWANY SAYS

follow

But then a funny thing happens.

Rocky fights back. After nearly being KO’d early in the second round, Rocky drills Drago square in the face with a hard right. The announcer exclaims, “He’s cut, he’s cut, the Russian’s cut, and it’s a bad cut and now it’s Rocky Balboa coming after Ivan Drago.” You have to see it. Seriously. If you do one thing today, besides read this column, type “Rocky IV The Russian’s Cut” into YouTube. What the pundits and analysts said didn’t matter. Rocky was a fighter, a champion. It was in his DNA, it’s who he was. By any statistic, any metric, the Russian was the heavy favorite. One thing Rocky did better than anybody, though, was take a punch and get back up.

Rocky got up, resilient, determined, and his fight with Drago went the distance. Over the course of the bout, Rocky took his share of hard punches.

He was even knocked down a time or two. Each time, every time, he bounced right back up. Heading into the last round, Rocky had the only

Robbie Grimsley and Chris Board deliver a knockout blow by batting away a desperation pass by Northern Iowa. NDSU won in comeback fashion 31-28 on October 10.

Photo by Alyssa Pereira

The two find themselves standing toe-to-toe in the ring, the fight about to begin. It’s the away game of all away games in front of a hostile crowd, the Soviet Politburo looking on, including a Gorbachev lookalike, surrounded by an arena of Russian soldiers. Towering over Rocky, during prefight instructions, the equivalent of the coin toss before kickoff, Drago tries intimidating him, declaring stone-faced, “I must break you,” before slamming his fists into Balboa’s gloves.

Rocky takes a beating in the opening round, struggling to hang on. Drago is landing punch after devastating punch. The bell signals the end of the round. At that point, outside of the guys in Rocky’s corner, nobody was betting on Balboa to win. The fight play-by-play guy says, “It’s been a one-sided fight so far,” and his analyst responds, “It will take more than luck for Rocky to survive this round, Rocky’s been hit with bombs.”

@swany8

thing he needed – a shot. There was still time on the clock, and Balboa was in the game, with a chance to win, and he chopped the big Russian down by landing a combination of body blows. Rocky didn’t win the fight with a single punch, in a single round.

No, he took down Drago over the course of the 15-round heavyweight fight by swinging, and chopping, and swinging, and chopping, and swinging, and chopping until his opponent could no longer endure.

That’s the thing about champions.

Metrics, statistics, the numbers, at the end of the day, they don’t win championships. The flash and style points can distract us from what really matters.

North Dakota State has won four straight national championships. This year, we’ve taken a few more punches than we have in seasons past. We’ve been sent to the canvas a few more times. Montana and South Dakota sent waves around the college football landscape when they landed punches against the team holding the title belt.

With that said, here’s the thing: Like Rocky, the Bison aren’t knocked out. Knocked down a time or two?

Sure. But getting knocked down is not getting knocked out. I haven’t heard any bell yet. Until that bell rings, it ain’t over. There are a few more rounds in this fight, and like Rocky, the Bison have the heart of a champion, that ‘no-quit’ mentality.

NDSU has that resiliency you can’t measure with analytics or hard numbers. It can’t be found in the tale of the tape – but it’s there, always there. It was there at Indiana State after a tough loss to USD. Some have written the Bison off.

Some are talking, saying the run of championships is over. They’re as wrong as those pundits who thought Drago was superior to Rocky in every measure. Category by category, the Russian may have had the better numbers, but it was Rocky that emerged as the winner. Give me that heart of a champion any day of the week and twice on Saturday.

Everyone up for the kickoff, the march is on!

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POP QUIZ

What’s your favorite music album of all-time?

What do you and your teammates like to do outside of playing sports?

Broccoli casserole.

Linkin Park “Hybrid Theory”

We like to go hunting together and go see new movies coming out.

A nice glazed ham.

Def Leppard’s “Hysteria” album would have to be one of the greatest classics of all-time.

Eat, hang out at lake cabins in the summer or play video games.

Anything my mom makes. I love her cooking.

I do not have one.

Hangout and watch movies or support our fellow athletes.

Stuffing

“Flirting With Disaster”

by Molly Hatchet

Hunting, Fishing

My mom’s green bean casserole.

At the moment, my favorite album is “Hozier.”

Outside of playing sports we like to watch movies and eat.

What’s your favorite thing on the Thanksgiving dinner table?

Jeremy Kelly Senior right guard Jeremy Kelly didn’t begin his career at NDSU, but when he showed up, he made an immediate impact on the offensive line. He’s starting this year on the offensive line and started all 16 games last year.

FOOTBALL BROCK RUSSELL Senior offensive guard Brock Russell transferred to NDSU after his redshirt freshman season at Division II Bemidji State. He’s appeared in two games at NDSU and is now serving his role as a valuable backup for the offensive line.

FOOTBALL AMY YANG Junior Amy Yang is a starting midfielder for the Bison soccer team. She started 31 games for NDSU during her freshman and sophomore campaigns. Yang is the second leading scorer behind Lauren Miller and handles most of the corner-kick duties.

SOCCER Hayden Zillmer Hayden Zillmer was the first Bison to earn All-American status as a junior. He placed sixth at the NCAA Championships last season in the 184-pound weight class.

He had a 36-7 record and won Western Wrestling Conference wrestler of the year last season.

WRESTLING MONICA CLAXTON Junior setter Monica Claxton has played in all but one match during her career at NDSU. The El Paso, Texas native missed her first match of her career this year and is second on the team in assists behind Brianna Rasmusson.

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What’s your favorite kind of Thanksgiving pie?

What article of clothing do you love wearing during the winter?

Pumpkin with whipped cream.

My NDSU sweatpants from the equipment staff.

Homemade pecan pie.

Multiple sweaters and jackets to keep me warm from the harsh Fargo winds

I love the crust on apple pies.

Scarves! It keeps me warm and it helps block the wind from my face.

Pumpkin

Red & black flannel shirt

Pumpkin pie for sure.

I love wearing sweaters.