The Bobcat Nation

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:59 am

Yep. Just pulled it up on ESPN+ and it is there for Sat at noon.

Bobcat4Ever wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:38 pm

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:59 am

Yep. Just pulled it up on ESPN+ and it is there for Sat at noon.

Thanks, guys!! My wife is from Iowa and we had to watch Iowa and Caitlyn Clark vs. Iowa State women’s basketball last evening. But we’ll be watching this volleyball with great interest. For those of you who are newer fans, this is what it felt like 20 years ago when the Dave Gantt / Bill Neville teams used to actually beat other teams. Both of those coaches had been involved with national volleyball teams in the USA and Canada. D1 volleyball coaches need to be experienced *and* connected. I think MSU was very fortunate to land the Houk duo.

P.S. It’s the week for streaks to end. Iowa State never loses at home (like only 8 in 160 or something crazy like that, and Caitlyn Clark had never beaten them. That streak ended last night as Iowa won in front of a full, screaming house and Clark broke the 3,000 point career scoring total. If any WBB fans have not watched Caitlyn play, you should — they play on ESPN+. She’s like Harald (Harry) Frey the ex-Bobcat only with more range! Her average made 3-pointer is 25’3”. (Sorry to throw this into Volleyball, but I know most of you here are WBB fans as well.)

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:21 pm

TheJoeGoldstone wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:14 pm

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:07 pm

Rich K wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:11 am

Only 804 fans at last match at Wichita State….geez I wished we had a home game……we are s boisterous and large crowd most games.

Compared to football, volleyball rankings appear to be the basis for home court games rather than bid money. The inconsistency of the NCAA is shown again, alas. I know there would be over 1000 roaring Bobcat fans if any of these NIVC matches would have been in Bozeman.

This is going to look like I am answering myself based on the way your response was posted…. But anyway at the sideout banquet it was stated that you had to bid on hosting for the early rounds. If I see Leon wondering the hallways one of these days I am going to ask him. Wyoming definitely had a nice crowd but I guarantee MSU would have had a whole lot more folks than they had at Sac State!!! It would have been loud and boisterous!!

I was up at the Alumni Foundation today so took a trip over to the Athletic Office and asked about home site selection. Apparently its not a straightforward process. They asked each team in the tourney if they wanted to host any or all of the different dates of the tourney if you won and kept winning. There was a minimum monetary level commitment for each event if a team wanted to host (and you could bid more). Rankings were also weighed with the monetary amounts. And of course venue availability was a consideration for a single game or multiple games. If Bobcats keep going like this year we will have to sharpen our pencil better and get a few of the games at home. Will be interesting if Coach Houk gets a chance with a few more recruits with a nice playoff run like this.

MSU01 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:46 am

I'd assume that cost/ease of travel also plays a role. The initial "pod" MSU was placed in had two California teams, a Nevada team, and MSU. Sacramento is a lot more centrally located and easy to get to than Bozeman for three out of the four teams. It's also likely a lot easier and cheaper for MSU to travel to Wichita than vice versa, as anyone who has looked at hotel prices in Bozeman the last few years can attest to.

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 10:03 am

MSU01 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:46 am

I'd assume that cost/ease of travel also plays a role. The initial "pod" MSU was placed in had two California teams, a Nevada team, and MSU. Sacramento is a lot more centrally located and easy to get to than Bozeman for three out of the four teams. It's also likely a lot easier and cheaper for MSU to travel to Wichita than vice versa, as anyone who has looked at hotel prices in Bozeman the last few years can attest to.

Yes you are absolutely right…that travel and regionalization was mentioned in my discussion with them….. but I missed inserting in the note ….mainly because my mind is not a steel trap anymore and that part of discussion seeped out and is laying on the floor someplace. It’s like I need to go back in a room three times anymore before I remember why I was in there. Hell to get old.

RickRund wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 10:39 am

BobcatDel wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 10:03 am

MSU01 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:46 am

I'd assume that cost/ease of travel also plays a role. The initial "pod" MSU was placed in had two California teams, a Nevada team, and MSU. Sacramento is a lot more centrally located and easy to get to than Bozeman for three out of the four teams. It's also likely a lot easier and cheaper for MSU to travel to Wichita than vice versa, as anyone who has looked at hotel prices in Bozeman the last few years can attest to.

Yes you are absolutely right…that travel and regionalization was mentioned in my discussion with them….. but I missed inserting in the note ….mainly because my mind is not a steel trap anymore and that part of discussion seeped out and is laying on the floor someplace. It’s like I need to go back in a room three times anymore before I remember why I was in there. Hell to get old.

I hear ya', loud and unclear.