I didn't know when I started as the sports director here in September of the 1997, that almost 12-years later, SDSU and USD would be Division One schools. That USF would apply for NCAA Division II Status and would build a sports complex on the corner of 65th and Cliff. That Augustana would consider a Division One move, only to stay at the the D2 level, and then construct an on-campus football stadium.

I also didn't know, that possibly the most storied conference in the history of Division Two, the North Central, would collasp.

How things have changed.

It's made things a lot more intersting.

When SDSU and NDSU announced they were moving up together, there were a lot of skeptics. It wasn't a question of whether they would get accepted to Division One, there was a question on what conference they would get in.

After some heartbreaks, they landed in the Summit Conference, and Missouri Valley for football. Things have worked well.

When USD announced they were making the jump to D-1, there was no doubt that they would be accepted, and that they would get into the Summit League. Eventually they will get into the Missouri Valley for football. Eventually, UND will get their nickname fiasco resolved, and the Fighting Sioux will also be in the Summit and the Missouri Valley for football. The I-29 rivalries will be renewed in all sports.

USF will get NCAA approval to go to Division Two. And after that happens, they'll eventually get invited in the Northern Sun Conference, and their biggest rival will be a few blocks down the road at Augustana.

And there will be some great crowds for those Cougar-Viking football games in those two new stadiums.

Things change, and then they slowly fall into place.