It was a good day for the UND women's track and field team Saturday. The Fighting Hawks finished fourth in the Big Sky Conference meet in Greeley, Colo. It was the program's highest finish since UND joined the league in 2012.
The program appears to be gaining traction in the Big Sky, as it has improved its league finish every year since becoming a member.
On Monday, the league announced its all-sports awards, which have been created to honor the schools that have the most success in the Big Sky in all sports.
The men and women all-sports awards track the performances of each Big Sky team during the season. The finishes of all sports-men and women-then are compiled to see what athletic department had the best overall performance.
This season, the Northern Arizona men and Sacramento State women earned the all-sports awards.
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UND finished 10th in the all-sports men's standings, out of 11 schools, and eighth in the women's standings, again out of 11 schools..
What does this mean?
It means UND really hasn't generated a lot of buzz in the Big Sky since it was accepted four years ago.
In the four years since UND joined the league, only the women's basketball program has won a Big Sky title.
Four years, however, may not be enough time for an athletic department to create some noise in a new place of residence.
Then again, four years basically is one recruiting cycle. It's also long enough to get a sense of how league schools compete in their respective sports; how and where they recruit; and how they stack up against other leagues in the country.
UND's place in the all-sports standings begs this question: How long will it be before UND becomes a player in the all-sports standings?
But that question is buried by a bigger question.
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How can UND be a bigger player in the Big Sky given the school's current budget programs? Can enough money be raised over the next few years for scholarships, competitive coaching salaries, travel, etc., to ensure UND will be competitive in all Big Sky sports?
UND cut baseball and men's golf, which was the low point in the athletic department's recent history.
Since joining the league, UND has been competitive in Big Sky football, men's basketball, volleyball and women's basketball. The same can't be said for the rest of the school's sports.
There is no question the UND athletic department is doing everything it can to position each of its programs for the best chance of succeeding.
It just hasn't happened yet.
And, in these uncertain economic times, UND's struggles in the Big Sky-perceived or real-leads to another question:
Is the Big Sky the right conference for UND?
