Happy Hour with John Gaskins

So, what will the Jackrabbits and Coyotes do now that North Dakota State has accepted an invitation from the Mountain West Conference to play football in the FBS league?   Should they operate as if they desire and plan on being an FBS program someday — which takes considerable resources (staff, NIL money, scholarships, for starters) and energy spent researching  — or keep on truckin' as FCS outfit...

So, what will the Jackrabbits and Coyotes do now that North Dakota State has accepted an invitation from the Mountain West Conference to play football in the FBS league?   Should they operate as if they desire and plan on being an FBS program someday — which takes considerable resources (staff, NIL money, scholarships, for starters) and energy spent researching  — or keep on truckin' as FCS outfit...

To understand better why the Bison made the move and why it appears most fans, boosters, and administration is on board with the FBS leap, veteran Fargo reporter and columnist Mike McFeely joined Happy hour for literally an hour.   Why is it such a slam dunk move for NDSU to go to a level that some perceive is barely above the Missouri Valley Football Conference? Why give up decades-old rivalries...

Wednesday's show takes us to Vermillion and to the center of one of the most remarkable stories in college basketball this season.   Literally  to the center.   South Dakota's seven-footer Cameron Fens is the Summit League's leading rebounder and the Coyotes' second-leading scorer. He poured in 14 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and threw down a thunderous two-handed jam in a heated second half in USD...

NLA w/ Zim: Bison bid farewell, what now for Jacks & Yotes, USD hires from within

All of a sudden,  poof , they were gone.   On Friday afternoon, we found out South Dakota head football coach Travis Johansen took the defensive coordinator job at Rutgers and co-offensive coordinator Matt Vitzthum was immediately promoted to replace Johansen.    By the end of the weekend, North Dakota State had officially agreed to accept an invitation to the Mountain West Conference. By doing so...

All of a sudden,  poof , they were gone.   On Friday afternoon, we found out South Dakota head football coach Travis Johansen took the defensive coordinator job at Rutgers and co-offensive coordinator Matt Vitzthum was immediately promoted to replace Johansen.    By the end of the weekend, North Dakota State had officially agreed to accept an invitation to the Mountain West Conference. By doing so...

What is Travis Johansen's legacy at USD after seven seasons overall and one as head coach? Who is Matt Vitzthum, beyond what the resume tells us?    It is difficult to imagine anyone who could better answer the latter question (besides Johansen) than Aidan Bouman. USD's record-setting quarterback the last three seasons worked closely with "Vitz" this past season, when Vitzthum was elevated from wi...

All of a sudden,  poof , they were gone.   On Friday afternoon, we found out South Dakota head football coach Travis Johansen took the defensive coordinator job at Rutgers and co-offensive coordinator Matt Vitzthum was immediately promoted to replace Johansen.    By the end of the weekend, North Dakota State had officially agreed to accept an invitation to the Mountain West Conference. By doing so...

What do we make of last Saturday's SCSC doubleheader in Vermillion — with the USD women beating SDSU for the first time since the Dawn Plitzuweit era four years ago, then the Coyote men's M*A*S*H unit taking first place North Dakota State to overtime?   Can the somewhat-middling Jackrabbits men and women make a February charge and/or a Summit League Tournament surge?   Also, NDSU men's coach Dave...

Is Bad Bunny a bad idea for a Super Bowl halftime show?   Well, who better to ask than two middle-aged white guys whose preferred genre is (shocker) rock 'n' roll?    Actually, lots of people are better to ask, but you may be surprised to hear how Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer and John Gaskins feel about the Grammy Award winning performer taking global TV's biggest stage of the year on Sunday.  ...

Jeff passed away on Thursday, Feb. 5, from Leukemia. He joined Happy Hour when it appeared he was in the clear of the disease and was set to return to the Augustana football radio booth after a season off. Here is what we wrote on Sept. 3, the day of the original release of this chat: As inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Jeff Fylling's dulcet tones hummed through ra...

Breaking News! There  is  compelling Summit League basketball that happens before the Summit League Tournament.   More Breaking News! There  is  compelling Summit League basketball that happens before the Summit League Tournament between the two South Dakota schools during seasons when neither the Jackrabbits and Coyotes look like the league's team to beat.   Or, at least, that is how we see it at...

Breaking News! There  is  compelling Summit League basketball that happens before the Summit League Tournament.   More Breaking News! There  is  compelling Summit League basketball that happens before the Summit League Tournament between the two South Dakota schools during seasons when neither the Jackrabbits and Coyotes look like the league's team to beat.   Or, at least, that is how we see it at...

T-Wolves did NOT trade for Giannis (nobody did).. but did make another move for a guard that averages 15 points. Chris Johnson breaks it all down and how the team looks going forward.

SDSU men's basketball coach Bryan Petersen, ahead of a showdown with rival USD on Saturday and coming off a home loss to St. Thomas on Wednesday, describes his first year as head coach, leaning on advice from past bosses like Eric Henderson and T.J. Otzelburger, finding ways to rescue Jacks from their midseason struggles, and the potential to be dangerous in March.

A bombshell sent shock waves all over the FCS on Wednesday morning. They are waves that powerhouses like Montana State, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and South Dakota might just try to ride in the coming weeks.   Montana coach Bobby Hauck — one of the premier coaches in the sport for over 20 years and the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history — retired pretty much out of nowhere...

Montana coach Bobby Hauck — one of the premier coaches in the sport for over 20 years and the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history — retired pretty much out of nowhere, notifying his athletic director at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night and holding a press conference on Wednesday morning.     This comes just less than a couple months after his Grizzlies throttled the Jackrabbits (50-29) and Coyot...

Trafton attended Montana during Hauck's first tenure and gave a historical perspective on Hauck's legacy. He also weighs in on the timing of the retirement and the level of alarm felt by Griz fans considering the new portal window that will open specfically Montana players.

Last year, South Dakota women's basketball coach Carrie Eighmey led the Coyotes to an 11-20 record (5-11 in the Summit League) in her first season, mostly with players she inherited from her predecessor.   The Nebraska native, adept at turning sagging programs into national tournament qualifiers (Hastings in NAIA, then Nebraska-Kearney in Div. II),  drilled down on her roster, signing a slew of tr...

Akem played for Hauck and describes the coach's legacy, reacts to the timing of the announcement, and gives ideas to how things should change for the Griz to narrow the gap with Montana State.

Is Bad Bunny a bad idea for a Super Bowl halftime show?   Well, who better to ask than two middle-aged white guys whose preferred genre is (shocker) rock 'n' roll?    Actually, lots of people are better to ask, but you may be surprised to hear how Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer and John Gaskins feel about the Grammy Award winning performer taking global TV's biggest stage of the year on Sunday.  ...

Things have been shaken up in Summit League men's and women's basketball as teams brace for the final seven games of the conference slate.    North Dakota State's men and women are both 9-0 and two games ahead of their closest contenders. On the women's side, the two contenders tied for second place are three-time defending champion South Dakota State and South Dakota.   The Coyotes convincingly p...

Things have been shaken up in Summit League men's and women's basketball as teams brace for the final seven games of the conference slate.    North Dakota State's men and women are both 9-0 and two games ahead of their closest contenders. On the women's side, the two contenders tied for second place are three-time defending champion South Dakota State and South Dakota.   The Coyotes convincingly p...

Star Tribune columnist LaVelle Neal on Vikings & Twins firing GM's, Wolves seeking trade for Giannis