Be it that you hate the New England Patriots or you hate to kiss the football season goodbye, many sports fans are grieving following the Super Bowl. Rest assured, while football has come and gone until August, sports fans here in Fargo have plenty of options.
News flash: NDSU has a basketball team and a new arena. If you hadn’t heard already, NDSU’s men’s basketball team has been on fire all year long. The Bison currently sit atop the Summit League standings, with five games left to play in the season, including two at home in the new Scheels Center.
The Herd will square off against the Pioneers of the University of Denver at 2 p.m. Saturday. The following Saturday, they’ll host Western Illinois at 4 p.m. in the final home game of the season.
Additionally, the women’s side has five remaining home games, two of which will also be at home. They’ll face Denver on at 7 p.m. Wednesday and will play on the against IUPUI at 1 p.m. Feb. 18 before the men play WIU.
For Bison fans who find themselves with some disposable income, I would recommend making the trip to Sioux Falls, S.D. for the Summit League tournament, where both the men’s and women’s teams will look to clinch a spot in March Madness.
The wrestling team has finished this year’s slate of home games, but the squad still has plenty of action on the horizon. The wrestlers will take part in the NWCA National Duals, where they will face rival South Dakota State. Following those duals, the Bison will participate in the Big 12 championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Many wrestlers for the Herd have received national honors for their performances this year, highlighted by senior Josh Rodriguez, who ranks No. 4 in the nation in his weight class.
In the springtime, the best place to go for Bison athletics will be the diamond, as both the baseball and softball team will open their home schedule in April. The home schedules for both teams consist largely of conference match-ups, as both sides will be vying to win the Summit League.
All of NDSU’s home baseball games are held at Newman Outdoor Stadium, and are a nice way to enjoy the spring weather.
In both softball and baseball, the winner of the Summit League punches their ticket for the NCAA tournament. This year, the softball team will host the conference tournament. The softball team has won the past five Summit League championships (sounds familiar, right?), and will look to defend their title at the Ellig Sports Complex.
Both the men’s and women’s track teams will be hosting three meets during the spring season, starting in late April. Like the softball team, NDSU will be hosting the Summit League tournament. Unfortunately, the championship falls during finals week, but if you’ve finished your exams or are in need of a study break, head over to the meet.
If, after considering all of these options, you still find yourself dissatisfied, circle Sept. 2 on your calendars. On that Saturday, for the first time in 2017, you’ll finally hear “Everybody up for the kickoff, the march is on!”
If this still is not enough, the NFL will return in September as well. I would mention the Vikings, but if recent history is any indication, you’ll probably be disappointed once again.
US Bank Stadium will play host to the Super Bowl, where, in all likelihood, Tom Brady will look to slay whichever feeble NFC squad dares to challenge him. He’d better hope Eli Manning doesn’t wind up in Minneapolis. As they say, lather, rinse, repeat.