The big boys

It's official.

North Dakota State, in its fifth and final year of reclassification from the NCAA Division II level to Division I, is playing with the big boys when its men's basketball team opens its season tonight at two-time defending national champion Florida.

Florida is one of only two schools ranked among the Top 10 athletic programs for the last 23 years. One look at the numbers shows why the Gators are the cream of the crop.

Enrollment

Florida: 50,785 (third largest in the nation)

NDSU: 12,527

University budget

Florida: $1.9 billion (eighth largest in the nation)

NDSU: $238 million

Faculty

Florida: 4,534 full-time staff

NDSU: 734

Alumni

Florida: 340,000

NDSU: 71,190

President's salary

Florida's James Bernard Machen: $730,676 (seventh largest among public universities)

NDSU's Joseph Chapman: $211,686

Athletic budget

Florida: $82.4 million

NDSU: $10.5 million

Athletic director's salary

Florida's Jeremy Foley: $1.2 million (highest in the nation)

NDSU's Gene Taylor: $158,345

Basketball arena capacity

Florida's Stephen C. O'Connell Center: 12,000

NDSU's Bison Sports Arena: 6,000 The big boys Kevin Schnepf 20071109

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